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waders and their estuarine food supplies - Vlaams Instituut voor de ...

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Nereis<br />

Arenicola<br />

tipuia<br />

earthwo'm<br />

Mya<br />

Macoma<br />

Scrobicularia<br />

Cerasto<strong>de</strong>rma<br />

Mytilus<br />

Anadara<br />

Uca<br />

PREY PROFITABILITY AND INTAKE RATE<br />

soil<br />

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40<br />

profitability (mgs-' h<strong>and</strong>ling)<br />

Fig. 9. Coinparaiive profitabilities rf diltercni prev species, calcu­<br />

lated as a relative <strong>de</strong>viation from the relationship between prof­<br />

itability <strong>and</strong> prey weighl (Fig. 8. using a common slope buldilferent<br />

intercepts l"t armoured <strong>and</strong> soft-bodied prey l<strong>and</strong> then st<strong>and</strong>ardized<br />

for a prey of 200 mg. According to a one-wa) analysis ..| variance,<br />

Ihe st<strong>and</strong>ardized proliiahihlies difler signilicanlly between Ihe<br />

species <strong>and</strong> categories concerned (R : = 0.87. p < 0.001. n = 41X1)<br />

The values are extrapolations lor some small prey always weighing<br />

less than 21X1 mg.<br />

Of these prey, hammered bivalves were less profitable<br />

(4-6 mg s ') than those which were stabbed (6-8 mg<br />

Faking the ratio shell weight to llesh weight as a<br />

measure of the amount of armour, profitability was directly<br />

related to prey armour (Fig. 10): clearly, it was<br />

least for the most heavily armoured prey.<br />

Figures 2-10 show ihe lime actually laken to h<strong>and</strong>le<br />

prey <strong>and</strong> so ignores ihc waste h<strong>and</strong>ling time spent on<br />

rejected prey. If waste h<strong>and</strong>ling times due to prey being<br />

rejected or stolen prey were inclu<strong>de</strong>d, the graph for<br />

the soft-bodied prey in Figs. 8 <strong>and</strong> 9 would not change<br />

much because few prey were iel used <strong>and</strong> waste h<strong>and</strong>ling<br />

time was very short (Ens et ul. 1996a). In conirasi.<br />

waste h<strong>and</strong>ling limes had a significant effect on<br />

piev profitability in armoured prey, such as Mussels<br />

189<br />

hammered on the dorsal or ventral si<strong>de</strong> tMeire .V<br />

Ervynck 1986, Cayford & Goss-Custard 1990. Ens &<br />

Ailing 1996a. Meire 1996c). As a consequence, the<br />

difference in profitability between soft-bodied, <strong>and</strong> armoured<br />

prey at the surface is even larger than shown.<br />

In conclusion, prey weight varies by a factOI of<br />

1000 whereas, over this range, h<strong>and</strong>ling time increases<br />

only about 100 times. The relationship between h<strong>and</strong>ling<br />

time <strong>and</strong> prey weight is different for the various<br />

prey species. It takes 4.4 times more time to prepare<br />

<strong>and</strong> consume the flesh of armoured prey compared<br />

with a soft-bodied prey of a similar energy value.<br />

Among the armoured prey, surface prey take more<br />

time to h<strong>and</strong>le than burying species. The h<strong>and</strong>ling time<br />

of burying prey increases, however, if they arc laken<br />

from <strong>de</strong>ep beneath the surface.<br />

Intake rate <strong>and</strong> prey weight<br />

If the time taken lo search for prey is negligible, the iniake<br />

rate during feeding is equal to the prey profitability,<br />

the iniake rale as the prey is being h<strong>and</strong>led. The<br />

profitability of the prey thus sets the upper limit (0 in-<br />

•10<br />

35<br />

• Ne/M<br />

V/.'js *8jm<br />

5 10 15<br />

armature (shell/flesh weight)<br />

rnCyl=3.328-0 I06»<br />

riMiManHianiiiMi<br />

rVadantSa ••<br />

Fig. III. Profitability as a function ol ihe annum in<strong>de</strong>x in prey con­<br />

taining 2(H) mg llesh. The corresponding shell length of ihe bivalves<br />

is unhealed The fitted curve is highly significant (r = -0.91, p =<br />

0.00031. Profitability ol the ditleieni pie) Species KM st<strong>and</strong>ardized<br />

for a prey of 2IX) mg (see Fig ll. Armature in<strong>de</strong>x is <strong>de</strong>fined as the<br />

ratio shell to flesh weighl for the size classes concerned Shell<br />

weights from Wolff el al. ' 1987), /"wans & Women | I9°2i. llesh<br />

weights from Zwarts 11991) <strong>and</strong> Zwarts & Wanink (I'W).<br />

20

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