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Effects of Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea on prey availability: an experimental approach to predation of amphipods by Thalassoma pavo (Labridae)

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Abstract

Alien plant species, such as Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea, that invade Mediterranean marine vegetated habitats can affect habitat structure. In turn, changes in habitat structure may affect the associated invertebrate assemblages, either through changes in habitat selection or as a result of altered predation efficiency. In order to test for effects of changes in habitat structure resulting from colonization by C. racemosa on prey availability for predators, the importance of amphipods as a trophic resource in natural vegetated habitat was first assessed, and later experiments were undertaken to assess the effects of the alien alga on predation by Thalassoma pavo of two dominant amphipods: Elasmopus brasiliensis (Gammaridea) and Caprella dilatata (Caprellidea). Laboratory experiments were conducted in separate aquaria with five vegetation habitat types: Halopteris scoparia, Jania rubens, C. racemosa without detritus, C. racemosa with detritus, Cymodocea nodosa, together with controls. The vegetation was first defaunated, and then 30 amphipods were introduced to each aquarium and exposed to a single Thalassoma pavo individual for 1 h, after which the fish’s gut contents were examined. Consumption (per fish per hour) of caprellids (11.7 ± 1.4) was higher overall than that of gammarids (8.7 ± 1.5) and likely reflects different microhabitat use by amphipods, which affects susceptibility to predators. Consumption of amphipods also varied by habitat type. The highest predation rate was found in the C. nodosa habitat (12.7 ± 2.19) and the lowest in the C. racemosa habitats with detritus (4.1 ± 1.78) and without detritus (5.2 ± 0.55), which did not differ. The pattern of predation across habitats, however, was similar for both caprellid and gammarid amphipods, indicating a more general effect of habitat on amphipod predation. Our findings showed that invasive species such as C. racemosa can decrease feeding by predators such as T. pavo. Changes in predator–prey interactions could have consequences for food web support in the Mediterranean.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Instituto Alicantino de Cultura Juan Gil Albert, Excma. Diputación de Alicante. We would like to thank Pablo Arechavala López for his assistance in the field. We are very grateful to Joseph A. Borg for improving the English version and for constructive comments.

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  1. Centro de Investigación Marina de Santa Pola (CIMAR), Ayuntamiento de Santa Pola y Universidad de Alicante, Torre d’Enmig s/n, Cabo de Santa Pola, Alicante, Spain

    Maite Vázquez-Luis

  2. Departamento de Ciencias del Mar y Biología Aplicada, Universidad de Alicante, Edificio Ciencias V, PO Box 99, 03080, Alicante, Spain

    Pablo Sanchez-Jerez & Just T. Bayle-Sempere

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  1. Maite Vázquez-Luis
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  2. Pablo Sanchez-Jerez
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Correspondence to Maite Vázquez-Luis.

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Vázquez-Luis, M., Sanchez-Jerez, P. & Bayle-Sempere, J.T. Effects of Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea on prey availability: an experimental approach to predation of amphipods by Thalassoma pavo (Labridae). Hydrobiologia 654, 147–154 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-010-0378-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-010-0378-5

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