Feeding niche preference of the mudsnail Peringia ulvae
| Autor: | João Carlos Marques, Ignacio Moreno-Garrido, Rui Ribeiro, Cristiano V.M. Araújo, Joana Patrício, Julián Blasco, Matilde Moreira-Santos, Irene Martins |
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| Přispěvatelé: | Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal), European Commission, Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (España), Universidade de Coimbra |
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2015 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC instname |
| Popis: | The feeding behaviour of Peringia ulvae was studied with the aim of assessing its preferential feeding niche (habit) as well as its potential role in controlling or preventing the occurrence of macroalgal blooms. Both these aspects were studied in the Mondego estuary because of the clear long-lasting eutrophication process that favours the growth of two opportunistic macroalgae, Gracilaria spp. and Ulva spp., over the local beds of the macrophyte Zostera nolteii, which is another potential food source. All three species, both with and without periphyton, were used as a single food source in feeding experiments to assess different feeding parameters of the gastropod. Sediment with microphytobenthos was used together with the latter three species in feeding niche preference experiments. None of the food types provided were resistant to grazing. Higher levels of grazing occurred on Ulva spp. (apical parts) and Z. nolteii, both with periphyton. The presence of periphyton did not change grazing rates. When a choice between each food type was offered, the sediment was clearly the feeding niche preferred by the snails. As P. ulvae spent more time on the sediment (preferred feeding niche), the hypothesis that it has a role in preventing macroalgal blooms was not supported. This research was partially funded by the Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) through Ciencia 2007/2008 – Human Potential Operational Program (POPH) and Quadro de Referencia Estrategico Nacional (QREN) through European Social Fund (FSE) and Ministry of Education and Science (MEC) funds, and by the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (University of Coimbra) through the project EXTREMIS (contract number III/36/2008). CVMA is grateful to FCT for postdoctoral fellowships (SFRH/BPD/74044/2010 |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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