Ceasefire: minimal aggression among Murray River crayfish feeding upon patches of allochthonous material
Danswell Starrs A E , Brendan C. Ebner B C D and Christopher J. Fulton A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
B CSIRO Land and Water Flagship, Atherton, Qld 4883, Australia.
C TropWATER, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld 4811, Australia.
D Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld 4111, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: danswell.starrs@anu.edu.au
Australian Journal of Zoology 63(2) 115-121 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO14081
Submitted: 26 September 2014 Accepted: 10 April 2015 Published: 28 April 2015
Abstract
Transport and processing of allochthonous material is crucial for trophic pathways in headwater streams. Freshwater crayfish are known to affect and exploit the break-down of in-stream terrestrial plant material into detritus. We recorded Euastacus armatus (Murray River crayfish) individuals feeding on discrete patches of allochthonous material within an unregulated section of the Goodradigbee River, an upland stream in temperate Australia. Despite suggestions of aggressive territoriality, E. armatus were observed by remote and manual underwater filming to feed in non-aggressive aggregations on these piles of fine woody debris and leaf litter. On the basis of observations of 25 individuals found in the vicinity of the allochthonous patches, this population comprised mostly female individuals at smaller sizes of maturity than has been recorded for lowland populations of E. armatus. Our study confirms the importance of concentrated allochthonous food patches for detritivores, and points to the important trophic linkage between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems via a widespread and iconic freshwater invertebrate. Moreover, these non-aggressive feeding aggregations of E. armatus challenge notions of aggression in this species that have been developed in small-scale aquarium studies.
Additional keywords: aggression, communal feeding, detritivory, eddies, flow, underwater video.
References
Bergman, D. A., and Moore, P. A. (2003). Field observations of intraspecific agonistic behavior of two crayfish species, Orconectes rusticus and Orconectes virilis, in different habitats. The Biological Bulletin 205, 26–35.| Field observations of intraspecific agonistic behavior of two crayfish species, Orconectes rusticus and Orconectes virilis, in different habitats.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 12917219PubMed |
Corkum, L. D., and Cronin, D. J. (2004). Habitat complexity reduces aggression and enhances consumption in crayfish. Journal of Ethology 22, 23–27.
| Habitat complexity reduces aggression and enhances consumption in crayfish.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Coughran, J. (2008). Distinct groups in the genus Euastacus? Freshwater Crayfish 16, 123–130.
Davis, K. M., and Huber, R. (2007). Activity patterns, behavioural repertoires, and agonistic interactions of crayfish: a non-manipulative field study. Behaviour 144, 229–247.
| Activity patterns, behavioural repertoires, and agonistic interactions of crayfish: a non-manipulative field study.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ebner, B. (2006). Murray cod an apex predator in the Murray River, Australia. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 15, 510–520.
| Murray cod an apex predator in the Murray River, Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ebner, B., Clear, R., Godschalx, S., and Beitzel, M. (2009). In-stream behaviour of threatened fishes and their food organisms based on remote video monitoring. Aquatic Ecology 43, 569–576.
| In-stream behaviour of threatened fishes and their food organisms based on remote video monitoring.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ebner, B. C., Starrs, D., Morgan, D. L., Fulton, C. J., Donaldson, J. A., Doody, S., Cousins, S., Kennard, M., Butler, G., Tonkin, Z., Beatty, S., Broadhurst, B., Lintermans, L., and Fletcher, C. S. (2014). Emergence of field-based underwater video for understanding the ecology of freshwater fishes and crustaceans in Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 97, 287–296.
Englund, G., and Krupa, J. J. (2000). Habitat use by crayfish in stream pools: influence of predators, depth and body size. Freshwater Biology 43, 75–83.
| Habitat use by crayfish in stream pools: influence of predators, depth and body size.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Flinders, C. A., and Magoulick, D. D. (2007). Effects of depth and crayfish size on predation risk and foraging profitability of a lotic crayfish. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 26, 767–778.
| Effects of depth and crayfish size on predation risk and foraging profitability of a lotic crayfish.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Fulton, C. J., Starrs, D., Ruibal, M. P., and Ebner, B. C. (2012). Counting crayfish: active searching and baited cameras trump conventional hoop netting in detecting Euastacus armatus. Endangered Species Research 19, 39–45.
| Counting crayfish: active searching and baited cameras trump conventional hoop netting in detecting Euastacus armatus.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Furse, J. M., and Coughran, J. (2011). An assessment of the distribution, biology, threatening processes and conservation status of the freshwater crayfish, genus Euastacus (Decapoda: Parastacidae), in continental Australia. I. Biological background and current status. Crustaceana Monographs 15, 241–252.
Geddes, M. (1990). Crayfish. In ‘The Murray’. (Eds N. Mackay, and D. Eastburn.) pp. 302–307. (Murray Darling Basin Commission: Canberra.)
Giling, D., Reich, P., and Thompson, R. M. (2009). Loss of riparian vegetation alters the ecosystem role of a freshwater crayfish (Cherax destructor) in an Australian intermittent lowland stream. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 28, 626–637.
| Loss of riparian vegetation alters the ecosystem role of a freshwater crayfish (Cherax destructor) in an Australian intermittent lowland stream.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Gilligan, D., Rolls, R., Merrick, J., Lintermans, M., Duncan, P., and Kohen, J. (2007). Scoping the knowledge requirements for Murray crayfish (Euastacus armatus). NSW Department of Primary Industries, Narrandera, Australia.
Hazlett, B. A., Lawler, S., and Edney, G. (2007). Agonistic behavior of the crayfish Euastacus armatus and Cherax destructor. Marine and Freshwater Behaviour and Physiology 40, 257–266.
| Agonistic behavior of the crayfish Euastacus armatus and Cherax destructor.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Heck, K. L., Carruthers, T. J. B., Duarte, C. M., Hughes, A. R., Kendrick, G., Orth, R. J., and Williams, S. W. (2008). Trophic transfers from seagrass meadows subsidize diverse marine and terrestrial consumers. Ecosystems 11, 1198–1210.
| Trophic transfers from seagrass meadows subsidize diverse marine and terrestrial consumers.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Herrnkind, W. (1969). Queuing behavior of spiny lobsters. Science 164, 1425–1427.
| Queuing behavior of spiny lobsters.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DyaF1M3gt1Ojtw%3D%3D&md5=5274e00131f19c06284c258a7df16fe4CAS | 5783720PubMed |
Hoover, T. M., Richardson, J. S., and Yonemitsu, N. (2006). Flow–substrate interactions create and mediate leaf litter resource patches in streams. Freshwater Biology 51, 435–447.
| Flow–substrate interactions create and mediate leaf litter resource patches in streams.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Horwitz, P. (1990). The conservation status of Australian freshwater crustacea. Australian Parks and Wildlife Service, No. 14, Canberra.
Johnston, K., Robson, B. J., and Fairweather, P. (2011). Trophic positions of omnivores are not always flexible: evidence from four species of freshwater crayfish. Austral Ecology 36, 269–279.
| Trophic positions of omnivores are not always flexible: evidence from four species of freshwater crayfish.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kelly, J. R., Krumhansl, K. A., and Scheibling, R. E. (2012). Drift algal subsidies to sea urchins in low-productivity habitats. Marine Ecology Progress Series 452, 145–157.
| Drift algal subsidies to sea urchins in low-productivity habitats.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Lintermans, M., and Rutzou, T. (1991). The status, distribution and management of the Murray crayfish Euastacus armatus in the Australian Capital Territory. ACT Parks and Conservation Service, Canberra.
Martin, A. L., and Moore, P. A. (2007). Field observations of agonism in the crayfish, Orconectes rusticus: shelter use in a natural environment. Ethology 113, 1192–1201.
| Field observations of agonism in the crayfish, Orconectes rusticus: shelter use in a natural environment.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
McCormack, R. B. (2008). The freshwater crayfish of NSW Australia. Australian Biological Pty. Ltd., Karuah, Australia.
McCormack, R. B. (2012). ‘A Guide to Australia’s Spiny Freshwater Crayfish.’ (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne.)
Merrick, J. R. (1993). ‘Freshwater Crayfishes of New South Wales.’ (Linnean Society of New South Wales: Sydney.)
Morgan, G. J. (1986). Freshwater crayfish of the genus Euastacus Clark (Decapoda, Parastacidae) from Victoria. Memoirs of the Museum of Victoria 47, 1–57.
NSW Office of Water (2009). NSW water information. Available at: http://waterinfo.nsw.gov.au/ [accessed 15 October 2012].
Patullo, B. W., Baird, H. P., and Macmillan, D. L. (2009). Altered aggression in different sized groups of crayfish supports a dynamic social behaviour model. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 120, 231–237.
| Altered aggression in different sized groups of crayfish supports a dynamic social behaviour model.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Polis, G. A., Anderson, W. B., and Holt, R. D. (1997). Toward an integration of landscape and food web ecology: the dynamics of spatially subsidized food webs. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 28, 289–316.
| Toward an integration of landscape and food web ecology: the dynamics of spatially subsidized food webs.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Richman, N. I., Böhm, M., Adams, S. B., Alvarez, F., Bergey, E. A., Bunn, J. J. S., Burnham, Q., Cordeiro, J., Coughran, J., Crandall, K. A., Dawkins, K. L., DiStefano, R. J., Doran, N. E., Edsman, L., Eversole, A. G., Füreder, L., Furse, J. M., Gherardi, F., Hamr, P., Holdich, D. M., Horwitz, P., Johnston, K., Jones, C. M., Jones, J. P. G., Jones, R. L., Jones, T. G., Kawai, T., Lawler, S., López-Mejía, M., Miller, R. M., Pedraza-Lara, C., Reynolds, J. D., Richardson, A. M. M., Schultz, M. B., Schuster, G. A., Sibley, P. J., Souty-Grosset, C., Taylor, C. A., Thoma, R. F., Walls, J., Walsh, T. S., and Collen, B. (2015). Multiple drivers of decline in the global status of freshwater crayfish (Decapoda: Astacidea). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series B: Biological Sciences 370, 20140060.
| Multiple drivers of decline in the global status of freshwater crayfish (Decapoda: Astacidea).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 25561679PubMed |
Ryan, K. A., Ebner, B. C., and Norris, R. H. (2008). Radio-tracking interval effects on the accuracy of diel scale crayfish movement variables. Freshwater Crayfish 16, 87–92.
Schofield, K. A., Pringle, C. M., Meyer, J. L., and Sutherland, A. B. (2001). The importance of crayfish in the breakdown of rhododendron leaf litter. Freshwater Biology 46, 1191–1204.
| The importance of crayfish in the breakdown of rhododendron leaf litter.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Turvey, P., and Merrick, J. R. (1997). Reproductive biology of the freshwater crayfish, Euastacus spinifer (Decapoda: Parastacidae), from the Sydney region, Australia. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 118, 131–155.
Vannote, R. L., Minshall, G. W., Cummins, K. W., Sedell, K. W., and Cushing, C. E. (1980). The river continuum concept. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 37, 130–137.
| The river continuum concept.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Webster, J. R., Benfield, E. F., Ehrman, T. P., Schaeffer, M. A., Tank, J. L., Hutchens, J. J., and D’Angelo, D. J. (1999). What happens to allochthonous material that falls into streams? A synthesis of new and published information from Coweeta. Freshwater Biology 41, 687–705.
| What happens to allochthonous material that falls into streams? A synthesis of new and published information from Coweeta.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Whiting, A. S., Lawler, S. H., Horwitz, P., and Crandall, K. A. (2000). Biogeographic regionalization of Australia: assigning conservation priorities based on endemic freshwater crayfish phyologenetics. Animal Conservation 3, 155–163.
| Biogeographic regionalization of Australia: assigning conservation priorities based on endemic freshwater crayfish phyologenetics.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Zukowski, Z., Watts, R., and Curtis, A. (2012). Linking biology to fishing regulations: Australia’s Murray crayfish (Euastacus armatus). Ecological Management & Restoration 13, 183–190.
| Linking biology to fishing regulations: Australia’s Murray crayfish (Euastacus armatus).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
