Predation on the invasive swimming crab Charybdis hellerii (Crustacea, Decapoda) by Myrichthys ocellatus (Actinopterygii, Ophichthidae): the first record of consumption by a native fish
| Autor: | Douglas Moraes, Alexandre Oliveira Almeida, Matheus Araujo Siqueira, João Lucas Leão Feitosa, Maria Laís Martins Vieira |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
010607 zoology Zoology QH1-199.5 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences Invasive species invasive species Predation Myrichthys QH540-549.5 Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics Global and Planetary Change Ecology biology Decapoda Actinopterygii General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution Ophichthidae biology.organism_classification stomach contents Crustacean fish feeding portunid crab Charybdis hellerii goldspotted snake eel |
| Zdroj: | Neotropical Biodiversity, Vol 7, Iss 1, Pp 155-159 (2021) |
| ISSN: | 2376-6808 |
| Popis: | Charybdis hellerii is an invasive swimming crab widely disseminated in the western Atlantic. This species became a threat to colonized ecosystems, competing with local species for resources. The extension of distribution and increasing population size of C. hellerii has been associated with the scarcity of indigenous predators and cases of predation report octopuses as the main native predators. In this study, we present the first evidence that native fish can consume C. hellerii. 53 individuals of the goldspotted snake eel, Myrichthys ocellatus, were collected at seagrass and macroalgal beds in Pernambuco State, Brazil, and had their stomach contents analyzed. Three juvenile C. hellerii were found along with native prey. Myrichthys ocellatus feeds mainly on small crabs, thus C. hellerii individuals were consumed before reaching sexual maturity. Oppositely to octopuses and other crab predators, M. ocellatus is of little fishing interest and is commonly found in macroalgae beds, seagrass meadows and sandy areas near reefs. Our results suggest that a higher number of carcinophagous taxa may prey on this invasive crab and we emphasize that the conservation of these species is paramount for controlling C. hellerii populations in invaded areas. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|