Publication Date:
2022-05-27
Description:
The predatory role of juvenile and adult shore crabs, Carcinus maenas L., an tidal flats in the wadden sea near the North Sea island of Sylt has been evaluated with field enclosures. Early benthic stages (2-4 mm carapace width) prey heavily an microfauna (Nematoda, Turbellaria, Ostracoda) and particularly an juvenile macrofauna. When crabs grow up they gradually shift to larger prey and a bifurcation in prey selection occurs: males concentrate an molluscs while females feed preferentially an annelids. Annual consumption expressed as dry organic matter is estimated at 3.6 g·m 2 for O-group crabs and 1.3 g·m-2 for adult crabs. Carcinus maenas is expected to cause conspicious impact an zoobenthos in the wadden sea 1. by preying always an the most abundant species, 2. by increasing juvenile mortality of high-biomass macrofauna, 3. by being a predator of highly variable abundance between years.
Type:
Article
,
NonPeerReviewed
Format:
text
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