Predation intensity in estuarine soft bottoms: between-habitat comparisons and experimental artifacts

The macrofauna of molluscs associated with soft bottoms in the Bay of Cádiz (southern Spain) was studied monthly from February 1994 to January 1996. The number of species (63) is high for a soft bottom and is related to environmental characteristics (growth of macrophytes) and the biogeographical setting of the studied area. Corbula gibba (∼90%) was the dominant species in this taxocoenosis together with the gastropod Nassarius pygmaeus and the bivalves Pandora inaequivalvis, Parvicardium exiguum and Macoma melo. The most frequent species during the two years was also the bivalve Corbula gibba (100%) followed by the gastropods Nassarius pygmaeus, Tricolia tenuis, Rissoa membranacea and the bivalve Macoma melo. Total abundance of the taxocoenosis in both years reached higher values in spring. The dynamics of the ecological indices such as diversity or evenness, and the species richness showed a similar pattern in both years, with low values of diversity and evenness together with high species richness in spring and summer months and the reverse in autumn and winter. The qualitative correspondence analysis of monthly samples shows an ordination related to seasonality in both studied years, however the values of Jaccard's coefficient do not indicate significant boundaries among the monthly samples. The quantitative correspondence analysis shows an ordination and grouping of samples related to the biology of species, particularly with the recruitment of C. gibba, the dominant species. The existence of similar trends in the structure of the taxocoenoses over both years, and the seasonality highlighted by the qualitative correspondence analysis, seems to indicate a certain stability of the ecosystem.

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Effects of a high-risk environment on edge-drilling behavior: inference from Recent bivalves from the Red Sea

Paleobiology ◽

10.1666/13024 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 40 (1) ◽

pp. 34-49 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Devapriya Chattopadhyay ◽

Martin Zuschin ◽

Adam Tomašových

Keyword(s):

High Risk ◽

Red Sea ◽

Site Selection ◽

Drill Hole ◽

Predatory Behavior ◽

Width Ratio ◽

Substrate Affinity ◽

Risk Environment ◽

Temporal And Spatial Distribution ◽

Predation Intensity

Edge-drilling is an unusual predation pattern in which a predatory gastropod drills a hole on the commissure between the valves of a bivalve. Although it is faster than wall drilling, it involves the potential risk of amputating the drilling organ. We therefore hypothesize that this risky strategy is advantageous only in environments where predators face high competition or predation pressure while feeding. The high frequency of edge-drilling (EDF, relative to the total number of drilled valves) in a diverse Recent bivalve assemblage from the Red Sea enables us to test this hypothesis, predicting (1) a low EDF in infaunal groups, (2) a high EDF in bivalves with elongated shape, (3) high incidence of edge-drilling in groups showing a high wall-drilling frequency, and (4) high EDF in shallow habitats. We evaluate these predictions based on >15,000 bivalve specimens. Among ecological attributes, we found substrate affinity and predation intensity of a species to be good predictors of edge-drilling incidence. Infaunal taxa with high length/width ratio have a low EDF, in accordance with our predictions. Predation intensity is also a significant predictor of edge-drilling; groups with high predation intensity show higher incidence of edge-drilling, confirming our prediction. Although water depth fails to show any significant effect on EDF, this analysis generally supports the high-risk hypothesis of edge-drilling incidence because shallow depths have considerable microhabitat variability. Classically the drill hole site selection has often been linked to predatory behavior. Our study indicates that prey attributes are also crucial in dictating the behavioral traits of a driller such as site selection. This calls for considering such details of the prey to fully understand predation in modern and fossil habitats. Moreover, this perspective is important for tackling the longstanding riddle of the limited temporal and spatial distribution of edge-drilling.

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Is predation intensity reduced with increasing depth? Evidence from the west Atlantic stalked crinoidEndoxocrinus parrae(Gervais) and implications for the Mesozoic marine revolution

Paleobiology ◽

10.1017/s0094837300016328 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 22 (3) ◽

pp. 339-351 ◽

Cited By ~ 75

Author(s):

Tatsuo Oji

Keyword(s):

Shallow Water ◽

The Other ◽

The West ◽

Bathymetric Range ◽

Late Mesozoic ◽

Predation Intensity ◽

Stalked Crinoids ◽

The Caribbean ◽

Mesozoic Marine Revolution ◽

Sublethal Predation

The number of regenerated arms was counted on specimens of two distinct phenotypes of the stalked crinoidEndoxocrinus parrae(Gervais) from a wide bathymetric range in the Caribbean (178-723 m). In one phenotype, the sample was divided into two groups, one from shallower (< 500 m) depths, the other from deeper (≥ 500 m); in the other phenotype the group divided at 550 m. In both phenotypes, the frequency of regenerated arms is significantly higher in specimens from shallower water than in those from deeper water. If the regenerated arms inEndoxocrinus parraewere the result of sublethal predation, as previously suggested, then predation intensity is higher in shallow water than deep water. These results are consistent with the idea of the late Mesozoic marine revolution—that there has been stronger predation on various invertebrates in shallow-water environments since the late Mesozoic. The stalked crinoids may have been unable to cope with increased predation in shelf environments, and they migrated to offshore environments.

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Dragonets (Callionymidae) of soft bottoms from the coastal zone of southern Central Vietnam

Journal of Ichthyology ◽

10.1134/s0032945216050118 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 57 (1) ◽

pp. 45-52 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

A. M. Prokofiev

Keyword(s):

Coastal Zone ◽

Central Vietnam ◽

Southern Central ◽

Soft Bottoms

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Effects of thermal pollution on the soft-bottoms surrounding a power station in the Canary Islands (NE Atlantic ocean)

Oceanology ◽

10.1134/s0001437011060142 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 51 (6) ◽

pp. 1040-1046 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Rodrigo Riera ◽

Jorge Núñez ◽

Daniel Martín

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Ocean ◽

Canary Islands ◽

Thermal Pollution ◽

Ne Atlantic ◽

Power Station ◽

Ne Atlantic Ocean ◽

Soft Bottoms

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REPEATED REGENERATION OF CRINOID SPINES IN THE UPPER PENNSYLVANIAN OF EASTERN OHIO: EVIDENCE OF ELEVATED PREDATION INTENSITY AND SIGNIFICANCE FOR PREDATOR-DRIVEN EVOLUTION OF CRINOID MORPHOLOGY

Palaios ◽

10.2110/palo.2018.058 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 33 (11) ◽

pp. 508-513 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

JAMES R. THOMKA ◽

DONALD B. EDDY

Keyword(s):

Predation Intensity

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BRIOZOOS CHEILOSTOMADOS DEL CARIBE COLOMBIANO

Bulletin of Marine and Coastal Research ◽

10.25268/bimc.invemar.2007.36.0.208 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 35 ◽

Author(s):

Paola Flórez Romero ◽

Erika Montoya Cadavid ◽

Javier Reyes Forero ◽

Nadiezhda Santodomingo

Keyword(s):

Continental Shelf ◽

Marine Ecosystems ◽

Soft Bottom ◽

Marine Fauna ◽

Geographic Ranges ◽

The World ◽

Growth Types ◽

Soft Bottoms ◽

Upper Slope

The Cheilostomes are the most diverse existent bryozoans group. Its species are commonly found in all the marine ecosystems around the world. In Colombia, however, information about them is scarce and limited to few localities. With the initiative of exploring the soft bottom biodiversity and completing the Colombian marine fauna inventories, INVEMAR-Macrofauna II exploration took place in March 2001, during which samples were collected on soft bottoms throughout the Colombian Caribbean from the continental shelf and the upper slope (20 – 500 m depth) by trawling. 62 species of Cheilostomes that belong to 39 families were found, 36 are first records for the Colombian Caribbean, 4 for the Great Caribbean and 1 for the Tropical West Atlantic. Bathymetric and geographic ranges are extended for 13 species. Taxonomical notes and images of the five species that are first records for the Greater Caribbean and the Tropical West Atlantic are included in this survey. It also includes remarks about the distribution, substrata, and growth types of Cheilostomata studied.

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First record of the sipunculan worm Phascolion (Phascolion) caupo Hendrix, 1975 in the Mediterranean Sea

Mediterranean Marine Science ◽

10.12681/mms.24 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 89 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

L.M. FERRERO-VICENTE ◽

A. LOYA-FERNANDEZ ◽

C. MARCO-MENDEZ ◽

E. MARTINEZ-GARCIA ◽

J.I. SAIZ-SALINAS ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Sea ◽

First Record ◽

Western Mediterranean ◽

High Load ◽

San Pedro ◽

Soft Bottoms ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

First Time

Specimens of the sipunculan worm Phascolion (Phascolion) caupo Hendrix, 1975 have been collected for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea, thus increasing the number of known sipunculan species of up to 36 in this area. They were encountered on soft bottoms from the coast of San Pedro del Pinatar (Western Mediterranean). Thirty specimens were collected at a depth ranging from 32.6 to 37.2 m, mainly in sandy substrata with high load of silt and clays. 80% of the individuals were found inhabiting empty shells of gastropods or empty tubes of serpulid polychaetes.

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