| one publication added to basket [21346] | Burying depth of the benthic bivalve Scrobicularia plana (da Costa) in relation to siphon-cropping
Zwarts, L. (1986). Burying depth of the benthic bivalve Scrobicularia plana (da Costa) in relation to siphon-cropping. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 101: 25-39
In: Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. Elsevier: New York. ISSN 0022-0981; e-ISSN 1879-1697, more
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| Abstract |
A field experiment tested the hypothesis that siphon-cropping influences the burying depth of the benthic tellinid Scrobicularia plana (da Costa). Heavy cropping of the siphon reduced the body weight, whereas the loss of < 10 mg of the siphon had no discernible effect on the condition of the animals. When a Scrobicularia with a short siphon reduces its depth, it enlarges its feeding opportunity (radius around the burrow for deposit-feeding), but also increases the risk of being eaten by a predator. A short siphon alone does not force Scrobicularia to abandon the refuge provided by depth; only animals also in a poor body condition expose themselves to a larger predation risk. Siphon-croping reduces the burying depth and makes the bivalves more accessible for wading birds like oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus L.). |
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