Hydrothermal vent crabs feast on sea ‘snow’

The crab Xenograpsus testudinatus lives at enormously high densities around the sulphur-rich hydrothermal vents found in shallow waters off Taiwan, even though this acidic environment is low in nutrients. Here we show that these crabs swarm out of their crevices at slack water and feed on the vast n...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature (London) 2004-12, Vol.432 (7020), p.969-969
Main Authors: Jeng, M-S, Ng, N K, Ng, P K L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal behavior
Aquatic ecosystems
Crustaceans
Decapoda
Feeding behavior
Marine
Plankton
Shallow water
Shellfish
Snow
Zooplankton
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Summary:The crab Xenograpsus testudinatus lives at enormously high densities around the sulphur-rich hydrothermal vents found in shallow waters off Taiwan, even though this acidic environment is low in nutrients. Here we show that these crabs swarm out of their crevices at slack water and feed on the vast numbers of zooplankton that are killed by the vents' sulphurous plumes, and that rain down like marine 'snow'. This opportunistic feeding behaviour explains how the crabs are able to survive in the adverse toxic environment of these shallow hydrothermal vents. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:0028-0836
1476-4687
DOI:10.1038/432969a