Potential effects of a non-indigenous predator in its expanded range: assessing green crab, Carcinus maenas, prey preference in a productive coastal area of Atlantic Canada |
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Authors: | Tyler Pickering Pedro A. Quijón |
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Affiliation: | (1) Department of Biology, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Avenue, Charlottetown, PE, C1A 4P3, Canada; |
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Abstract: | The non-indigenous green crab (Carcinus maenas) is an important predator on bivalve wild beds in coastal areas worldwide. This study explored size-dependent green crab prey preference on American oysters (Crassostrea virginica), blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), and soft-shell clams (Mya arenaria) in a productive coastal system of Atlantic Canada. Using two sizes of prey and three different experimental manipulations, small, medium, and large green crabs were given a choice among these three bivalves, and their daily feeding rates were monitored over the course of 3 days. For both prey sizes, green crabs showed an early feeding preference for soft-shell clams and, only as they declined in numbers, a switch toward mussels and subsequently toward oysters. We found that such changes in the timing (order) of prey preference are related to prey differences in shell thickness, a fairly reliable indicator of prey shell strength. |
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