Body condition and energy content of the shore crab Carcinus maenas L. in a temperate coastal system: the cost of barnacle epibiosis
Campos, J.; Ribas, F.; Bio, A.; Freitas, V.; Souza, A.T.; van der Veer, H.W. (2022). Body condition and energy content of the shore crab Carcinus maenas L. in a temperate coastal system: the cost of barnacle epibiosis. Biofouling (Print) 32(8): 764-777. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08927014.2022.2130269
In: Biofouling. Taylor & Francis: Chur; New York. ISSN 0892-7014; e-ISSN 1029-2454, more
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| Keywords |
Balanus crenatus Bruguière, 1789 [WoRMS]; Carcinus maenas (Linnaeus, 1758) [WoRMS]
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| Author keywords |
Carcinus maenas; fouling; energy density; fitness; Balanus crenatus; Wadden Sea |
| Authors | | Top |
- Campos, J.
- Ribas, F.
- Bio, A.
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- Freitas, V.
- Souza, A.T.
- van der Veer, H.W., more
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| Abstract |
The impact of barnacle epibionts on the condition of the shore crab Carcinus maenas was studied for the western Wadden Sea population. Approximately 39% of the crabs were fouled with the barnacle Balanus crenatus. Although the morphological Fulton’s K condition decreased by 5.8% in fouled crabs, Linear Mixed-Effects Models (LMM) showed that only the energetic condition of the crabs was significantly affected by fouling. The energy density of fouled crabs was consistently poorer (4.1% in AFDW; 8.7% in dry weight) than that of non-fouled crabs, especially in females and green forms in dry weight (12.8% and 11.4% reduction, respectively). Cumulative infection with Sacculina carcini, detected in 4.5% of the fouled crabs, additionally reduced by 14.3% the energy density in dry weight and almost to half of the total energy of the fouled crabs. Impacts of energy density reduction on crabs’ growth and reproduction are discussed.
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