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The effect of density upon deposit-feeding populations: Movement, feeding and floating of Hydrobia ventrosa Montagu (Gastropoda: Prosobranchia)

Oecologia volume 43, pages 27–39 (1979)Cite this article

Summary

Crawling rate, feeding rate and floating frequency were measured for laboratory populations of the deposit-feeding snail Hydrobia ventrosa at densities of 0.3–16 snails cm-2. Both movement and feeding were depressed with increasing density. However, floating increased with increasing density. Crowding effects are thus important in deposit-feeding populations and must be considered along with resource-renewal in considerations of population control. Floating may be an adaptation to escape crowded conditions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ecology and Evolution Department, State University of New York, 11794, Stony Brook, New York, USA

    Jeffrey S. Levinton

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  1. Jeffrey S. Levinton
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Levinton, J.S. The effect of density upon deposit-feeding populations: Movement, feeding and floating of Hydrobia ventrosa Montagu (Gastropoda: Prosobranchia). Oecologia 43, 27–39 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00346670

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00346670

Keywords

  • Population Control
  • Gastropoda
  • Laboratory Population
  • Crowded Condition
  • Crowd Effect