Prey preference of Carcinus aestuarii: possible implications with the control of an invasive mytilid and Manila clam culture in a northern Adriatic lagoon

The cultivated Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum, and the accidentally introduced Asian date mussel, Musculista senhousia, are nowadays the most abundant bivalve species in the Sacca di Goro (northeastern Italy). M. senhousia, with its sub-surficial extended mats, creates quite a heavy economical impact to clam shellfish culture. Individual Mediterranean shore crabs Carcinus aestuarii were allowed to forage on the two bivalve species to examine the crab's preference in light of the optimal foraging theory. Crabs preferred M. senhousia over R. philippinarum: mortality was higher for the former (34.6%) than for the latter bivalve species (9.5%). It is suggested that the marked preference of C. aestuarii for Asian date mussels over Manila clams could be advantageously exploited to control or to reduce the extension of mats, especially where these create management problems to infaunal, burrowing bivalve cultures.     

温度对凸壳肌蛤能量收支的影响

凸壳肌蛤(Arcuatula senhousei)是虾蟹等养殖品种的优质饵料生物,也是极具养殖潜力的贝类品种。为了深入了解其生理代谢,利用室内静水法对不同温度(7℃、15℃、23℃、31℃)凸壳肌蛤的摄食率、排粪率、耗氧率、排氨率等生理指标进行了研究,并建立了能量收支方程。结果显示,23℃时的滤水率、摄食率、耗氧率、同化效率均显著高于其他温度梯度(P0.05),分别达到了1.09 L/(g·h)、24.46 mg/(g·h)、3.50 mg/(g·h)和62.93%;7℃时的滤水率、摄食率、耗氧率、排粪率、排氨率均低于其他温度梯度,分别为0.24 L/(g·h)、6.04 mg/(g·h)、1.02 mg/(g·h)、4.20 mg/(g·h)、2.33μmol/(g·h)。且滤水率、摄食率、耗氧率、同化效率随着温度升高都呈先升高后下降的趋势,在23℃时均达到最高值。不同温度下的能量收支方程为:100C=58.12F+46.74R+2.54U–7.40P(7℃);100C=44.28F+29.14R+1.85U+24.73P(15℃);100C=17.18F+41.81R+6.64U+34.37P(23℃);100C=53.35F+28.26R+14.66U+3.73P(31℃)。能量收支研究表明,生长能(P)、呼吸能(R)、排泄能(U)和粪便能(F)占摄食能(C)的比例分别为–7.4%~34.37%、28.26%~46.74%、1.85%~14.66%、17.18%~58.12%,23℃时生长能占摄食能的比例显著高于其他温度梯度(P0.05),达到了34.37%;7℃时最低,为–7.40%。研究结果为深入了解凸壳肌蛤的生理能量学提供了数据支撑。