Claw loss and the prey preferences of an invasive crayfish
Predator-prey relationships underpin the stability of ecosystems but can be perturbed by numerous factors, such as biological invasions. Crayfish readily colonize new ecosystems and their impacts can modify food webs or ecosystem functioning. However, while crayfish exert high levels of predation pr...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Pensoft Publishers
2025-08-01
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| Series: | NeoBiota |
| Online Access: | https://neobiota.pensoft.net/article/149248/download/pdf/ |
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| author | Mathieu Toutain Ismael Soto Francisco J. Oficialdegui Paride Balzani Ross N. Cuthbert Augusto Frederico Huber Phillip J. Haubrock Antonín Kouba |
| author_facet | Mathieu Toutain Ismael Soto Francisco J. Oficialdegui Paride Balzani Ross N. Cuthbert Augusto Frederico Huber Phillip J. Haubrock Antonín Kouba |
| author_sort | Mathieu Toutain |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Predator-prey relationships underpin the stability of ecosystems but can be perturbed by numerous factors, such as biological invasions. Crayfish readily colonize new ecosystems and their impacts can modify food webs or ecosystem functioning. However, while crayfish exert high levels of predation pressure handling prey with their claws, claw loss is also common in their populations, which could mediate prey selection pressures. Here, we investigate how the number of claws in the marbled crayfish Procambarus virginalis modulates its preferences for two different available prey: Chironomus plumosus and Gammarus fossarum. We showed that the food preference of P. virginalis was mainly for soft, less mobile prey, such as C. plumosus, with significantly fewer G. fossarum (harder, more mobile prey) being killed. This preference was largely independent of claw presence but depended on the availability of prey, with fewer G. fossarum being targeted as the number of claws decreased. Our results highlight the complexity of predator-prey ecological relationships in invaded freshwater ecosystems and show that some biotic factors, such as the quantity and type of prey available, need to be taken into account in order to better understand their role in ecosystem dynamics. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a4cbda37228e4040a1ed67eac0ba8c42 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1314-2488 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Pensoft Publishers |
| record_format | Article |
| series | NeoBiota |
| spelling | doaj-art-a4cbda37228e4040a1ed67eac0ba8c422025-08-20T03:40:50ZengPensoft PublishersNeoBiota1314-24882025-08-011009110810.3897/neobiota.100.149248149248Claw loss and the prey preferences of an invasive crayfishMathieu Toutain0Ismael Soto1Francisco J. Oficialdegui2Paride Balzani3Ross N. Cuthbert4Augusto Frederico Huber5Phillip J. Haubrock6Antonín Kouba7Université de RennesUniversity of South Bohemia in České BudějoviceUniversity of South Bohemia in České BudějoviceUniversity of South Bohemia in České BudějoviceQueen’s University BelfastUniversity of South Bohemia in České BudějoviceUniversity of South Bohemia in České BudějoviceUniversity of South Bohemia in České BudějovicePredator-prey relationships underpin the stability of ecosystems but can be perturbed by numerous factors, such as biological invasions. Crayfish readily colonize new ecosystems and their impacts can modify food webs or ecosystem functioning. However, while crayfish exert high levels of predation pressure handling prey with their claws, claw loss is also common in their populations, which could mediate prey selection pressures. Here, we investigate how the number of claws in the marbled crayfish Procambarus virginalis modulates its preferences for two different available prey: Chironomus plumosus and Gammarus fossarum. We showed that the food preference of P. virginalis was mainly for soft, less mobile prey, such as C. plumosus, with significantly fewer G. fossarum (harder, more mobile prey) being killed. This preference was largely independent of claw presence but depended on the availability of prey, with fewer G. fossarum being targeted as the number of claws decreased. Our results highlight the complexity of predator-prey ecological relationships in invaded freshwater ecosystems and show that some biotic factors, such as the quantity and type of prey available, need to be taken into account in order to better understand their role in ecosystem dynamics.https://neobiota.pensoft.net/article/149248/download/pdf/ |
| spellingShingle | Mathieu Toutain Ismael Soto Francisco J. Oficialdegui Paride Balzani Ross N. Cuthbert Augusto Frederico Huber Phillip J. Haubrock Antonín Kouba Claw loss and the prey preferences of an invasive crayfish NeoBiota |
| title | Claw loss and the prey preferences of an invasive crayfish |
| title_full | Claw loss and the prey preferences of an invasive crayfish |
| title_fullStr | Claw loss and the prey preferences of an invasive crayfish |
| title_full_unstemmed | Claw loss and the prey preferences of an invasive crayfish |
| title_short | Claw loss and the prey preferences of an invasive crayfish |
| title_sort | claw loss and the prey preferences of an invasive crayfish |
| url | https://neobiota.pensoft.net/article/149248/download/pdf/ |
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