Stomatopod predation on fossil gastropods from the Plio-Pleistocene of Florida

Abstract

Stomatopods (mantis shrimps) are important predators in Recent tropical shallow-water communities. Despite a long geological history, they are poorly preserved as fossils, and traces of their predation have never been identified from the fossil record. Here we report on Plio-Pleistocene gastropods (mostly Strombus) from Florida with distinctive holes “punched” into their body whorls. The similarity of these holes to holes punched into live gastropods by Gonadactylus implicates gonodactyloid stomatopods as the predators that made them. Recent gonodactyloids break gastropod shells as thick and thicker than those of the Plio-Pleistocene strombids that were punched. Because our data underestimate the incidence of stomatopod predation, the frequency of holes in these strombids (8–13 percent) suggests that stomatopod predation may be of considerable importance in the ecological and evolutionary history of tropical benthic assemblages.

The Fossil Record of Shell-Breaking Predation on Marine Bivalves and Gastropods

“…Durophagous predators may show a preference for larger (Zach, 1978), intermediate (Geary et al, 1991), or small (Juanes, 1992;Seed and Hughes, 1995) molluscan prey when given a range of potential prey sizes. Because of this selectivity, the frequency of shell repair is expected to increase as shell size increases because the likelihood that a predator will be successful in its attack declines as shell length increases (Vermeij, 1987).…”

Coevolution of a marine gastropod predator and its dangerous bivalve prey

“…These predators possess powerful raptorial appendages that are used to repeatedly strike, and smash holes in the shells of gastropod prey (Caldwell & Dingle, 1976;Vermeij, 1978;Caldwell, Roderick & Shuster, 1989;Full, Caldwell & Chow, 1989;Geary, Allmon & Reaka-Kulda, 1991;Baluk & Radwanski, 1996). These predators possess powerful raptorial appendages that are used to repeatedly strike, and smash holes in the shells of gastropod prey (Caldwell & Dingle, 1976;Vermeij, 1978;Caldwell, Roderick & Shuster, 1989;Full, Caldwell & Chow, 1989;Geary, Allmon & Reaka-Kulda, 1991;Baluk & Radwanski, 1996).…”

“…These predators possess powerful raptorial appendages that are used to repeatedly strike, and smash holes in the shells of gastropod prey (Caldwell & Dingle, 1976;Vermeij, 1978;Caldwell, Roderick & Shuster, 1989;Full, Caldwell & Chow, 1989;Geary, Allmon & Reaka-Kulda, 1991;Baluk & Radwanski, 1996). Geary et al (1991) reported probable traces of stomatopod predation on gastropods from the Plio-Pleistocene of Florida; they found successful mantis shrimp predation on prey as long as 133 mm (Fasciolaria prey), but the majority of prey were less than 70 mm long. Geary et al (1991) reported probable traces of stomatopod predation on gastropods from the Plio-Pleistocene of Florida; they found successful mantis shrimp predation on prey as long as 133 mm (Fasciolaria prey), but the majority of prey were less than 70 mm long.…”

Probable predation on Upper Cambrian trilobites and its relevance for the extinction of soft‐bodied Burgess Shale‐type animals

“…14). Stomatopods have a pair of raptorial appendages, and most have a spiny, spike-like dactylus which they extend forward to stab soft-bodied prey; a few gonodactylid species smash shelled molluscs and crabs with the thickened base or 'elbow' of the folded dactylus (Caldwell &Dingle 1976;Geary et al 1991). The stomatopod dactylus swings forward at an extraordinary velocity of 10 ms-' with ballistic acceleration under water (Burrows 1969), and the prey is either speared or, in the case of gonodactylids, battered repeatedly until shell failure occurs and enough soft tissue is exposed to be extracted with the second, third and fourth maxillipeds.…”