Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Siphon nipping facilitates lethal predation in the clam Mesodesma mactroides (Reeve, 1854) (Mollusca: Bivalva)

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Marine Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In soft sediment marine communities, fishes frequently bite off extended siphons of buried clams; the consequential shortening of the siphon is known to reduce burial depth of the clams, secondarily increasing their vulnerability to lethal excavating predators. In this study, siphon nipping on the yellow clam, Mesodesma mactroides, was simulated by removing the top 6.6–30% of siphons. This caused a burrow reduction in 25–75%, respectively, compared to control individuals with intact siphons, in field and laboratory trials. To examine subsequent consequences of reduced burial depth, we exposed nipped and intact clams to potential predators in the laboratory simulating the observed natural clam abundance. Artificially nipped clams were consumed twice as much as control clams. The present results suggest that sympatric croppers contribute to the stock recovery failure by facilitation of lethal predation and that re-seeding to increase the local abundance of M. mactroides should be an essential aspect of conservation efforts in South America.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ambrose RF (1984) Food preferences, prey availability, and the diet of Octopus bimaculatus Vernll. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 74:29–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ambrose RF, Nelson BV (1983) Predation by Octopus vulgaris in the Mediterranean. PSZNI: Mar Biol 4:251–261

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arntz WE, Fahrbach E (1991) El Niño - Klimaexperiment der Natur: Die physikalischen Ursachen und biologischen Folgen. Birkhäuser, Basel, Bosten, Berlin, p 264

  • Bastida RA, Roux A, Bremec C, Gerpe M, Sorensen M (1991) Estructura poblacional de la almeja amarilla (Mesodesma mactroides) durante el verano de 1989 en la provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Frente Marítimo 9A:83–92

    Google Scholar 

  • Blundon JA, Kennedy VS (1982) Refuges for infaunal bivalves from blue crab, Callinectes sapidus (Rathbun), predation in Chesapeake Bay. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 65:67–81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowmer T, Keegan BF (1983) Field survey of the occurrence and significance of regeneration of Amphiura filiformis (Echinodermata: Ophiouridae) from Galway Bay, west coast of Ireland. Mar Biol 74:65–71

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Byers JE (2002) Physical habitat attribute mediates biotic resistance to non-indigenous species invasion. Oecologia 130:146–156

    Google Scholar 

  • Coen LD, Heck KL (1991) The interacting effects of siphon nipping and habitat on bivalve (Mercenaria mercenaria (L.)) growth in a subtropical seagrass (Halodule wrightii Aschers) meadow. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 145:1–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coscarón S (1959) La almeja amarilla (Mesodesma (T.) mactroides Deshayes) de la costa de la provincia de Buenos Aires. Agro Publicaciones Técnicas 1:1–66

    Google Scholar 

  • de Castellanos ZJA (1970) Catalogo de los moluscos marinos bonaerenses. Anales Com. Invest Cient Prov Buenos Aires 8: 1–365. Depto. de Rocha, Uruguay. Degree thesis, Universidad de la República, Uruguay

  • de Goeij P, Luttikhuizen PC, van der Meer J, Piersma T (2001) Facilitation on an intertidal mudflat: the effect of siphon nipping by flatfish on the burrowing depth of the bivalve Macoma balthica. Oecologia 126:500–506

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Vlas J (1979) Secondary production by siphon regeneration in a tidal flat population of Macoma balthica. Neth J Sea Res 19:147–164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Defeo O (1985) Aspectos biocenológicos y de dinámica de la población de “almeja amarilla”, Mesodesma mactroides (Deshayes, 1854) en la zona de la Barra del Chuy, Dpto. de Rocha, Uruguay. I. Biocenología 2(3):50–75

    Google Scholar 

  • Defeo O (1989) Development and management of artisanal fishery for yellow clam Mesodesma mactroides in Uruguay. Fishbyte 7:21–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Defeo O (1993) The effect of spatial scales in population dynamics and modelling of sedentary fisheries: the yellow clam Mesodesma mactroides of an Uruguayan exposed sandy beach. Ph.D. thesis, Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados, Unidad Mérida, p 308

  • Defeo O (1998) Testing hypotheses on recruitment, growth, and mortality in exploited bivalves: an experimental perspective. Can Spec Publ Fish Aquat Sci 125:257–264

    Google Scholar 

  • Defeo O, Scarabino V (1990) Ecological significance of a possible deposit-feeding strategy in Mesodesma mactroides (Deshayes, 1854) (Mollusca: Pelecyoda). Atlantica. Rio Grande 12(1):55–65

    Google Scholar 

  • Defeo O, Layerle C, Masello A (1986) Spatial and temporal structure of the yellow clam, Mesodema mactroides population in Barra del Chuy beach (Uruguay) and its relevance for ®shery management. Medio Ambiente 8:48–57

    Google Scholar 

  • Defeo O, Arreguín-Sánchez F, Sánchez J (1992a) Growth study of the yellow clam Mesodesma mactroides: a comparative analysis of three length-based methods. Sci Mar 56(1):53–59

    Google Scholar 

  • Defeo O, Ortiz E, Castilla JC (1992b) Growth, mortality and recruitment of the yellow clam Mesodesma mactroides on Uruguayan beaches. Mar Biol 114:429–437

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dial BE, Fitzpatrick LC (1984) Predator escape success in tailed verses tailless Scincella lateralis (Sauria: Scincidae). Anim Behav 32:301–302

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fawcett MH (1984) Local and latitudinal variation in predation on an herbivorous marine snail. Ecology 65:1214–1230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fiori SM, Cazzaniga NJ (1999) Mass mortality of the yellow clam Mesodesma mactroides (Bivalvia: Mactracea) in Monte Hermoso beach, Argentina. Biol Cons 89(3):305–309

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fiori SM, Vidal-Martínez V, Simá-Álvarez R, Rodríguez-Canul R, Aguirre-Macedo M, Defeo O (2004a) Field and laboratory observations of the mass mortality of the yellow clam Mesodesma mactroides in South America: the case of Isla del Jabalí, Argentina. J Shell Res 23(2):451–455

    Google Scholar 

  • Fiori SM, Cazzaniga NJ, Estebenet AL (2004b) Winter distribution, density and size of Mesodesma mactroides (Bivalvia, Mactracea) in Monte Hermoso beach (Argentina). Braz J Oceanogr 52(1):1–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fotheringham N (1974) Trophic complexity in a littoral boulderfield. Limnol Oceanogr 19:84–91

    Google Scholar 

  • Gianuca NM (1983) A preliminary account of the ecology of sandy beaches in southern Brazil. In: McLachlan A, Erasmus T (eds) Sandy beaches as ecosystems. Dr. W. Junk Publishers. The Hague, The Netherlands, pp 413–419

    Google Scholar 

  • Googall JD, Johnson AW, Philippi RA (1951) Las Aves de Chile, su Conocimiento y sus Costumbres Vol I. Platt Establecimientos Gráficos, Buenos Aires, p 441

    Google Scholar 

  • Haddon M, Wear RG, Packer HA (1987) Depth and density of burial by the bivalve Paphies vernticosa as refuges from predation by the crab Ovalipes catharus. Mar Biol 94:25–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hentschel BT, Harper NS (2006) Effects of simulated sublethal predation on the growth and regeneration rates of a spionid polychaete in laboratory flumes. Mar Biol 149:1175–1183

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huitema BE (1980) The analysis of covariance and alternatives. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Ieno EN, Bastida RO (1998) Spatial and temporal patterns in coastal macrobenthos of Samborombon Bay, Argentina: a case study of very low diversity. Estuaries 21(4B):690–699

    Google Scholar 

  • Irlandi EA, Mehlich ME (1996) The effect of tissue cropping and disturbance by browsing fishes on growth of two species of suspension-feeding bivalves. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 197:279–293

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kamermans P, Huitema HJ (1994) Shrimp (Crangon-crangon L.) browsing upon siphon tips inhibits feeding and growth in the bivalve Macoma-balthica (L). J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 175:59–75

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kotler BP, Brown JS, Slotow RH, Goodfriend WL, Strauss M (1993) The influence of snakes on the foraging behavior of gerbils. Oikos 67:309–316

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lindsay SM, Woodin SA (1992) The effect of palp loss on feeding behavior of two spionid polychaetes: changes in exposure. Biol Bull 183:440–447

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lindsay SM, Wethey DS, Woodin SA (1996) Modelling interactions of browsing predation, infaunal activity, and recruitment in marine soft-sediment habitats. Am Nat 148:684–699

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McLachlan A, Brown AC (2006) The ecology of sandy shores. Academic Press, Burlington, p 392

    Google Scholar 

  • McLachlan A, Erasmus T, Dye AH, Woolridge T, van der Horst G, Rossouw G, Lasiak TA, McGwynne LE (1981) Sand beach energetics: an ecosystem approach towards a high energy interface. Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 13:11–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer JJ, Byers JE (2005) As good as dead? Sublethal predation facilitates lethal predation on an intertidal clam. Ecol Lett 8:160–166

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miloslavich P, Penchaszadeh PE, Carbonini AK, Schapira D (2004) Regeneration time and morphology of the inhalant siphon of Donax Linneus, 1758(Bivalva, Donacidae) after amputation. J Shell Res 23:447–450

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakaoka M (2000) Nonlethal effects of predators on prey populations: predator-mediated change in bivalve growth. Ecology 81:1031–1045

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Narchi W (1981) Aspects of the adaptative morphology of Mesodesma Mactroides (Bivalvia: Mesodesmatidae). Malacologia. 2:95–110

    Google Scholar 

  • Nilsson HC (1999) Effects of hypoxia and organic enrichment on growth of the brittle stars Amphiura filiformis (O. F. Müller) and Amphiura chiajei Forbes. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 237:11–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nuñez JD, Scelzo MA, Cledon M (2009) Regeneration time and morphology of the tentacle crown of the inhalant siphon of Mesodesma mactroides (Deshayes, 1854) (Mollusca: Bivalvia). Malacologia (in press)

  • Odebrecht C, Rörig L, Gracia VT, Abreu PC (1995) Shellfish mortality and red tide event in southern Brazil. In: Lassus P (ed) Harmful marine algal blooms. Springer, New York, pp 213–218

    Google Scholar 

  • Olivier SR, Penchaszadeh PE (1968) Efectivos de la almeja amarilla (Mesodesma mactroides) en las costas de la provincia de Buenos Aires y pautas para su explotación racional. Proy. Desarrollo Pesquero FAO. Serie Informe Técnico 8:1–10

    Google Scholar 

  • Olivier SR, Capezzani DAA, Carreto JI, Christiansen HE, Moreno VJ, Aizpun de Moreno JE, Penchaszadeh PE (1971) Estructura de la comunidad, dinámica de la población y biología de la almeja amarilla (Mesodesma mactroides Deshayes 1854) en Mar Azul (Pdo. de Gral. Madariaga, Bs. As., Argentina). Proy Desarr Pesq FAO, Serie Inf Técn. 27:1–90

  • Onuf CP (1972) Aspects of the population biology of the Intertidal snail Oliveua biplicata: distribution, nutrition and effects of natural enemies. Dissertation, University of California, Santa Barbara

  • Peterson CH, Quammen ML (1982) Siphon nipping: its importance to small fishes and its impact on growth of the bivalve Protothaca staminea (Conrad). J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 63:249–268

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rocha-Barreira de Almeida C (2002) Feeding behavior of Olivancillaria vesica auricularia (Lamarck, 1810) (Mollusca, Olividae). Thalassas 18(2):83–89

    Google Scholar 

  • Sasaki K, Kudo M, Tomiyama T, Ito K, Omori M (2002) Predation pressure on the siphons of the bivalve Nuttallia olivacea by the juvenile stone flounder Platichthys bicoloratus in the Natori River estuary, north-eastern Japan. Fish Sci 68:104–116

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schrnitt RJ (1982) Consequences of dissimilar defenses against predation in a subtidal marine community. Ecology 63:158–1601

    Google Scholar 

  • Seitz RD, Lipcius RN, Hines AH, Eggleston DB (2001) Density-dependent predation, habitat variation, and the persistence of marine bivalve prey. Ecology 82:2435–2451

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seitz RD, Marshall LS Jr, Hines AH, Clark KL (2003) Effects of hypoxia on predator–prey dynamics of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus and the Baltic clam Macoma balthica in Chesapeake Bay. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 257:179–188

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith TE, Ydenberg RC, Elner RW (1999) Foraging behaviour of an excavating predator, the red rock crab (Cancer productus Randall) on soft-shell clam (Mya arenaria L.). J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 238:185–197

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Soluk DA (1993) Multiple predator effects: predicting combined functional response of stream fish and invertebrate predators. Ecology 74:219–225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tallqvist M (2001) Burrowing behavior of the Baltic clam Macoma balthica: effects of sediment type, hypoxia and predator presence. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 212:183–191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor GM (2000) Maximum force production: why are crabs so strong? Proceedings of the Royal Society B 267:1475–1480

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson GA, Sánchez de Bock MF (2007) Mortandad masiva de Mesodesma mactroides (Bivalvia: Mactracea) en el partido de la costa, Buenos Aires, Argentina, en septiembre 2004. Atlântica. Rio Grande 29(2):115–119

    Google Scholar 

  • Tomiyama T, Omori M (2007) Interactive effects of sublethal predation and body size on siphon production of the bivalve Nuttallia olivacea. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 34:102–109

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Virnstein RW (1977) The importance of predation by crabs and fishes on benthic infauna in Chesapeake Bay. Ecology 58:1199–1217

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vogel S (1981) Life in moving fluids: the physical biology of flow. Willard Grant, Boston, p 352

    Google Scholar 

  • Vooren CM, Chiaradia A (1990) Seasonal abundance and behaviour of coastal birds on Cassino beach, brazil. Ornitologia Neotropical 1:9–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Wells RA (1980) Activity pattern as a mechanism of predator avoidance in two species of acmaeid limpet. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 48:151–168

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitlow WL, Rice NA, Sweeney C (2003) Native species vulnerability to introduced predators: testing an inducible defense and a refuge from predation. Biol Invasions 5:23–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zajac RN (1985) The effect of sublethal predation on reproduction in the spionid polychaete Polydora ligni Webster. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 88:1–19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zajac RN (1995) Sublethal predation on Polydora cornuta (Polychaeta: Spionidae): patterns of tissue loss in a field population, predator functional response and potential demographic impacts. Mar Biol 123:531–541

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zaklan SD, Ydenberg R (1997) The body size-burial depth relationship in the infaunal clam Mya arenaria. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 215:1–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zwarts L, Wanink J (1989) Siphon size and burrowing depth in deposit and suspension-feeding benthic bivalves. Mar Biol 100:227–240

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zwarts L, Blomert AM, Spaak P, de Vries B (1994) Feeding radius, burrowing depth and siphon size of Macoma balthica and Scrobularia plana. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 183:193–212

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The present work was partially supported with funding of Sophie Danforth Conservation Biology Fund, project EXA 453/09 of Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, project PICT 2007-01398 of Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica and a fellowship of the Hanse Wissenschaftskolleg. We would like to thank P. E. Penchaszadeh and R. Bastida for their invaluable comments during the realisation of the experiments. We are specially grateful to Julia Sigwart of Queen’s University Belfast for English corrections and three anonymous reviewers for accurate and helpful comments.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. BECM-Laboratorio De Bio-Ecología de Crustáceos y Moluscos, Dpto. de Cs. Marinas, FCEyN, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3350, Mar del Plata, 7600, Argentina

    Maximiliano Cledón & Jesús D. Nuñez

  2. Aquarium Mar del Plata, Av. Martínez de Hoz 5600, Mar del Plata, 7600, Argentina

    Maximiliano Cledón & Jesús D. Nuñez

  3. CONICET- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Av. Rivadavia 1917, CP C1033AAJ, Cdad de Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Maximiliano Cledón & Jesús D. Nuñez

Authors
  1. Maximiliano Cledón
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jesús D. Nuñez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maximiliano Cledón.

Additional information

Communicated by S. D. Connell.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cledón, M., Nuñez, J.D. Siphon nipping facilitates lethal predation in the clam Mesodesma mactroides (Reeve, 1854) (Mollusca: Bivalva). Mar Biol 157, 737–745 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-009-1357-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-009-1357-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation