Observations on an aggregation of the starfish<i>Asterias rubens</i>L. in Morecambe Bay, Lancashire, England

Sloan, N. A.; Aldridge, T.H.

doi:10.1080/00222938100770311

Cited by 60 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Herbivory is often greatest a few meters below the surface and decreases thereafter with depth, as algal resources become scarcer due to light limitation (Hay et al 1983, Brokovich et al 2010. Predation by invertebrates is often also highest in the first meters of water, as subtidal predators track the abundance of prey such as mussels (Sloan & Aldridge 1981, Witman & Grange 1998. In contrast, predation by fishes is often considered to increase in deeper waters.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interactive effects of depth and marine protection on predation and herbivory patterns

Vergés

Tomàs²,

Ballesteros³

2012

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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The establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) worldwide has shown that closure of areas to fishing results in major changes in the structure of marine ecosystems. The removal of high-order consumers by fishing has both direct and indirect effects that can lead to important changes in the strength of trophic interactions. Although the effects of marine protection on biological interactions are beginning to be understood, our knowledge is largely restricted to shallow-water assemblages. However, depth gradients are also characterised by significant differences in the intensity of trophic linkages, and these may be interacting with any effects derived from protection. In this study, the individual and combined effects of depth and marine reserve protection on predation and herbivory were determined across 3 regions in the NW Mediterranean (Catalunya, Mallorca and Menorca) using juvenile urchins and palatable algae as bioassays. Marine protection did not strongly influence fish herbivory, which generally decreased with depth. We found no evidence of depth-related changes in predation rates or the size of predatory fishes, but there was a strong effect of protection on predation rates that was only consistently observed across regions in shallow water (5 m depth), but not at greater depths (15 and 30 m). This increase in predation of sea urchins within MPAs in shallow waters can have important community-wide consequences, as herbivorous sea urchins are commonly most abundant in these shallow habitats and predator−urchin interactions have important cascading effects on algal communities. KEY WORDS: Marine reserves · Sea urchins · Macroalgae · Mediterranean Sea · Fish herbivory · Cystoseira spp. Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interactive effects of depth and marine protection on predation and herbivory patterns

Vergés

Tomàs²,

Ballesteros³

2012

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…Concentration of food resources in small patches tends to aggregate species on, or immediately adjacent to, their resources, particularly for subtidal mobile predators. Large aggregations of starfishes of the genus Asterias have been reported on super-abundant food resources such as mussels in the intertidal and the shallow subtidal (Larsson 1968, Sloan and Aldridge 1981, Gaymer et al 2001. For example, maximum densities per reef of 40 to 89 ind m -2 were recorded for Asterias rubens on British coasts (Sloan and Aldridge 1981); these large concentrations were associated with the local presence of a super-abundant food source: M. galloprivincialis.…”

Section: Bathymetric Segregation On Subtidal Reefs: Role Of Food Avaimentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of food availability in the bathymetric distribution of the starfish <i>Marthasterias glacialis</i> (Lamk.) on reefs of northern Portugal

Tuya

Duarte

2011

Sci. Mar.

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SUMMARY: We examined whether the abundance and size of the starfish Marthasterias glacialis (Lamk.) exhibit a depthdependent partitioning on subtidal reefs. We tested the hypothesis that differences in food availability can result in habitat partitioning along a depth gradient. The abundance and size of M. glacialis was registered at 4 depth strata: 0-4 m, 4-8 m, 8-12 m, and >12 m; we also recorded the number of food items that they were preying on. The abundance and size of M. glacialis decreased with depth. Mussels (Mytilus galloprivincialis) were the most preyed food item across all depth strata, followed by gastropods, sea urchins and barnacles; M. glacialis also consumed a significantly larger amount of mussels in feeding experiments compared with sea urchins and gastropods. The abundance of M. galloprivincialis beds decreased with depth. The clear link between the decrease in abundance and size of M. glacialis with depth and the decay of the most consumed prey (mussels) suggest that food availability may play an important role in the vertical distribution of this starfish, though wave-associated turbulence in the first few metres of the subtidal could also limit the abundance of M. glacialis.Keywords: starfish, vertical distribution, segregation, food availability, spatial patterns, Portugal. RESUMEN: Efecto de la disponibilidad alimenticia sobre la distribución batimétrica de la estrella de mar Marthasterias glacialis (Lamk.) en arrecifes del norte de Portugal. -Examinamos si la abundancia y talla de la estrella de mar Marthasterias glacialis (Lamk.) exhibe una segregación batimétrica en arrecifes submareales. Contrastamos el modelo que predice que diferencias en la disponibilidad alimenticia puede resultar en una segregación del hábitat a lo largo de un gradiente batimétrico. La abundancia y talla de M. glacialis se registró sobre 4 estratos de profundidad: 0-4 m, 4-8 m, 8-12 m, y>12 m; además registramos el número de presas sobre las que estaban depredando. La abundancia y talla de M. glacialis decreció con la profundidad. Los mejillones (Mytilus galloprivincialis) fueron la presa más consumida, seguido de gasterópodos, erizos de mar y cirrípedos; M. glacialis también consumió una cantidad significativamente superior de mejillones en experiencias alimentarias en relación a erizos de mar y gasterópodos. La clara asociación entre la caída en profundidad de la abundancia y talla de M. glacialis y la caída de su presa más consumida (mejillones) sugiere que la disponibilidad alimentaria juega probablemente un papel importante en la distribución vertical de esta estrella de mar. No obstante, individuos marcados mostraron un movimiento a corto plazo mayor sobre un estrato somero que sobre un estrato profundo, y por tanto, la turbulencia asociada al oleaje en los primeros metros del medio submareal también pudiera afectar el patrón ecológico de M. glacialis con la profundidad.Palabras clave: estrellas de mar, distribución vertical, segregación, disponibilidad alimentaria, patrones espaciales, Portugal.

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“…Although mops appear to remove starfish from mussel beds, there is scope to enhance efficiency. In addition, there is a need to better understand starfish population dynamics and feeding behaviour in relation to environmental factors and reproductive condition to help determine how mopping efforts could be more cost-effectively focussed both spatially and temporally Dare, 1982;Gallagher et al, 2008;Sloan and Aldridge, 1981). By attaching a GoPro™ video camera to starfish mops on a commercial mussel dredger working in Belfast Lough, Northern Ireland, we filmed the mussel bed being swept by the mops.…”

Section: Accepted M Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A. rubens, along with several other starfish species within the genus Asterias, exhibit large population density fluctuations and are known to form dense aggregations (Sloan, 1980;Uthicke et al, 2009). High densities of A. rubens have frequently been reported at numerous locations across Europe and Russia since a dense aggregation was first reported, feeding on oyster beds, in the Firth of Forth, Scotland in 1841 (Dare, 1982(Dare, , 1973Forbes, 1841;Guillou, 1996;Hancock, 1955;Saier, 2001;Sloan and Aldridge, 1981;Sloan, 1980). These dense starfish populations are often associated with an abundant prey source and are known to have significant impacts on associated communities (Aguera et al, 2012;Castilla, 1972;Uthicke et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Efficiency of starfish mopping in reducing predation on cultivated benthic mussels ( Mytilus edulis Linnaeus)

2016

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Observations on an aggregation of the starfishAsterias rubensL. in Morecambe Bay, Lancashire, England

Cited by 60 publications

References 25 publications

Interactive effects of depth and marine protection on predation and herbivory patterns

Interactive effects of depth and marine protection on predation and herbivory patterns

Role of food availability in the bathymetric distribution of the starfish <i>Marthasterias glacialis</i> (Lamk.) on reefs of northern Portugal

Efficiency of starfish mopping in reducing predation on cultivated benthic mussels ( Mytilus edulis Linnaeus)

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