Siphon nipping facilitates lethal predation in the clam Mesodesma mactroides (Reeve, 1854) (Mollusca: Bivalva) |
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Authors: | Maximiliano Cledón Jesús D Nuñez |
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Institution: | 1. BECM-Laboratorio De Bio-Ecología de Crustáceos y Moluscos, Dpto. de Cs. Marinas, FCEyN, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3350, Mar del Plata, 7600, Argentina 2. Aquarium Mar del Plata, Av. Martínez de Hoz 5600, Mar del Plata, 7600, Argentina 3. CONICET- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Av. Rivadavia 1917, CP C1033AAJ, Cdad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Abstract: | In soft sediment marine communities, fishes frequently bite off extended siphons of buried clams; the consequential shortening
of the siphon is known to reduce burial depth of the clams, secondarily increasing their vulnerability to lethal excavating
predators. In this study, siphon nipping on the yellow clam, Mesodesma mactroides, was simulated by removing the top 6.6–30% of siphons. This caused a burrow reduction in 25–75%, respectively, compared to
control individuals with intact siphons, in field and laboratory trials. To examine subsequent consequences of reduced burial
depth, we exposed nipped and intact clams to potential predators in the laboratory simulating the observed natural clam abundance.
Artificially nipped clams were consumed twice as much as control clams. The present results suggest that sympatric croppers
contribute to the stock recovery failure by facilitation of lethal predation and that re-seeding to increase the local abundance
of M. mactroides should be an essential aspect of conservation efforts in South America. |
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