Resource partitioning between sympatric starfish from tropical unconsolidated substrate: Implications for coexistence and top-down control on benthic prey

Fernandez, Wellington Silva; Dias, Gustavo Muniz; Majer, Alessandra Pereira; Delboni, Cynthia Grazielle Martins; Denadai, Márcia Regina; Turra, Alexander

doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2017.06.039

Cited by 9 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…In fact, experimental studies show that predation of benthic species may increase significantly during high tide (Esselink & Zwarts, 1989;Wilson, 1989). Olivella minuta is preyed upon by many subtidal and/or nektonic species, such as teleost fishes, rays and starfishes (Denadai et al, 2015;Fernandez et al, 2017;Angelini et al, 2018). Thus, it is logical to assume that when submerged (both in the subtidal and in the intertidal during high tides) this species is under significant pressure from predators.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Full stomachs at empty tides: tidal cycle affects feeding activity and diet of the sandy beach gastropod Olivella minuta

Checon

Silva

Corte

et al. 2020

Journal of Molluscan Studies

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Olivella minuta is an abundant neogastropod on sandy beaches from Texas (USA) to southern Brazil. This study aimed to characterize and compare the feeding activity and diet of a Brazilian population of O. minuta in different tidal zones (intertidal and subtidal), and different tidal levels (high and low tides), with three combinations of tidal zone and level being studied (intertidal during low tide, intertidal during high tide and subtidal). The results showed that diet composition was generally similar among tidal conditions, with O. minuta being a generalist, feeding on 45 different food items. Feeding activity, however, was higher in the intertidal during low tide, whereas the richness and diversity of food items were higher in the intertidal during high tide. The higher feeding activity of O. minuta during low tide may be linked to a lower risk of predation; at low tide organisms may be able to feed for a longer time, and this may be particularly true on beaches with fine sand, where water retention is higher than that on beaches with coarse sand. The higher diversity of food items consumed in the intertidal during high tide is likely related to the increased prevalence of planktonic food during high tide. Our results indicate that tidal zone and level may strongly influence the feeding activity of coastal soft-bottom species and that species may show higher feeding activity during low tide. Given the current loss of intertidal habitats due to anthropogenic activity and climate-change associated factors, our study has important implications, highlighting the importance of intertidal areas for the ecology and conservation of sandy beach species.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Full stomachs at empty tides: tidal cycle affects feeding activity and diet of the sandy beach gastropod Olivella minuta

Checon

Silva

Corte

et al. 2020

Journal of Molluscan Studies

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“…The prey of sea stars consist of a wide range of organisms including sponges, sea anemones, mollusks, polychaetes, crustaceans, and even other echinoderms (Mutschke and Mah, 2009). Further, cannibalism as well as ontogenetic changes in diet can occur (Verling et al, 2003;Urriago et al, 2012;Baeta and Ramon, 2013;Fernandez et al, 2017;Deaker et al, 2020). For example, Heliaster helianthus (Lamarck, 1822) a keystone predator in rocky intertidal habitats of central Chile, showed ontogenetic changes in habitat and diet composition of prey as it grew.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Selective Feeding by a Predatory Sea Star Across a Depth Gradient in Northern Patagonia, Chile

et al. 2021

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Sea stars often function as keystone predators in food webs of intertidal and subtidal communities, especially in temperate and sub-polar regions. In South America the sea star Cosmasterias lurida is distributed along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Patagonia and is one of the most conspicuous and abundant benthic predators in the shallow subtidal zone (<25 m). Its feeding strategy and prey selection are, however, still poorly known. This study describes the feeding behavior of C. lurida at a site in the Seno del Reloncaví (Chile), assessing its abundance, size and prey selection in the field relative to observed prey abundance and size along a bathymetric gradient. We hypothesized that C. lurida is a generalist predator, feeding on suitable prey according to their availability. However, we found that this predator only consumed a limited number (7 of 48) of potential prey species, primarily the slipper limpets Crepipatella spp. and the mussels Aulacomya ater and Mytilus chilensis. Electivity analysis revealed a clear preference for one mussel (A. ater) but not the other (M. chilensis) as well as depth-dependent selectivity for the slipper limpets, which changed from avoidance to preference with increasing depth. Sea star densities varied with depth, peaking between depths of 5 and 10 m, but the size of sea stars and the size of their prey did not vary significantly along a depth gradient. No significant correlations were found with the most commonly selected prey. These results would indicate that while this predator may be a generalist–opportunist, its feeding behavior is context-dependent and its high selectivity for certain species suggests that this sea star plays a key role structuring subtidal benthic communities in Patagonia.

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The importance of embayed coastal areas for the life cycle of two sympatric starfish species (Echinodermata, Asteroidea)

Turra

Checon

Fernandez

et al. 2019

Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science

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Resource partitioning between sympatric starfish from tropical unconsolidated substrate: Implications for coexistence and top-down control on benthic prey

Cited by 9 publications

References 28 publications

Full stomachs at empty tides: tidal cycle affects feeding activity and diet of the sandy beach gastropod Olivella minuta

Full stomachs at empty tides: tidal cycle affects feeding activity and diet of the sandy beach gastropod Olivella minuta

Selective Feeding by a Predatory Sea Star Across a Depth Gradient in Northern Patagonia, Chile

The importance of embayed coastal areas for the life cycle of two sympatric starfish species (Echinodermata, Asteroidea)

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