Abstract

Intertidal limpets are important grazers along rocky coastlines worldwide that not only control algae but also influence invertebrates such as common barnacles. For instance, grazing limpets ingest settling barnacle cyprid larvae (hereafter cyprids) and push cyprids and barnacle recruits off the substrate. Such limpet disturbance effects (LDEs) can limit barnacle recruitment, a key demographic variable affecting barnacle population establishment and persistence. In this study, we examined limpet (Lottia cassis) disturbance to barnacle (Chthamalus dalli, Balanus glandula) recruitment on the Pacific coast of Hokkaido, Japan, as information on limpet-barnacle interactions from this region is missing. We investigated, for the first time, whether barnacle size and recruitment intensity influence LDEs on barnacle recruitment. Small barnacles may be less susceptible to LDEs than larger barnacles, because small size may reduce the propbability of limpet disturbance. Moreover, recruitment intensity can influence LDEs, as high recruitment can compensate for LDEs on barnacle recruitment density. In Hokkaido, C. dalli cyprids are smaller than B. glandula cyprids, and C. dalli recruitment is higher than B. glandula recruitment. Thus, we hypothesized that LDEs on C. dalli recruitment would be weaker than those on B. glandula recruitment. To test our hypothesis, we conducted a field experiment during which we manipulated limpet presence/absence on the interior surfaces of ring-shaped cages. After four weeks, we measured barnacle recruitment and recruit size on the interior surfaces of the cages and found negative LDEs on C. dalli and B. glandula recruitment and recruit size. As hypothesized, the LDEs on C. dalli recruitment were weaker than the LDEs on B. glandula recruitment. Additionally, C. dalli recruits were smaller than B. glandula recruits. However, the LDEs on C. dalli recruit size were as strong as the LDEs on B. glandula recruit size, indicating that the smaller C. dalli recruits are not less susceptible to LDEs than B. glandula recruits. Since C. dalli recruitment was higher than B. glandula recruitment, we propose that the higher C. dalli recruitment compensated for the LDEs on C. dalli recruitment. Our findings indicate that the detected differences in LDEs on barnacle recruitment are related to barnacle recruitment intensity but not recruit size.

Highlights

  • Intertidal limpets (Patellogastropoda) are conspicuous grazers along coastlines worldwide (Branch, 2007; Heller, 2015)

  • Using native limpets (Lottia cassis), native barnacles (Chthamalus dalli) and introduced barnacles (Balanus glandula) on the Pacific coast of Hokkaido, our manipulative field experiment showed that the limpet disturbance effects (LDEs) on C. dalli recruitment are weaker than those on B. glandula recruitment

  • Despite the observed limpet mortality, our results are in line with previous findings from the North American Pacific coast, which showed that the LDEs on C. dalli recruitment are relatively weak compared to those on B. glandula recruitment (Dayton, 1971; Paine, 1981; Farrell, 1988; Miller & Carefoot, 1989; Farrell, 1991; Menge et al, 2010)

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Summary

Introduction

Intertidal limpets (Patellogastropoda) are conspicuous grazers along coastlines worldwide (Branch, 2007; Heller, 2015). Grazing limpets can ingest settled cyprids (Stimson, 1970; Dayton, 1971; Miller & Carefoot, 1989) Such limpet disturbance effects (LDEs) can limit barnacle recruitment (Dayton, 1971; Miller & Carefoot, 1989; Menge et al, 2010), which is the appearance of new barnacle individuals (i.e., recruits) that derive from settled and metamorphosed cyprids (Cole et al, 2011). Recruitment is a key demographic variable in barnacle population establishment (Alam et al, 2014) and persistence (Menge & Menge, 2013)

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