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Planktonic ingress of fiddler crab megalopae to the Newport River Estuary, NC: Evidence for semilunar periodicity in Uca pugnax and species-specific sampling bias by hog's hair larval collectors

Publication ,  Journal Article
Reinsel, KA; Welch, JM; Romero, AO; Parks, EM; McQueen, KM; Smith, MJ; Price, AL; Clark, HR; Zmina, SE; Williams, CA; Forward, RB
Published in: Marine Ecology Progress Series
March 16, 2015

We examined the planktonic ingress of fiddler crab megalopae into the Newport River Estuary, NC, using hog's hair collectors to determine whether there were differences in patterns of ingress among the 3 Uca species in this estuary. In 2 consecutive summers, we documented peaks in settlement of fiddler crab megalopae onto passive larval collectors at the quarter moons (neap tides), corresponding with longer durations of flood tides during darkness. However, molecular identifications revealed that over 80% of the megalopae settling on collectors were U. pugnax, even though there are millions of U. pugilator on sandflats within 1 km of the collection site and U. minax are common in the estuary. Plankton net samples taken on the same nights as collector settlement confirmed that megalopae of all 3 Uca species are common in the plankton. The proportions of species in the plankton and settling on collectors were significantly different. These differences may reflect species-specific differences in thigmotactic behavior, or may indicate differences in times of transport within a tide, since collectors reflect settlement at the end of rising tide while plankton nets sample the abundance at the time of maximum flood tide current. Thus, hog's hair collectors may not be an unbiased sampling method for fiddler crab megalopae.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Marine Ecology Progress Series

DOI

EISSN

1616-1599

ISSN

0171-8630

Publication Date

March 16, 2015

Volume

523

Start / End Page

105 / 113

Related Subject Headings

  • Marine Biology & Hydrobiology
  • 4102 Ecological applications
  • 3109 Zoology
  • 3103 Ecology
  • 0608 Zoology
  • 0602 Ecology
  • 0405 Oceanography
 

Citation

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Reinsel, K. A., Welch, J. M., Romero, A. O., Parks, E. M., McQueen, K. M., Smith, M. J., … Forward, R. B. (2015). Planktonic ingress of fiddler crab megalopae to the Newport River Estuary, NC: Evidence for semilunar periodicity in Uca pugnax and species-specific sampling bias by hog's hair larval collectors. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 523, 105–113. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps11194
Reinsel, K. A., J. M. Welch, A. O. Romero, E. M. Parks, K. M. McQueen, M. J. Smith, A. L. Price, et al. “Planktonic ingress of fiddler crab megalopae to the Newport River Estuary, NC: Evidence for semilunar periodicity in Uca pugnax and species-specific sampling bias by hog's hair larval collectors.” Marine Ecology Progress Series 523 (March 16, 2015): 105–13. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps11194.
Reinsel KA, Welch JM, Romero AO, Parks EM, McQueen KM, Smith MJ, et al. Planktonic ingress of fiddler crab megalopae to the Newport River Estuary, NC: Evidence for semilunar periodicity in Uca pugnax and species-specific sampling bias by hog's hair larval collectors. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 2015 Mar 16;523:105–13.
Reinsel KA, Welch JM, Romero AO, Parks EM, McQueen KM, Smith MJ, Price AL, Clark HR, Zmina SE, Williams CA, Forward RB. Planktonic ingress of fiddler crab megalopae to the Newport River Estuary, NC: Evidence for semilunar periodicity in Uca pugnax and species-specific sampling bias by hog's hair larval collectors. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 2015 Mar 16;523:105–113.
Journal cover image

Published In

Marine Ecology Progress Series

DOI

EISSN

1616-1599

ISSN

0171-8630

Publication Date

March 16, 2015

Volume

523

Start / End Page

105 / 113

Related Subject Headings

  • Marine Biology & Hydrobiology
  • 4102 Ecological applications
  • 3109 Zoology
  • 3103 Ecology
  • 0608 Zoology
  • 0602 Ecology
  • 0405 Oceanography