Life Sciences Commons^™

Do Omnivorous Shrimp Influence Mayfly Nymphs In A Tropical Island Stream?, Nicholas A. Macías, Jose Checo Colón-Gaud, Jonathan W. Duggins, Alonso Ramírez

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

Interspecific interactions can play an important role in determining habitat selection and resource use between competing species. We examined interactions between an omnivorous shrimp and a grazing mayfly, two co-dominant taxa found in Puerto Rican headwater streams, to assess how predator presence may influence mayfly resource use and instantaneous growth in a tropical rainforest ecosystem. We conducted a series of behavioral and growth experiments to determine the effects of the freshwater shrimp, Xiphocaris elongata, on the growth rate and resource selection of mayfly nymphs in the family Leptophlebiidae. For resource choice assessments, we conducted a series of five day laboratory …