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Larval microhabitat associations of the non-native gastropod Crepidula fornicata and effects on recruitment success in the intertidal zone

Larval microhabitat associations of the non-native gastropod Crepidula fornicata and effects on recruitment success in the intertidal zone
Larval microhabitat associations of the non-native gastropod Crepidula fornicata and effects on recruitment success in the intertidal zone
Habitat-specific distributions of marine benthic invertebrates can be caused by several processes acting prior to, during or after settlement, including differential settlement and varying levels ofmortality between habitat types following adaptation of the benthicmode. The non-native gastropod Crepidula fornicata is known for its gregarious settlement patterns, yet associations with other shellfish species are also common. In the present study, a series of no-choice and choice laboratory assays were undertaken in which larvae were offered different settlement substrata, separately and simultaneously, to investigate whether differential settlement of C. fornicata larvae occurs in favour of specific microhabitat types. A field experiment was also conducted to test if recruitment success in the intertidal differed between microhabitat types, by comparing densities
of young (b2 weeks) andolder (b8 weeks) settlers. The laboratory studies indicated that settlement occurs in larger numbers in association with certain habitats. However, settlement in association with specific microhabitat types was not observed in the intertidal. Instead, the distribution of C. fornicata recruits is established after settlement, as the distribution of older recruits, but not younger ones, differed between microhabitat types. Our findings show that the availability of certain complex structures in the intertidal zone is highly important in determining survival success of C. fornicata, due to varying levels of post-settlement mortality.
Crepidula fornicata, Habitat association, Larval settlement, Microhabitat, Post-settlement mortality, Recruitment
0022-0981
289-297
Bohn, Katrin
5b6ff1ee-2ec0-4d15-a02e-b2e575b97953
Richardson, Christopher A.
ca73fe4c-9dc3-4786-8405-4e407b53794d
Jenkins, Stuart R.
63f5521f-fe3a-4dae-b582-4a6a8d3aa936
Bohn, Katrin
5b6ff1ee-2ec0-4d15-a02e-b2e575b97953
Richardson, Christopher A.
ca73fe4c-9dc3-4786-8405-4e407b53794d
Jenkins, Stuart R.
63f5521f-fe3a-4dae-b582-4a6a8d3aa936

Bohn, Katrin, Richardson, Christopher A. and Jenkins, Stuart R. (2013) Larval microhabitat associations of the non-native gastropod Crepidula fornicata and effects on recruitment success in the intertidal zone. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 448, 289-297. (doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2013.07.020).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Habitat-specific distributions of marine benthic invertebrates can be caused by several processes acting prior to, during or after settlement, including differential settlement and varying levels ofmortality between habitat types following adaptation of the benthicmode. The non-native gastropod Crepidula fornicata is known for its gregarious settlement patterns, yet associations with other shellfish species are also common. In the present study, a series of no-choice and choice laboratory assays were undertaken in which larvae were offered different settlement substrata, separately and simultaneously, to investigate whether differential settlement of C. fornicata larvae occurs in favour of specific microhabitat types. A field experiment was also conducted to test if recruitment success in the intertidal differed between microhabitat types, by comparing densities
of young (b2 weeks) andolder (b8 weeks) settlers. The laboratory studies indicated that settlement occurs in larger numbers in association with certain habitats. However, settlement in association with specific microhabitat types was not observed in the intertidal. Instead, the distribution of C. fornicata recruits is established after settlement, as the distribution of older recruits, but not younger ones, differed between microhabitat types. Our findings show that the availability of certain complex structures in the intertidal zone is highly important in determining survival success of C. fornicata, due to varying levels of post-settlement mortality.

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More information

Published date: October 2013
Keywords: Crepidula fornicata, Habitat association, Larval settlement, Microhabitat, Post-settlement mortality, Recruitment
Organisations: Ocean and Earth Science

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 360299
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/360299
ISSN: 0022-0981
PURE UUID: eef34bf3-f241-433a-baf3-0d108db83c44

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Date deposited: 03 Dec 2013 13:35
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 15:35

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Contributors

Author: Katrin Bohn
Author: Christopher A. Richardson
Author: Stuart R. Jenkins

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