FEEDING RATE AND GROWTH RATE OF Nucelia lapillus PREYING ON Littorina obtusata AND Mytilus edulis

Autores/as

  • Helena Matthews Cascon Professor Adjunto do Departamento de Biologia e Pesquisadora do Instituto de Ciências do Mar, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Campus do Pici, Fortaleza, Brazil

    DOI:

    https://doi.org/10.32360/acmar.v35i1-2.30902

    Palabras clave:

    Nucella lapillus, Mytilus edulis, Littorina obtusata, feeding rate, growth rate, predation

    Resumen

    In the presente study, the feeding and growth rates of four populations of Nucella lapillus preying on Littorina obtusata and Mytilus edulis were investigated. In order to test the hypothesis that the feeding rates of N. lapillus on M. edulis and L. obtusata, are influenced by prey density, individuals of all four populations of N. lapillus were placed in separate boxes inside water tanks with three or five prey items. To determine which one of the diets allows N. lapillus the higher growth rate, two groups of ten juveniles from one of its four populations were placed in separate boxes. One group was fed with M. edulis (10-30 mm) and the other with L. obtusata (5-12 mm), during na 8 month period. Adults and juveniles of N. lalillus showed higher feeding rates on both M. edulis and L. obtusata, in treatments with higher prey density than in those with lower prey density. These results may represent a non-adaptive response to the increase in the concentration of chemosensory or tactile of prey abundance or an adaptive response, as an increase in prey abundance can reduce the predation effort related to capture, competition and risks. N. lapillus showed a higher growth rate feeding on M. edulis than on L. obtusata so that this species stands out as having a greater “food value”.

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    Publicado

    2017-12-14

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    Cómo citar

    FEEDING RATE AND GROWTH RATE OF Nucelia lapillus PREYING ON Littorina obtusata AND Mytilus edulis. (2017). Arquivos De Ciências Do Mar, 35(1-2), 67-74. https://doi.org/10.32360/acmar.v35i1-2.30902