Piscivory by the crabs Cancer productus Randall, 1840 and Pugettia producta (Randall, 1840) (Decapoda: Brachyura: Cancridae, Epialtidae)

Abstract

Cancer productus Randall, 1840 and Pugettia producta (Randall, 1840) have been observed in the field feeding on live teleost fishes, an unexpected behavior for the molluscivorous C. productus and the largely herbivorous P. producta. Crabs were seen employing a speculative hunting technique of pouncing on tufts of algae or open areas of sediment followed by probing with the pereopods. Such behaviors suggest that food web relationships involving crabs may be much more complex than usually assumed.