Seasonal trophic ecology of the invasive crab Percnon gibbesi (Brachyura, Plagusiidae) in the southwestern mediterranean: Insights from stomach contents and stable isotope analyses

Bada, N.; Ros, Zaira Da; Rindi, Fabio; Busi, Susheel Bhanu; Azzurro, Ernesto; Derbal, Farid; Fanelli, Emanuela

doi:10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105513

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…Diet in crabs is often assessed using gut content analysis ( e.g ., Giddins et al, 1986 ; Rudnick & Resh, 2005 ; Griffen, Guy & Buck, 2008 ; Bada et al, 2022 ), which requires dissection. Thus far, nonlethal diet estimates in crabs have been restricted to stable isotopes, which can be lethal depending on the tissue used, and claw morphology, which is generally only effective for carnivorous species ( Yamada & Boulding, 1998 ; Potter, Cannizzo & Griffen, 2022 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predicting diet in brachyuran crabs using external morphology

Quezada-Villa

Cannizzo

Carver

et al. 2023

PeerJ

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Morphological traits have often been used to predict diet and trophic position of species across many animal groups. Variation in gut size of closely related animals is known to be a good predictor of dietary habits. Species that are more herbivorous or that persist on low-quality diets often have larger stomachs than their carnivorous counterparts. This same pattern exists in crabs and in most species, individuals exhibit external markings on the dorsal side of their carapace that appear to align with the position and size of their gut. We hypothesized that these external markings could be used as an accurate estimate of the crab’s cardiac stomach size, allowing an approximation of crab dietary strategies without the need to sacrifice and dissect individual animals. We used literature values for mean diet and standardized external gut size markings taken from crab photographs across 50 species to show that percent herbivory in the diet increases non-linearly across species of brachyuran crab with the external estimate of gut size. We also used data from dissections in four species to show that external gut markings were positively correlated with gut sizes, though the strength of this correlation differed across species. We conclude that when rough approximations of diet quality such as percent herbivory will suffice, measuring external carapace markings in crabs presents a quick, free, non-lethal alternative to dissections. Our results also provide important insights into tradeoffs that occur in crab morphology and have implications for crab evolution.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predicting diet in brachyuran crabs using external morphology

Quezada-Villa

Cannizzo

Carver

et al. 2023

PeerJ

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“…This index has been applied in many coastal marine areas in different regions of the world. There are many regions where this model has been applied, for example: the Adriatic Sea [22], the Black Sea [53], the Eastern Mediterranean Sea [54] and the Caspian Sea [55]. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and PO4/P are the primary forms of N and P that are readily bioavailable for phytoplankton growth.…”

Section: Eutrophication Statementioning

confidence: 99%

Application of eutrophication indices for assessment of the ecological quality of the Moroccan eastern Mediterranean coast: Ras Kabdana-Saïdia

et al. 2023

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Eutrophication of littoral seawater is estimated to be one of the main threats to marine biota. Therefore, continuous monitoring is necessary to define areas of potential risk. Our work is an essay to explore the possibility of applying the trophic state index (TRIX) to assess the state of eutrophication along the eastern coast of the Moroccan Mediterranean (Ras Kabdana-Saïdia) in concert with a number of hydro chemical parameters and nutrients descriptors aimed at selection of relevant indicators of marine coastal area ecological quality. Seawater samples were studied monthly during 2018. The following environmental parameters have been considered: temperature, salinity, pH, suspended matter, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, saturation levels, nitrite, nitrate, and orthophosphate. Principal Component Analysis was applied in order to figure out and score the most relevant combination of parameters to discriminate between sites and select representative descriptors (pressure/state) of eutrophication. The following variables are defined as relevant descriptors for classification of the sites: nutrients (N, P) and their molar ratios (N/P), the capacity of the system to produce and sustain organic matter (chlorophyll a), and the trophic state index (TRIX). The results show TRIX values below 4, the eutrophication range indicated that there is no ecological risk. The Ras Kabdana-Saïdia is located in an oligotrophic state.

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“…Meanwhile, P. gibessi and A. hastatus are Atlantic crabs inhabiting rocky intertidal and sandy bottoms, respectively (Bedini, 1998;Tiralongo et al, 2021). In turn, P. gibbesi is an exotic species in the Mediterranean, although the Canaries are within its native distribution (Bada et al, 2022;Guerra-Marrero et al, 2023).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Applying geometric morphometrics in megalopa larval stages: relevance for species distribution and biological invasion studies

Díaz-Cruz,

Fatira,

Tuset

et al. 2024

Contrib. Zool.

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Larval morphology in brachyuran crabs is an essential trait defining survival in the planktonic environment. The present study describes the morphology (carapace and chelipeds) of megalopa larvae in three different species (Percnon gibbesi, Cronius ruber, and Achelous hastatus) using geometric morphometric analysis (gma). The study aim was to compare the observed body patterns at interspecific and intraspecific levels. The results showed a marked interspecific distinction of C. ruber larvae based on the rostral region of carapace and cheliped length. We relate these differences to advantages in life performance, as in other animal models, suggesting that larval morphology can be another factor contributing to the invasiveness of C. ruber. At intraspecific level, we found a high morphological similarity between two distant geographical locations, indicating strong genetic connectivity in the populations of P. gibbesi from the Canary Islands. Our findings advance the importance of larval morphology for species performance during the plankton phase that eventually can determine invasiveness in brachyuran crabs. We suggest future studies focusing on the inter-population comparisons of megalopa morphology at larger spatiotemporal scales.

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Seasonal trophic ecology of the invasive crab Percnon gibbesi (Brachyura, Plagusiidae) in the southwestern mediterranean: Insights from stomach contents and stable isotope analyses

Cited by 7 publications

References 63 publications

Predicting diet in brachyuran crabs using external morphology

Predicting diet in brachyuran crabs using external morphology

Application of eutrophication indices for assessment of the ecological quality of the Moroccan eastern Mediterranean coast: Ras Kabdana-Saïdia

Applying geometric morphometrics in megalopa larval stages: relevance for species distribution and biological invasion studies

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