Various mollusks, including small bivalves and gastropod snails, are a common food source for intertidal crabs. Prey opening techniques used on hard-shell prey are dependent on claw size and morphology. For example, large, strong claws can crush a snail outright while smaller, weaker claws leave characteristic peels, pulls and upper...
Biological introductions may considerably alter the composition and community dynamics of invaded areas thereby changing many ecosystem processes including productivity, decomposition, nutrient cycling and hydrology. The effects on native species may be obscured by a lack of information on distribution and abundance patterns. The Japanese eelgrass, Zostera japonica, was introduced...
The prey consumption rates of two estuarine crab species were compared: the introduced Carcinus maenas and the native Cancer magister. Similar sized crabs of each species were placed into individual perforated plastic boxes and then placed in a seawater table. Each crab was offered 50 Mytilus trossulus mussels (15-25mm) per...