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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Biological Control Of Crab Predation On Hard Clams Mercenaria Mercenaria (Linnaeus, 1758) By The Toadfish Opsanus Tau (Linnaeus) In Tray Cultures, Robert Bisker, Michael Castagna
Biological Control Of Crab Predation On Hard Clams Mercenaria Mercenaria (Linnaeus, 1758) By The Toadfish Opsanus Tau (Linnaeus) In Tray Cultures, Robert Bisker, Michael Castagna
VIMS Articles
Oyster toadfish Opsanus tau (Linne) were tested as biological controls of crab predation on juvenile hard clams Mercenaria mercenaria (Linne) in trays with crushed stone aggregate. Clam survival after 34 weeks was 69.5% in the presence of toadfish and 2.3% in trays without toadfish. Toadfish reduced the total number of crabs (mud crabs and blue crabs). Crabs in trays with toadfish present had smaller carapace widths.
Predation By The Oyster Toadfish Opsanus Tau (Linnaeus) On Blue Crabs And Mud Crabs, Predators Of The Hard Clam Mercenaria Mercenaria (Linnaeus, 1758), Robert Bisker, Mary Gibbons, Michael Castagna
Predation By The Oyster Toadfish Opsanus Tau (Linnaeus) On Blue Crabs And Mud Crabs, Predators Of The Hard Clam Mercenaria Mercenaria (Linnaeus, 1758), Robert Bisker, Mary Gibbons, Michael Castagna
VIMS Articles
The oyster toadfish, Opsanus tau (Linne), reduces predation by xanthid and portunid crabs on juvenile hard clams, Mercenaria mercenaria (Linne), in field cultures. This study examined the influence of size and species on the predator-prey relationship between toadfish and crabs. The mud crabs Eurypanopeus depressus (Smith), Neopanope sayi (Smith), and Panopeus herbstii Milne Edwards of 5-40 mm carapace width and blue crabs Callinectes sapidus Rathbun of 77-105 mm carapace width were offered to toadfish of 70-322 mm total length. Toadfish predation rates on mud crabs were higher with increasing toadfish size and lower with increasing crab size. Toadfish injured or …
Variable Functional Responses Of A Marine Predator In Dissimilar Homogeneous Microhabitats, Rn Lipcius, Anson Hines
Variable Functional Responses Of A Marine Predator In Dissimilar Homogeneous Microhabitats, Rn Lipcius, Anson Hines
VIMS Articles
Adult soft-shelled clams (Mya arenaria) persist at low densities in Chesapeake Bay sandy habitats despite Intense predation by blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus). Clam persistence may be a consequence of variation in blue crab foraging rates as a function of clam density and sediment composition. In laboratory aquaria, we measured the functional responses (prey consumption per predator as a function of prey density) of large blue crabs to six densities of adult soft-shelled clams buried at natural depths in two sediment types (mud and sand). Functional responses in sand and mud were differentiated statistically by analyses of(1) residuals and residual sums …