Interspecific competition for shelters in territorial and gregarious intertidal grazers: consequences for individual behaviour.

ABSTRACT: Experiments have shown that interspecific interactions within consumer guilds can alter patterns of distribution, abundance and size of species. Plastic behavioural responses can be modulated by agonistic interactions. In many cases, consumers compete for space and shelters, and these interactions change the manner in which they exploit food. This study investigates the consequences of competition in the spatial and temporal organization of behaviour of intertidal grazers, which share algal resources and the use of rock crevices while resting, but exhibit different body sizes, spatial behaviour and foraging modes. We evaluate interaction strength between small gregarious Siphonaria lessoni and the larger territorial keyhole limpet Fissurella crassa and between S. lessoni and the medium-siz

SUBMITTER: Aguilera MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3458018 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature