TY - JOUR

T1 - Discriminating eaters

T2 - Sea stars asterias rubens L. Feed preferably on mytilus trossulus gould in mixed stocks of mytilus trossulus and mytilus edulis L

AU - Khaitov, Vadim

AU - Makarycheva, Anna

AU - Gantsevich, Mikhail

AU - Lentsman, Natalia

AU - Skazina, Maria

AU - Gagarina, Anastasia

AU - Katolikova, Marina

AU - Strelkov, Petr

PY - 2018/4/1

Y1 - 2018/4/1

N2 - Sea stars Asterias rubens are important natural enemies of the blue mussel Mytilus in the North Atlantic. We asked whether these predators distinguish between the cryptic species M. edulis and M. trossulus that occur sympatrically in the White Sea. In mixed experimental stocks, the odds of being eaten by sea stars were about four times greater for M. trossulus. We also showed that A. rubens preferred smaller mussels to larger ones, irrespective of their species affinity. Our findings support earlier indirect observations showing that sea stars recognize M. trossulus as a more preferable prey than M. edulis. Dramatic differences in the vulnerability to sea star predation may explain the segregation of habitats between the two mussel species in contact zones; M. trossulus usually tends to occupy habitats where the sea star predators are scarce.

AB - Sea stars Asterias rubens are important natural enemies of the blue mussel Mytilus in the North Atlantic. We asked whether these predators distinguish between the cryptic species M. edulis and M. trossulus that occur sympatrically in the White Sea. In mixed experimental stocks, the odds of being eaten by sea stars were about four times greater for M. trossulus. We also showed that A. rubens preferred smaller mussels to larger ones, irrespective of their species affinity. Our findings support earlier indirect observations showing that sea stars recognize M. trossulus as a more preferable prey than M. edulis. Dramatic differences in the vulnerability to sea star predation may explain the segregation of habitats between the two mussel species in contact zones; M. trossulus usually tends to occupy habitats where the sea star predators are scarce.

KW - SMALL INTERTIDAL ANIMALS

KW - BLUE MUSSEL

KW - INDUCIBLE DEFENSES

KW - EFFECTS MODELS

KW - GENUS MYTILUS

KW - M. TROSSULUS

KW - BALTIC SEA

KW - PREDATOR

KW - HABITAT

KW - BEHAVIOR

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85050949471&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - https://doi.org/10.1086/697944

DO - https://doi.org/10.1086/697944

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85050949471

VL - 234

SP - 85

EP - 95

JO - Biological Bulletin

JF - Biological Bulletin

SN - 0006-3185

IS - 2

ER -