Fish predation on meiobenthos : field experiments with juvenile spot Leiostomus xanthurus Lacépède

While it is now accepted that meiofauna are an important food source for numerous juvenile fish, the impact of predation on field populations of meiofauna remains controversial. We conducted a field-caging experiment to determine the role of predation in structuring meiobenthic communities in situ....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of experimental marine biology and ecology 1989-01, Vol.130 (1), p.19-32
Main Authors: Ellis, Maria J., Coull, Bruce C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Copepod
Field experiment
Fish
Leiostomus xanthurus
Marine
Meiobenthos
Predation
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Summary:While it is now accepted that meiofauna are an important food source for numerous juvenile fish, the impact of predation on field populations of meiofauna remains controversial. We conducted a field-caging experiment to determine the role of predation in structuring meiobenthic communities in situ. Cages excluding predators and cages enclosing low and high densities of juvenile spot Leiostomus xanthurus Lacépède, a common estuarine fish from the southeastern U.S.A., were placed on a mudflat in a randomized complete block design to determine the in situ effects of juvenile spot predation on meiobenthos. Juvenile spot predation was only significant for those prey taxa or species with a high proportion of their population in the top few millimeters of sediment. Copepods and their nauplii, specifically the epibenthic species, were most affected by juvenile spot predation.
ISSN:0022-0981
1879-1697
DOI:10.1016/0022-0981(89)90015-4