Predators of juvenile sea urchins and the effect of habitat refuges
Predators of juvenile sea urchins and the effect of habitat refuges
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DOI：
10.1007/s00227-012-2114-3
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发表时间：
2013-03-01
期刊：
影响因子：
2.4
通讯作者：
Ebert, T. A.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Clemente, S.;Hernandez, J. C.;Ebert, T. A.
我们评估了潜在的捕食者从潮间带栖息地的影响，利用实验室实验和评估丰富的主要捕食性物种沿着太平洋沿岸的北美的Strongylocentrotus purpuratus生存。研究了海胆和捕食者大小在介导捕食中的交互作用。生境复杂性（基质坑，成年人的刺冠）进行了操作，以检查其对最敏感的个人（< 14毫米）捕食的影响。Pachygrapsus crassipes被确定为海胆的主要捕食者高达千分之一30毫米。捕食者的大小对逐步变大的海胆的消费的积极影响被检测到，可能是由于螃蟹的能力，消耗大型猎物的机械限制。较大的爪子的男性相对于女性的可比大小促进处理较大的猎物。基质避难所显着降低死亡率的少年海胆。这些结果表明，螃蟹捕食可能是重要的组织潮间带社区，尽管多种生态机制促进海胆生存。
We evaluated the effects of potential predators from intertidal habitats on Strongylocentrotus purpuratus survival using laboratory experiments and assessed abundances of main predatory species along the Pacific coast of North America. The interactive effects of urchins' and predators' sizes in mediating predation were quantified. Habitat complexity (substrate pits, adult spine canopy) was manipulated to examine its effects on predation of most susceptible individuals (< 14 mm). Pachygrapsus crassipes was identified as a major predator of urchins up to a parts per thousand 30 mm. A positive effect of predator size on consumption of progressively larger urchins was detected, probably due to a mechanical limitation on crabs' ability to consume large prey. Larger claws of males with respect to females of comparable sizes facilitated the handling of larger prey. Substrate refuges significantly reduced mortality on juvenile urchins. These results show that crab predation may be important in organizing intertidal communities, despite multiple ecological mechanisms promoting sea urchin survival.