Unexpected meal: first record of predation upon a potentially neurotoxic sea slug by the European green crab Carcinus maenas. Issue 2 (3rd April 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Battini, Nicolás; Bravo, Gonzalo
• Is Part Of: New Zealand journal of zoology. Volume 48:Issue 2(2021)
• Page Start: 166
• Page End: 173
• Publication Date: 2021-04-03
• Subjects: Carcinus maenas -- Pleurobranchaea maculata -- predator-prey interactions -- invasive species -- sea slug -- chemical defenses -- scientific diving‌; Animals -- New Zealand -- Periodicals; Zoology -- New Zealand -- Periodicals; Zoology -- Periodicals; Zoologie -- Nouvelle-Zélande -- Périodiques; Zoologie -- Pacifique, Région du -- Périodiques; Zoologie -- Antarctique -- Périodiques; Insectes -- Classification -- Périodiques; Espèces introduites -- Périodiques; 590.99305
• DOI: 10.1080/03014223.2020.1848889
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1175-8821

Abstract

ABSTRACT: An unexpected predator-prey interaction is reported between two successful invasive species in Patagonia, the European green crab Carcinus maenas (Linnaeus, 1758) and the potentially neurotoxic grey side-gilled sea slug Pleurobranchaea maculata (Quoy & Gaimard, 1832). On two different occasions, a total of four crabs were observed preying upon the sea slugs in the field. The establishment of a novel predator-prey interaction between these species can imply significant effects on their potential spread and invasive success along the South Western Atlantic, as well as it provides a noteworthy contribution towards the knowledge of the currently underexplored question related to what eats the sea slugs.