Feeding Choice and the Fate of Organic Materials Consumed by Sesarma Crabs Perisesarma bidens (De Haan) When Offered Different Diets (original) (raw)
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Do fatty acid profiles help to explain sesarmid crabs food choice
We evaluate the use of the combination approach of fatty acid (FA) profiles and Carbon/Nitrogen ratios to investigate the feeding preference of the sesarmid crab Perisesarma bidens on different diets. The alga Enteromorpha intestinalis, Kandelia obovata leaves and propagules were used in a laboratory feeding assay. Consumption rates of P. bidens were higher in the order of algae= leaves>propagules. C/N ratios indicate that P. bidens significantly assimilates both nitrogen and carbon from algae, nitrogen but not carbon from brown leaves, and only carbon from propagules. A comparison of FAs in tissues and faeces indicated that crabs efficiently assimilate essential FAs (EFAs) from a given diet in the order of algae>leaves>propagules. Results of higher EFA ratios ( 3/ 6) match with that of low C/N ratios indicating that algae had higher nutritional value than leaves and propagules. FA profiles suggested that brown leaf palatability was due to decomposing activity by bacteria and fungi in the leaf tissues. These data suggest that the combination of FA profiles and C/N ratios provides a better understanding of the diet choice by sesarmid crabs.
Ecological Variations in the Feeding Habits of some Sesarmid Crabs
2013
This study investigates the difference in the feeding habits between four types of dominant mangrove assemblages species Sesarma brockii, S. plicatum, Neoepisesarma mederi and Nanosesarma minutum by supplementing it with different leaves taken from different mangrove zonal regions. Important factors regarding the feeding choice of the crabs were analysed and it was found that the calorific values of the stomach contents were observed highest in N. minutum and lowest in N. mederi. Similarly assimilation efficiency for mangrove leaves was highest in S. brockii and lowest in S. plicatum and assimilation efficiency for Cyanodon dactylon (grass) was highest in N. mederi and lowest in S. brockii and S. plicatum. These differences seem to be explained by the differences in food preferences between four sesarmid crabs which were substantiated by the food materials identified in the foreguts in captive conditions.
Journal of Sea Research, 2011
The large amounts of leaf litter produced by tropical mangrove forests serve as a major food source for the benthic fauna. The reasons for the preferential consumption of mangrove leaves by crabs are unclear as yet. We investigated the diet, food preferences and consumption rates of 8 dominant grapsoid crab species (Perisesarma spp., Episesarma spp., Metopograpsus latifrons, and Metaplax elegans) in mangroves of Segara Anakan, Java, Indonesia, by means of stomach-content analysis and feeding experiments. Leaves from the five most abundant mangrove tree species (Aegiceras corniculatum, Avicennia alba, Ceriops decandra, Rhizophora apiculata, and Sonneratia caseolaris) were analyzed for organic carbon, total nitrogen, δ 13 C, δ 15 N and amino acids and hexosamines. This study is the first that investigated crab food preferences related to the nitrogen compound composition of leaves. Our results show that Episesarma spp. and Perisesarma spp. are omnivorous crabs which mainly feed on detritus, mangrove litter and bark, and on a small amount of roots, algae and animal matter whereas M. elegans is a detritus feeder. In feeding experiments with green, yellow and brown leaves Perisesarma spp. and E. singaporense had the highest consumption rates for brown leaves of R. apiculata and S. caseolaris, and for green leaves of A. alba. Preferred leaves were characterized by a high amount and/or freshness of nitrogenous compounds and their biochemical composition was significantly different from that of disliked leaves (all leaves of A. corniculatum and C. decandra, green and yellow leaves of R. apiculata and S. caseolaris). The presence of the hexosamine galactosamine found only in brown leaves indicates that bacteria contribute to the amount of bioavailable nitrogen compounds. We infer that the nitrogen compound composition rather than the C/N ratio alone is a determinant for bioavailability of mangrove leaves and hence may partly explain the crabs' food preferences.
Marine Biology, 2007
Food preferences, consumption rates and dietary assimilation related to food quality were investigated for the large semi-terrestrial and litterconsuming mangrove crab Ucides cordatus cordatus (Ocypodidae, L. 1763) in northern Brazil. Stomach contents were composed of mangrove leaves (61.2%), unidentified plant material and detritus (28.0%), roots (4.9%), sediment (3.3%), bark (2.5%), and animal material (0.1%). U. cordatus prefers Rhizophora mangle over Avicennia germinans leaves despite a higher nitrogen content, lower carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio and lower tannin content of the latter. Also, assimilation rates for senescent R. mangle leaves (C: 79.3%, N: 45.4%) were higher than for A. germinans leaves (C: 40.6%, N: 9.1%). Faeces composition indicates that A. germinans leaves were more difficult to masticate and digest mechanically. The leafageing hypothesis, according to which crabs let leaves age in burrows to gain a more palatable and nutritive food, was rejected for U. cordatus since N content, C/N ratio and the abundance of microorganisms did not differ significantly between senescent leaves and leaves taken from burrows. The low microbial biomass on leaf surfaces and in the sediment indicates its minor importance for the nutrition of U. cordatus. It is concluded that high ingestion and assimilation rates of a R. mangle diet together with the consumption of algae allow for a high intake of C, N, and energy. The data suggest that the digestibility of mangrove leaves by U. cordatus is not hampered by tannins. This may have provided a competitive advantage over other leafconsuming invertebrates unable to digest mangrove litter with high tannin concentrations. Due to the large stock biomass of U. cordatus in the study area, a great amount of finely fragmented faeces is produced (about 7.1 ton dry matter ha-1 year-1 in a R. mangle forest) which is enriched in C, N and bacterial biomass compared to the sediment. The decomposition of mangrove litter, and thus nutrient and energy transfer into the sediment, is greatly enhanced due to litter processing by U. cordatus. Communicated by O. Kinne.
Selection of an omnivorous diet by the mangrove tree crab Aratus pisonii in laboratory experiments
Journal of Sea Research, 2008
Observational studies on leaf damage, gut content analyses, and crab behaviour have demonstrated that like numerous other mangrove and salt-marsh generalists, the mangrove tree crab Aratus pisonii feeds on a variety of food resources. This study is the first that experimentally tests feeding preferences of A. pisonii, as well as the first to test experimentally whether chemical composition of food resources is responsible for food selection. Feeding preferences were determined among a variety of plant, algal, and animal resources available in the field both in Florida and Belize, using multiple-choice feeding assays, where male and female crabs simultaneously were offered a variety of food items. To test whether chemistry of food resources was responsible for feeding preferences, chemical extracts of food resources were incorporated in an agar-based artificial food, and used in feeding assays. Results of feeding assays suggest that crabs prefer animal matter from ∼ 2.5 to 13× more than other available resources, including leaves of the red mangrove Rhizophora mangle, which contribute the most to their natural diet. Artificial feeding assays also demonstrated that chemical cues were responsible for selection of animal matter, up to 25× more than other available resources. Non-polar extracts (derived from extraction in 1:1 ethyl actetate:methanol) stimulated feeding the most, suggesting that fatty acids, triglycerides, or sterols may be important for growth, reproduction, or survival. Results for both sexes were similar across most assays. While chemical composition of food resources appears to play some role in selection, this does not discount the potential role of other factors, such as resource availability, competition, predation, or reproductive requirements in influencing feeding preferences. Bioassay-guided fractionation of extracts should aid in determining chemical constituents that play the greatest role in determining feeding preferences.
In order to investigate if the variety of resources consumed by Aratus pisonii (H. Milne Edwards, 1837) changes along a structural mangrove gradient, the natural diet of this crab species was studied in five mangrove forests. Mangrove forests with different degrees of structural development (arboreal, arbustive, scrub) and located in different environments (estuarine, marine, hypersaline) on the northwest coast of Venezuela were considered, during the rainy and dry seasons. Rhizophora mangle Linnaeus, 1753 was the predominant mangrove species. The gut contents of 313 individuals were analysed, yielding a total of 12 prey categories. The diet of A. pisonii was based on mangrove fragments (leaves and bark). The index of relative importance (IRI) of mangrove fragments varied between 58% and 96%. Other items supplemented the diet: seagrass, algae, insects and crustaceans. The variety of resources consumed by A. pisonii was related to the mangrove structure and varied with the season. During the rainy period food diversity in the gut content increased, as mangrove heterogeneity and complexity increased, but during the dry season the trend was reversed. Aratus pisonii appears to enhance an opportunistic feeding behaviour when leaf quality decreases, which occurs during the dry season mainly in the hypersaline mangroves with less structural development (arbustive and scrub). During the drought the IRI of the items of animal origin increased in all the localities; this could be a response to the nutritional needs of the crabs during this season. In this work, we report the first documented egg consumption of its conspecifics, which supports the idea of cannibalistic behaviour associated mainly with crabs that live in the hypersaline and scrub mangrove with the lowest structural development and leaf quality.
Paradoxical selective feeding on a low-nutrient diet: why do mangrove crabs eat leaves?
Oecologia, 2002
Sesarmid crabs dominate Indo West-Pacific mangroves, and consume large amounts of mangrove litter. This is surprising, since mangrove leaves have high tannin contents and C/N ratios that far exceed 17, normally taken as the maximum for sustainable animal nutrition. This paradox has led to the hitherto untested hypothesis that crabs let leaves age in burrows before consumption, thereby reducing tannin content and C/N ratio. We excavated burrows of Neosarmatium meinerti within high-shore Avicennia marina mangroves, and investigated whether burrow leaves had C, N or C/N values significantly different from those of senescent leaves. Leaves were found in <45% of burrows, mostly only as small fragments, and N concentrations and C/N ratios of burrow leaves never varied significantly from senescent leaves. The leaf-ageing hypothesis was therefore not supported. In the field N. meinerti and Sesarma guttatum fed on sediment in 76% and 66-69% of observations, respectively, and on leaves in <10% of observations. Sediments from two A. marina mangroves had a mean C/N ratio of 19.6. Our results, and the literature, show that mangrove leaves are unlikely to fulfil the N requirements of crabs, whether or not leaf ageing takes place. Sediment detritus could be a richer source of N, as shown by lower C/N ratios and regular ingestion by crabs. By fragmenting leaves crabs may be elevating the nutritional quality of the substrate detritus.
Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 2003
The diet of the mangrove crab, Aratus pisonii, was assessed by determining the percent of damaged leaves at selected mangrove communities and by examining herbivore gut contents. This study compared the utility of both methods and tested if comparable levels of damage and dietary preference occurred using the methods. Percent of damaged leaves was determined for the three species of mangroves within Tampa Bay, FL, USA, including: the red, black, and white mangroves (Rhizophora mangle, Avicennia germinans, and Laguncularia racemosa, respectively) in four 5 Â 10-m quadrats during summer 2001. For each species, in each of the quadrats, 200 leaves per tree were assessed for the presence or absence of crab damage. A. pisonii were sampled from the same quadrats from which leaf damage data were collected. Stomach contents were dissected and food items were classified into a number of categories. Species damaged and preferred were determined by comparing relative numbers of mangrove leaf stomata from the three mangrove species in gut contents. Results suggested that both methods provide similar estimates of preference. R. mangle leaves were preferred over those of A. germinans and L. racemosa. The percent of R. mangle leaves with damage was about 20-30 times greater than the other species, and R. mangle leaf stomata were 3 to 20 times more abundant in crab guts compared to leaf stomata of the other species. Gut contents indicated that A. pisonii is omnivorous, that average-sized adult crabs (1.4-1.7-cm width) prefer R. mangle, and that the diet of males is more varied than of females. While use of both percent leaf damage and crab gut contents reliably
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2020
Dungeness crabs (Metacarcinus magister) are ecologically and economically important in the coastal Northeast Pacific, yet relatively little is currently known about their feeding behaviour in the wild or their natural diet. Trophic biomarkers, such as fatty acids (FA), can be used to reveal trophic interactions. We used two feeding experiments to assess differences in FA composition of juvenile crabs fed different known foods to evaluate how they modify and integrate dietary FA into their own tissues and determine whether crab FA reflect diet changes over a six-week period. These experimental results were then compared with the FA signatures of wild caught juvenile crab with undetermined diets. We found that juvenile Dungeness crabs fed different foods assimilated dietary FA into their tissues and were distinct in their FA signatures when analysed with multivariate statistics. Experimentally fed juvenile crabs contained greater proportions of the most abundant long-chain polyunsatur...
Aquaculture Research, 2019
Mud crab, Scylla serrata (Forskal) belonging to family Portunidae, commonly inhabits estuaries and mangrove swamps of the Indo-Pacific region. Growing consumer demand from both local and international markets by virtue of its delicacy and unique taste led to the commercial monoculture in a small-to-moderate scale, thereby supporting coastal livelihoods (Bonine, Bjorkstedt, Ewel, & Palik, 2008; Lee, 1991). Mud crab culture in mangroves or tidal flats is practised in Indonesia, Vietnam and China and is considered to be an ecologically friendly economic activity (SEAFDEC Asian Aquac, 1997). Conservation of the mud crab primary habitat, mangrove forests, is critical to support their populations, and creating awareness of their over-fishing is essential. While reviewing