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Deposit-Feeders, Their Resources, and the Study of Resource Limitation

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Ecological Processes in Coastal and Marine Systems

Part of the book series: Marine Science ((MR,volume 10))

Abstract

Deposit-feeding invertebrates consume particles, digest and assimilate a fraction of the microbial community living on those particlesand often defecate the particles as compact fecal pellets. The niche of deposit-feeders may therefore be defined as: (1) particle size spectrum ingested(2) depth of feeding and living position below the sediment-water interface(3) range of sediments over which the deposit-feeder occurs, (4) possible differences in utilization of microorganisms. Because variation in occurrence of deposit-feeders may be simply related to at least the first 3 niche parameters by simple morphological features such as inhalent siphonal opening and size of buccal apparatus, one can imagine character evolution related to ecologically significant resource parameters.

Laboratory microcosm studies show that the following parameters affect resource availability for the mobile deposit-feeding genus Hydrobia: (1) Fecal pellet breakdown. Snails avoid ingestion of intact fecal pellets. (2) Renewal of microbial resources such as diatoms and bacteria. (3) Space. Hydrobia individuals feed more slowly under crowded conditions and increase emigration. (4) Particle size. Feeding rate decreases with increasing particle diameter3 and switching to scraping occurs on large particles. Experiments show that resource limitation by renewable resources affects Hydrobiids within the range of maximal field densities. A theoretical model of resource renewal considering microbial recovery and fecal pellet breakdown permits a prediction of carrying capacity in field populations. Thus multifactorial microcosm studies combined with theoretical models permit the assessment of the importance of competition as a potential evolutionary force.

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  1. State University of New York at Stony Brook, USA

    Jeffrey S. Levinton

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  1. Jeffrey S. Levinton
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  1. Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA

    Robert J. Livingston

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© 1979 Plenum Press, New York

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Levinton, J.S. (1979). Deposit-Feeders, Their Resources, and the Study of Resource Limitation. In: Livingston, R.J. (eds) Ecological Processes in Coastal and Marine Systems. Marine Science, vol 10. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-9146-7_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-9146-7_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4615-9148-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-9146-7

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