Predatory preferences of a non-indigenous crab do not depend on prey invasion scenarios

Nora Theurich*, Elizabeta Briski, Ross N. Cuthbert

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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Abstract

Predatory non-indigenous species (NIS) have profound impacts on global ecosystems, potentially leading to native prey extinction and reshaping community dynamics. Among mechanisms potentially mediating predator impacts and prey invasion success are predator preferences between native vs. non-indigenous prey, a topic still underexplored. Using functional response and prey preference experiments, this study focused on the predation by the non-indigenous Japanese brush-clawed shore crab, Hemigrapsus takanoi, between the native gammarid Gammarus duebeni and the analogous non-indigenous Gammarus tigrinus. Although H. takanoi showed subtle differences in its functional response type between the two prey species, its preferences across their environmental frequencies were not strongly influenced by the prey invasion scenario. The findings highlight the need for a comprehensive understanding of interactions in ecosystems with multiple NIS, offering fresh insights into complex feeding interactions within marine environments.

Original languageEnglish
Number of pages8
JournalBiological Invasions
Early online date07 Feb 2024
DOIs
Publication statusEarly online date - 07 Feb 2024

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