File Download
  Links for fulltext
     (May Require Subscription)
Supplementary

Article: Scavenging behaviour by Ergalatax contractus (Gastropoda: Muricidae) and interactions with Nassarius nodifer (Gastropoda: Nassariidae) in the Cape d'Aguilar Marine Reserve, Hong Kong

TitleScavenging behaviour by Ergalatax contractus (Gastropoda: Muricidae) and interactions with Nassarius nodifer (Gastropoda: Nassariidae) in the Cape d'Aguilar Marine Reserve, Hong Kong
Authors
KeywordsBiology
Issue Date2006
PublisherCambridge University Press. The Journal's web site is located at http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=MBI
Citation
Journal of Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 2006, v. 86 n. 1, p. 141-152 How to Cite?
AbstractAspects of the feeding behaviour of Ergalatax contractus (Muricidae) were studied. Field experiments demonstrated that large numbers of individuals of this species, comprising [similar]90% of a suite of gastropod scavengers, were attracted to baited traps in the subtidal sands of Lobster Bay, Cape d'Aguilar Marine Reserve, Hong Kong. Laboratory experiments identified the effective chemo-detection distances of E. contractus as 60 cm in still and >80 cm in flowing water, respectively. The average times to arrival at bait in still and flowing water were 92.3 and 69.0 min, respectively, but were significantly less for individuals experiencing a longer period of starvation. The mean time taken for E. contractus to consume a meal was 70.6 min. Comparisons were made between Ergalatax contractus and Nassarius nodifer, representative of a suite of sympatric scavenging nassariids in Lobster Bay. The nassariid arrived significantly faster at bait in both still (30.2 min) and flowing water (20.8 min) than E. contractus and fed faster (25.7 min), as is typical of representatives of the Nassariidae. Although the two species partition carrion resources temporally, manipulation experiments provided evidence for inter-specific competition between them. That is, although E. contractus possesses the morphological and behavioural characteristics of a predator, its opportunistic scavenging abilities have led to its success and numerical superiority on the shallow subtidal sands of Lobster Bay. The dominance of E. contractus in Lobster Bay, and elsewhere in Hong Kong, is unusual. Here, the normally predatory E. contractus, far outnumbers all other scavengers, possibly because of an enhanced, largely allochthonous, supply of food which it is able to exploit by virtue of its previously identified opportunistic habit of scavenging the leftovers of other predators. The presence of inter-specific competition between E. contractus and a sympatric suite of nassariids enhances, not impedes, carrion exploitation.
Persistent Identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/44705
ISSN
2023 Impact Factor: 1.1
2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 0.355
ISI Accession Number ID

 

DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.authorMorton, Ben_HK
dc.date.accessioned2007-10-30T06:08:17Z-
dc.date.available2007-10-30T06:08:17Z-
dc.date.issued2006en_HK
dc.identifier.citationJournal of Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 2006, v. 86 n. 1, p. 141-152en_HK
dc.identifier.issn0025-3154en_HK
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/44705-
dc.description.abstractAspects of the feeding behaviour of Ergalatax contractus (Muricidae) were studied. Field experiments demonstrated that large numbers of individuals of this species, comprising [similar]90% of a suite of gastropod scavengers, were attracted to baited traps in the subtidal sands of Lobster Bay, Cape d'Aguilar Marine Reserve, Hong Kong. Laboratory experiments identified the effective chemo-detection distances of E. contractus as 60 cm in still and >80 cm in flowing water, respectively. The average times to arrival at bait in still and flowing water were 92.3 and 69.0 min, respectively, but were significantly less for individuals experiencing a longer period of starvation. The mean time taken for E. contractus to consume a meal was 70.6 min. Comparisons were made between Ergalatax contractus and Nassarius nodifer, representative of a suite of sympatric scavenging nassariids in Lobster Bay. The nassariid arrived significantly faster at bait in both still (30.2 min) and flowing water (20.8 min) than E. contractus and fed faster (25.7 min), as is typical of representatives of the Nassariidae. Although the two species partition carrion resources temporally, manipulation experiments provided evidence for inter-specific competition between them. That is, although E. contractus possesses the morphological and behavioural characteristics of a predator, its opportunistic scavenging abilities have led to its success and numerical superiority on the shallow subtidal sands of Lobster Bay. The dominance of E. contractus in Lobster Bay, and elsewhere in Hong Kong, is unusual. Here, the normally predatory E. contractus, far outnumbers all other scavengers, possibly because of an enhanced, largely allochthonous, supply of food which it is able to exploit by virtue of its previously identified opportunistic habit of scavenging the leftovers of other predators. The presence of inter-specific competition between E. contractus and a sympatric suite of nassariids enhances, not impedes, carrion exploitation.en_HK
dc.format.extent271911 bytes-
dc.format.extent455 bytes-
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf-
dc.format.mimetypetext/plain-
dc.languageengen_HK
dc.publisherCambridge University Press. The Journal's web site is located at http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=MBIen_HK
dc.rightsJournal of Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. Copyright © Cambridge University Press.en_HK
dc.subjectBiologyen_HK
dc.titleScavenging behaviour by Ergalatax contractus (Gastropoda: Muricidae) and interactions with Nassarius nodifer (Gastropoda: Nassariidae) in the Cape d'Aguilar Marine Reserve, Hong Kongen_HK
dc.typeArticleen_HK
dc.identifier.openurlhttp://library.hku.hk:4550/resserv?sid=HKU:IR&issn=0025-3154&volume=86&issue=1&spage=141&epage=152&date=2006&atitle=Scavenging+behaviour+by+Ergalatax+contractus+(Gastropoda:+Muricidae)+and+interactions+with+Nassarius+nodifer+(Gastropoda:+Nassariidae)+in+the+Cape+d%27Aguilar+Marine+Reserve,+Hong+Kongen_HK
dc.description.naturepublished_or_final_versionen_HK
dc.identifier.doi10.1017/S0025315406012951en_HK
dc.identifier.scopuseid_2-s2.0-30744432870-
dc.identifier.isiWOS:000235292600016-
dc.identifier.issnl0025-3154-

Export via OAI-PMH Interface in XML Formats


OR


Export to Other Non-XML Formats