Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology最新文献

{"title":"The effect of marine snow particle distribution and density gradients on the foraging behavior of Calanus pacificus","authors":"Elena C. Beckhaus ,&nbsp;Christian Briseño-Avena ,&nbsp;Moira Décima ,&nbsp;Jeannette Yen ,&nbsp;Maya L. Young ,&nbsp;Jennifer C. Prairie","doi":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152137","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152137","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Copepods play a critical role in transferring energy up the food web and can often exhibit foraging strategies that allow them to capitalize on patchy prey environments such as marine snow layers. Since marine snow layers co-occur with density gradients in the field, we evaluated how each of these affected copepod foraging behavior by exposing <em>Calanus pacificus</em> to treatments with different distributions of marine snow and with and without density stratification. Swimming behavior was recorded in the lab using imaging in 2D and 3D. We observed significantly higher residence time of copepods in the middle of the tank in the two treatments with a density gradient – both the one with a marine snow layer (which is created using a density gradient) and the one without marine snow – although the accumulation of copepods was more intense when the marine snow layer was present. Copepods also exhibited higher jump frequency and lower vertical velocity in the middle of the tank in the two treatments with a density gradient. Gut content analysis showed that copepods ingested marine snow when exposed to the marine snow layer and the homogenous distribution of aggregates, with possibly higher ingestion in the layer treatment. These results suggest that density gradients may act as a primary physical cue – with the presence of chemical cues having a potential secondary effect. Behavioral responses to these cues allow copepods to find and remain in marine snow layers, providing insight into how these interactions can disrupt the sinking of marine snow, which transports carbon to the deep ocean.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50197,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology","volume":"593 ","pages":"Article 152137"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145221694","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Aggregation behavior of pacific nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma unami) associated with seasonal water temperature changes in a tropical upwelling bay","authors":"Sergio Madrigal-Mora ,&nbsp;Christopher G. Lowe ,&nbsp;Christopher Clark ,&nbsp;Mario Espinoza","doi":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152138","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152138","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Aggregations form as individuals respond to common drivers like prey availability, predator avoidance, reproduction, or environmental conditions. Pacific Nurse Sharks (<em>Ginglymostoma unami</em>) form aggregations in the shallow waters of Santa Elena Bay, north Pacific of Costa Rica, a region where seasonal upwelling (from December to April) causes water temperatures to decrease as low as 16 °C from mean annual temperatures of 28 °C. We expected <em>G. unami</em> aggregations to form when individuals seek out warmer pockets in shallow sites to avoid colder upwelling conditions in non-aggregation sites. Using unoccupied aerial vehicle surveys (UAV; drone) and in situ seafloor temperature loggers, we test whether the occurrence of <em>G. unami</em> aggregations are associated with water temperature changes between upwelling and non-upwelling seasons. We tested this hypothesis at two spatial resolutions: (1) “site-wide” resolution, comparing mean temperatures between sites; and (2) “within-site” resolution, considering temperature variations in a single aggregation site. At the site-wide scale, water temperature variation was associated with aggregating behavior. During upwelling events, aggregations were most often observed at sites with warmer waters, suggesting behavioral thermoregulation to avoid cold upwelling conditions. However, temperature had a limited effect explaining the fine-scale occurrence of aggregations within sites. Hence, we expect other factors, such as conspecific attraction, to drive this behavior as well. Understanding where and why these aggregations occur is essential for management, especially considering the potential alterations to <em>G. unami'</em>s behavior under changing upwelling patterns related to climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50197,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology","volume":"593 ","pages":"Article 152138"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145268582","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From Dusk Til Dawn: Modeling influences on the behavior of western rock lobster, Panulirus cygnus George","authors":"Hannah M. Williams ,&nbsp;Brooke Gibbons ,&nbsp;Tim Langlois ,&nbsp;Matthew Navarro ,&nbsp;Emma-Jade Tuffley ,&nbsp;Simon de Lestang","doi":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152143","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152143","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sustainable fisheries management requires comprehensive understanding of the environmental and biological factors that drive population trends in target species. In the West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery (WCRLMF), this is largely achieved through the integration of catch and catch-rate data to calculate the catchability and infer the health of the stock. However, trends in catchability may not always reflect the underlying behavior of western rock lobster. This pilot study aimed to investigate the environmental and biological influences on the behavior of western rock lobster using multi-day in-situ autonomous camera systems. We filmed three western rock lobster dens for 35 days and the abundance of rock lobsters in each den were counted hourly. We used full-subset generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) to investigate which covariates were related to the den abundance and the proportion of lobsters present as a function of their activity. We assumed that the lobsters were more active when located outside the den. We found that western rock lobsters were more active when lunar illumination was lowest, swell was highest and when predators were present in the den. Our findings suggested that western rock lobsters may vary their hourly and daily activity in response to the relative risk of predation by foraging more when visibility was lowest and exiting or avoiding the den when a predator was present<em>.</em> Future studies investigating the biotic and abiotic influences on western rock lobster behavior should be undertaken in a fisheries closure to remove the possible confounding effects of fishing activity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50197,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology","volume":"593 ","pages":"Article 152143"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145474098","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The influence of ocean environmental factors on trace element composition of the mussel Perna canaliculus across a large embayment","authors":"Wenjie Wu ,&nbsp;Carolyn J. Lundquist ,&nbsp;Andrew G. Jeffs","doi":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152133","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152133","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Measured differences in the concentrations of trace elements incorporated into calcified structures from surrounding waters are increasingly being used to infer the pathways of the pelagic stages of marine organisms, such as larval mollusks. These methods typically distinguish between sites separated by more than 10 km, but spatial accuracy varies considerably among species and the ocean areas to which the methods are applied. Spatial accuracy of these methods can be diminished by variability in the uptake of trace elements by organisms caused by factors, such as water temperature and pelagic food availability, which influence calcification and growth in pelagic organisms. To attempt to identify those environmental factors which may influence the uptake of trace elements, this study explored the relationships between seven satellite-sensed ocean environmental variables, including freshwater input (ADET), sea surface temperature (SST), chlorophyll-a concentration (CHL), light at seabed (EBED), seawater turbidity (BBP), visibility (HVIS), and opacity (KPAR), and the concentrations of six reference trace elements (i.e., ⁷Li, ⁵⁹Co, ⁶⁰Ni, ¹³⁸Ba, ¹³⁹La, and ²³⁸U) in the shell of mussels (<em>Perna canaliculus</em>). Mussel shells were cultured over two sequential five-week periods at 22 sites over a 110 km range within a large coastal embayment in northern New Zealand, the Bay of Plenty. A generalized regression model (GLM) for each of six trace elements was established using satellite environmental data and microchemical profiles from mussel shells collected at 18 successfully sampled sites. The GLM results showed that environmental variables BBP and KPAR were correlated with five of six measured elements in mussel shell (i.e., ⁷Li, ⁵⁹Co, ⁶⁰Ni, ¹³⁸Ba, ¹³⁹La). Subsequently, the GLMs then successfully predicted the elemental levels for four sampling sites without elemental data from mussel shells, with an average accuracy of about 58.3 % and up to 75 % for the individual elements of ⁷Li, ¹³⁸Ba and ²³⁸U. Moreover, the addition of these GLM-predicted shell microchemistry data to a microchemical reference atlas improved its ability to predict the spatial range of mussel pelagic pathways by around 28 %, with only a minor sacrifice in prediction accuracy (6 %). Overall, these results indicate good potential for incorporating satellite environmental data for both improving the efficiency of field sampling for microchemistry studies, and for increasing the applicable spatial scale of microchemistry atlases based on in situ sampling. Collectively, the use of remotely-sensed environmental data has the potential to be used to significantly improve the performance of microchemistry methods for inferring connectivity pathways of the pelagic stages of marine organisms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50197,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology","volume":"593 ","pages":"Article 152133"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145107494","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rule change: Behavioral phenotyping and adaptive strategies of black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) during social hierarchy reestablishment","authors":"Shufei Xu ,&nbsp;Songmeng Chen ,&nbsp;Xinna Ma ,&nbsp;Yang Xiao ,&nbsp;Chao Ma ,&nbsp;Liuxiang Du ,&nbsp;Hongwei Liu ,&nbsp;Zhen Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152136","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152136","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the behavioral phenotyping and adaptive strategies of black rockfish (<em>Sebastes schlegelii</em>) during social hierarchy reestablishment. Five groups of seven fish were observed in two phases: hierarchy formation and subsequent disruption-induced reestablishment, each phase involved a 5-day isolation period followed by a 5-day hierarchy formation period. The results revealed that: (1) During both hierarchy formation phases, high-ranking (α) individuals exhibited significantly greater distance to center-point, higher angular velocity, shorter latency to first movement, and reduced immobility time compared to low-ranking (γ) individuals. (2) After hierarchy disruption, all individuals showed increased acceleration, α individuals displayed significantly higher acceleration than both intermediate-ranking (β) and γ individuals, and β individuals surpassed γ individuals. (3) Principal component analysis (PCA) identified acceleration and activity as key behavioral determinants of hierarchy formation and reestablishment. Although rank order remained stable after α removal, newly promoted β individuals exhibited significantly increased acceleration, indicating behavioral plasticity. In summary, dominant individuals consistently displayed higher activity and broader spatial exploration, while subordinates initially exhibited prolonged immobility. During hierarchy reestablishment, subordinates adapted to the new social context through behavioral plasticity, adopting more proactive movement strategies. These findings elucidate the relationship between social status and locomotion in <em>S. schlegelii</em>, providing a framework for studying social dynamics in aquaculture and behavioral ecology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50197,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology","volume":"593 ","pages":"Article 152136"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145221695","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sargassum leachate initially inhibits then stimulates phytoplankton growth in coral reef waters","authors":"Pascal Claquin ,&nbsp;Isabelle Mussio ,&nbsp;Maxime Navon ,&nbsp;Anne-Marie Rusig ,&nbsp;Amélia Chatagnon ,&nbsp;Charlotte Dromard","doi":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152146","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152146","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Massive <em>Sargassum</em> accumulations in the Atlantic form the Great Atlantic <em>Sargassum</em> Belt, which fuels recurrent coastal inundation events that disrupt ecosystems by reducing light availability for phytoplankton and enriching nearshore waters with nutrients released during decomposition. This study examined the short-term effects of decaying <em>Sargassum</em> leachate on phytoplankton productivity and growth in Guadeloupe's coral reef ecosystems using several photosynthesis measurements based on fluorescence and ¹³C. A range of leachate concentrations were applied, under controlled conditions, to a natural phytoplankton community. The study revealed two major effects of <em>Sargassum</em> leachate on phytoplankton. First, leachate at concentrations ≥1 % initially inhibited photosynthesis and growth up to Day 2, likely due to allelopathic substances such as polyphenols. This was evidenced by near-zero Fv/Fm values and disrupted electron transport in PSII. By Day 3, these inhibitory effects diminished, suggesting degradation of labile inhibitory compounds or community modification. Second, from Day 3 onward, leachate addition stimulated phytoplankton growth, as seen in increased biomass, primary production (JVIImax), and carbon fixation. This nutrient-driven response was accompanied by reduced C/Chl a ratios and improved photosynthetic efficiency (lower Фe,C values), indicating alleviation of nutrient limitations, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus. These findings underscore the dual role of <em>Sargassum</em> leachate: an initial suppressive impact through allelopathy and a subsequent nutrient enrichment effect driving phytoplankton blooms. Such dynamics highlight the significant and complex influence of <em>Sargassum</em> strandings, combining ecological stress with nutrient-driven productivity changes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50197,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology","volume":"593 ","pages":"Article 152146"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145474099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characterizing antioxidant defense and energy metabolism proxies in a neglected Mediterranean ecosystem engineer: Sabellaria spinulosa (Leuckart, 1849)","authors":"Giusto Lo Bue ,&nbsp;Caterina Ciacci ,&nbsp;Sabrina Burattini ,&nbsp;Fabrizio Frontalini ,&nbsp;Mar Santos-Simón ,&nbsp;Nicoletta Mancin","doi":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152135","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152135","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Littoral environments are highly productive systems that commonly face intense anthropogenic pressures. Polychaete sabellariid (Annelida) reef ecosystems play crucial roles in coastal environments by providing essential habitat, sustaining biodiversity, mitigating erosion and, thus, conveying valuable ecosystem services. Despite their ecological importance, these sedentary organisms and their physiological state are poorly studied, representing a real gap for assessing ecosystem health and resilience. This study aims at providing valuable baseline data by investigating size-related variations in antioxidant defense mechanisms and energy metabolism in the reef-building polychaete <em>Sabellaria spinulosa</em> (Leuckart, 1849). Specimens were collected from veneer-type bioconstructions growing along the northern Adriatic coast of Italy (Mediterranean Sea) during spring seasons in a two-year field survey. We analyzed key enzymatic biomarkers in adult specimens of <em>S. spinulosa</em> characterized by different sizes. Small-size individuals displayed higher activities of antioxidant enzymes (CAT, GPx, SOD, GSR, and GST) and pyruvate kinase (PK). Conversely, larger specimens exhibited elevated phosphofructokinase (PFK) activity, indicating a metabolism probably more prone to energy storage and stress resilience. The consistency of the observed enzymatic patterns across two sampling years highlights robust, size-dependent physiological differences in <em>S. spinulosa</em>. By establishing this clear physiological baseline, our findings underscore the suitability of this species as a sentinel for environmental monitoring. Its widespread distribution allows for large-scale comparative assessments, while its ecological tolerance enables the detection of the sub-lethal stress responses that are crucial for early-warning biomonitoring programs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50197,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology","volume":"593 ","pages":"Article 152135"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145110038","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multispecies approach shows high tolerance of temperate marine sponges to nitrogenous fertiliser","authors":"Gabriela Wood ,&nbsp;Rob McAllen ,&nbsp;Lisa Woods ,&nbsp;Alan C. Wood ,&nbsp;Luke Harman ,&nbsp;James J. Bell","doi":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152132","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152132","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Excessive use of nitrogen fertilisers increases crop yields but leads to nutrient run-off into coastal habitats causing harmful algal blooms (HABs) and eutrophication. The mechanisms by which organisms respond to nitrogen input are poorly understood in sessile filter feeders. Despite their ecological importance, there is a paucity of research on how marine sponges respond to fertiliser inputs. In this study, seven temperate marine sponge species from two oceans were exposed to fertiliser for 13 days (NE Atlantic Ocean: <em>Cliona celata</em>, <em>Stelligera stuposa</em>, <em>Axinella dissimilis</em>, and <em>Suberites carnosus</em>) and 10 days (SW Pacific Ocean: <em>Crella incrustans</em>, <em>Suberites australiensis</em>, and <em>Tethya bergquistae</em>). In both oceans, sponges were exposed to three locally relevant environmental treatments. In the NE Atlantic (Lough Hyne, Ireland), concentrations included ambient seawater without fertiliser, 4–6 mg L⁻¹ NO₃-N (286–426 μM NO₃), and 16–19 mg L⁻¹ NO₃-N (1143–1357 μM NO₃). In the SW Pacific (Wellington, Central New Zealand), concentrations included ambient seawater without fertiliser, 1 mg L⁻¹ NO₃-N (71 μM NO₃), and 5–7 mg L⁻¹ NO₃-N (357–500 μM NO₃). Sponges showed high survival rates (&gt;95 %) in both experiments and only one species, <em>Cliona celata</em>, showed evidence of health effects. Respiration rates in NE Atlantic sponges were variable, with no consistent patterns across species or treatments. In contrast, there were no differences in respiration rates between control and treatment sponges from the SW Pacific. Overall, our results show that temperate sponges have a high tolerance to fertiliser exposure, regardless of study site, which is consistent with studies of tropical sponge species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50197,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology","volume":"593 ","pages":"Article 152132"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145027809","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prey preferences and trophic relationships of sympatric Atlantic spotted (Stenella frontalis) and common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico","authors":"Michelle Caputo ,&nbsp;Lance Garrison ,&nbsp;Anthony Martinez ,&nbsp;Jeremy J. Kiszka","doi":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152141","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152141","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Investigating resource use and partitioning by sympatric marine predators is critical to elucidating their ecological role within communities and understanding their biological interactions with fisheries. Here we used stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis in skin tissue samples collected using remote biopsy sampling to assess the trophic interactions of the two most abundant small cetaceans in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico (GoMex): common bottlenose (<em>Tursiops truncatus</em>) and Atlantic spotted dolphins (<em>Stenella frontalis</em>). Results indicated that the isotopic niche of the two species overlaps significantly (97.6 %), but spatial variation of isotopic values was significant, with individuals sampled closer to shore exhibiting higher <em>δ</em>¹³C values. Bayesian mass-balance mixing models indicated that demersal piscivorous fish species had the highest relative contribution to the diet of both Atlantic spotted dolphins (50.8 ± 6.0 %) and bottlenose dolphins (41.5 ± 5.8 %). Lower trophic level demersal fish contributed the second most to the diet of both species (<em>S. frontalis</em> = 30.8 ± 10.1 %; <em>T. truncatus</em> = 37.6 ± 13.0 %). Despite the lack of other complementary diet data (e.g., stomach contents) that limits the interpretation of isotope data, this work improves our understanding of the trophic interactions of small cetaceans in the northeastern GoMex and their potential biological interaction with fisheries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50197,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology","volume":"593 ","pages":"Article 152141"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145474097","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Oyster drills Stramonita haemastoma use mechanical cues to make foraging decisions","authors":"Jonathan D. Mai ,&nbsp;Benjamin A. Belgrad ,&nbsp;Jessica Lunt ,&nbsp;Randi Cannon ,&nbsp;Jessica Hilliker ,&nbsp;Delbert L. Smee","doi":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152144","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152144","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To forage effectively, predators must overcome the defenses of their prey. Juvenile eastern oysters (<em>Crassostrea virginica</em>) respond to predator cues by developing harder shells, yet the extent to which these morphological changes influence predator foraging behavior remains unclear. We examined how exposure to predator cues affected the foraging decisions of the southern oyster drill (<em>Stramonita haemastoma</em>), a key predator and aquaculture pest. Oysters reared in the presence of blue crab (<em>Callinectes sapidus</em>) cues developed a more predator-resistant morphology, characterized by shells that were 19 % smaller and 26 % harder than controls. Although drills handled both control and predator-exposed oysters at similar rates, they successfully consumed control oysters twice as often. These results suggest that drills do not discriminate between oyster morphologies from a distance but instead rely on mechanical feedback during handling to guide their foraging choices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50197,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology","volume":"593 ","pages":"Article 152144"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145474096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}