Distribution and dispersal of early juvenile snails:effectiveness of intertidal microhabitats as refuges and food sources

Gosselin, LA; Chia, Fu‐Shiang

doi:10.3354/meps128213

Cited by 71 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Secondly, hermit crabs and small shore crabs are the main predators of hatchlings but these predators are not a threat to adult snails, while predators of adult snails do not feed on hatchlings. The distribution of hatchllngs and adults among intertidal microhabitats also differs (Gosselin & Chia 1995b). Virtua.lly all hatchlings are cryptically located within structurally complex microhabitats (tufts of filamentous algae, mussels clusters, densely packed barnacles), whereas adults are mostly located on open surfaces.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An ecological transition during juvenile life in a marine snail

Gosselin¹

1997

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Ecological shifts occurring after metamorphosis in benthic marine invertebrates have received much less attention than the more conspicuous transition occurring at metan~orphosis and settlement. It remains unclear whether postmetamorphic shifts occur simultaneously or at different times, and whether the shifts occur over brief, discrete periods or are extended or even continuous through juvenile life. The present study of the muricid gastropod Nucella emarginata exarmnes the ontogeny of \r.ulnerabillty to desiccation, of susceptibll~ty to hatchling predators, of shell coloration, and of distribution among microhabitats as a function of snail size. All the above parameters changed substantially over approximately the same size range. Individuals acquired the ability to survive direct exposure to desiccation for the duration of a low tide over the 3.1-6.5 mm shell length (SL) size range, and also became virtually invulnerable to hatchling predators when they reached 6.5 mm SL. The shift in mortality factors was paralleled by a change in shell colour over the 3-7 mm SL size range, and in distribution over the 3-8 mm SL size range. All shifts were therefore completed by the time individuals reached 8 mm, or by the age of -4 n~o based on growth rates in the laboratory. The coordination of these ecological changes in N. emarglnata over the 3-8 mm SL size range constitutes an ecological transition that partitions postinetamorphic life into 2 penods, early juvenile and late juvenile/adult, each with d~stinct selective environments and corresponding adaptive traits. A similar ontogenetic transition has also been documented in juvenile lobsters, and studies of juveniles of other species reveal that comparable ecological changes are common among benthic marine invertebrates. Interspecific variation is nevertheless expected in the exact nature and timing of the transition, particularly as a result of differences in initial juvenile size, growth rate, adult size, ability to learn, and motility.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent studies of this species have revealed differences between early juveniles and adults in diet (Gosselin & Chia 1994, mortality factors (Gosselin & Chia 1995a), and in distribution (Gosselin & Chia 1995b). The latter 2 features are examined in detail in this study.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An ecological transition during juvenile life in a marine snail

Gosselin¹

1997

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…Crevices may provide refugia from grazers (Lubchenco 1983;Dudley and D'Antonio 1991;Figueiredo et al 1996), from drag and abrasion associated with moving water (Norton 1983;Luttenton and Rada 1986) or with burrowing (Bergey and Resh 1994), and from desiccation during exposure to air (Gosselin and Chia 1995).…”

Section: Acknowledgmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crevices as refugia for stream diatoms: Effect of crevice size on abraded substrates

Bergey

1999

Limnology & Oceanography

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This study explored the mechanisms by which crevices act as refugia for small algae during abrasive disturbances. Four substrates with different crevice features were subjected to three levels of abrasion in a stream-based experiment. Substrates were sand-grain caddisfly cases and three glass rod substrates that mimicked caddisfly cases in size and shape, as well as forming a gradient of larger crevices (i.e., smooth with no crevices, sanded with shallow pits, and scratched with deeper grooves). Substrates were subjected to no, low, or high abrasion levels during 18 d of incubation by pulling substrates through a sand-gravel mixture in floating enclosures that housed the experiment. Diatom density, relative biovolume, location in crevices, detritus accumulation, and filamentous algal density were compared among substrate types and abrasion levels. Across all abrasion levels, diatom and filamentous algal densities were higher on caddisfly cases than on all three glass rod substrates. Although abrasion greatly reduced overall diatom density, diatoms within crevices were largely protected. Crevice size influenced diatom size and composition. The small crevices of sanded rods contained primarily small diatoms of a single species (Achnanthidium minutissimum), whereas the larger crevices of scratched rods and caddisfly cases contained a greater range of diatom size and, consequently, greater species diversity. Detritus accumulated in all crevices, and accumulation increased with level of abrasion. Diatom biovolume decreased and location in crevices increased with the level of abrasion on the less textured smooth and sanded glass rods. Abrasion level had little effect on algal assemblages on caddisfly cases. This study demonstrates that crevices can be important refugia from abrasive disturbances, and that the size of crevices relative to organismal size can influence the protective value of crevices.

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“…Recruitment can be patchy in time and space (e.g., CaVey 1985), and this patchiness is likely to be reduced or magniWed by the dispersal stage. Direct developers with limited dispersal ability can clump around benthic egg capsules (Gosselin and Chia 1995) or parental females (Gerrodette 1981). The dispersal of adults could result in an over-dispersed distribution if territorial, or a highly clumped distribution if, for example, they bring a brood of juveniles into the new habitat.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of stage-dependent dispersal on the population dynamics of three amphipod species

2007

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In metapopulations, the maintenance of local populations can depend on source-sink dynamics, where populations with positive growth rate seed populations with negative growth rate. The pattern and probability of successful dispersal among habitats can therefore be crucial in determining whether local populations will become rare or increase in abundance. We present here data on the dispersal strategy and population dynamics of three marine amphipods living in pen shells (Atrina rigida) in the Gulf of Mexico. The three amphipod species in this study disperse at diVerent life stages. Neomegamphopus hiatus and Melita nitida disperse as adults, while Bemlos unicornis disperses as juveniles. The two species that disperse as adults have the highest initial population sizes when a new shell becomes available, likely caused by the arriving females releasing their brood into these recently occupied shells. This dispersal pattern results in initially higher population growth, but fewer occupied shells, as noted by their clumped distribution. In contrast, the species that disperses as juveniles accumulates more slowly and more evenly across habitats, eventually dominating the other two in terms of numerical abundance. The metapopulation dynamics of the three species seems to be highly dependent on the life history stage involved in dispersal.

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Distribution and dispersal of early juvenile snails:effectiveness of intertidal microhabitats as refuges and food sources

Cited by 71 publications

References 31 publications

An ecological transition during juvenile life in a marine snail

An ecological transition during juvenile life in a marine snail

Crevices as refugia for stream diatoms: Effect of crevice size on abraded substrates

The influence of stage-dependent dispersal on the population dynamics of three amphipod species

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