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Predator (Carcinus maenas) nonconsumptive limitation of prey (Nucella lapillus) feeding depends on prey density and predator cue type

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Abstract

Predators often have nonconsumptive effects (NCEs) on prey. For example, upon detection of predator cues, prey can reduce feeding activities to hamper being detected by predators. Previous research showed that waterborne chemical cues from green crabs (Carcinus maenas, predator) limit the dogwhelk (Nucella lapillus, prey) consumption of barnacles regardless of dogwhelk density, even though individual predation risk for dogwhelks decreases with conspecific density. Such NCEs might disappear with dogwhelk density if dogwhelks feed on mussels, as mussel stands constitute better antipredator refuges than barnacle stands. Through a laboratory experiment, we effectively found that crab chemical cues limit the per-capita consumption of mussels by dogwhelks at low dogwhelk density but not at high density. The combination of tactile and chemical cues from crabs, however, limited the dogwhelk consumption of mussels at both dogwhelk densities. The occurrence of such NCEs at both dogwhelk densities could have resulted from tactile cues indicating a stronger predation risk than chemical cues alone. Overall, the present study reinforces the notions that prey evaluate conspecific density when assessing predation risk and that predator cue type affects their perception of risk.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Bedford Institute of Oceanography (Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada) for logistic support and two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments. The research was funded by a Discovery Grant (# 311624) awarded to R.A.S. by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). This project contributed to the requirements for M.L.B. to obtain a Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree at St. Francis Xavier University, co-supervised by R.A.S. and M.C.W.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS, B2G 2W5, Canada

    Melanie L. Boudreau & Ricardo A. Scrosati

  2. Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, NS, B2Y 4A2, Canada

    Melisa C. Wong

Authors
  1. Melanie L. Boudreau
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  2. Ricardo A. Scrosati
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  3. Melisa C. Wong
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Correspondence to Ricardo A. Scrosati.

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All applicable international, national, and institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. This article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by any of the authors.

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Boudreau, M.L., Scrosati, R.A. & Wong, M.C. Predator (Carcinus maenas) nonconsumptive limitation of prey (Nucella lapillus) feeding depends on prey density and predator cue type. J Ethol 36, 259–264 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10164-018-0557-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10164-018-0557-9

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