Food preferences of the estuarine crab Sesarma catenata estimated through laboratory experiments
Leandro Bergamino A B C and Nicole B. Richoux A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, PO Box 94, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa.
B Present address: Centro Universitario Regional Este (CURE), Universidad de la República, Rutas 9 y 15 s/n, Rocha, Uruguay.
C Corresponding author. Email: lbergamino@gmail.com
Marine and Freshwater Research 66(8) 750-756 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF14122
Submitted: 6 May 2014 Accepted: 13 September 2014 Published: 25 February 2015
Abstract
Feeding by sesarmid crabs on plants represents an important energy pathway within some estuarine ecosystems. We examined the trophic ecology of estuarine sesarmid crabs Sesarma catenata through a series of laboratory feeding-preference experiments. Our experiments considered decomposed and mature leaves of terrestrial riparian trees, marsh plants Chenolea diffusa and Sarcocornia perennis and the marshgrass Spartina maritima as potential food items. S. catenata preferred decomposed leaves of terrestrial riparian trees, followed by decomposed and mature leaves of S. maritima. We suggest that the low carbon : nitrogen (C : N) ratios of S. maritima and high bacterial production associated with decomposed terrestrial leaves may explain the trophic behaviour of S. catenata. The faecal production by S. catenata during these experiments confirmed the preferential assimilation of decomposed material by the crabs. By combining the consumption rates with an estimated density of S. catenata within the local estuary that it inhabits, we suggest that moderate proportions of the leaf material can potentially be consumed by this species (34% of total leaf litter), leaving substantial amounts of unconsumed leaf litter that may represent an important subsidy for adjacent environments. Our results validate previously published trophic data, showing the value of linking feeding experiments with biological tracers to improve food-web models.
Additional keywords: estuary, leaf consumption, sesarmid crabs, trophic interactions.
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