Predation of Sea Scallops, Placopecten magellanicus, by the Rock Crab, Cancer irroratus, and the American Lobster, Homarus americanus
- 1 May 1979
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Canadian Science Publishing in Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada
- Vol. 36 (5) , 537-543
- https://doi.org/10.1139/f79-077
Abstract
Various predation techniques used by rock crabs, C. irroratus, and American lobsters, H. americanus, to open sea scallop, P. magellanicus, prey are reported. Adult rock crabs and lobsters successfully fed on sea scallops up to 72 and 76 mm in height, respectively. Juvenile lobsters were capable of preying on scallops whose height exceeded their own carapace length. Daily predation rates on a range of scallop sizes by various sizes of predator were obtained. Given a choice, both rock crabs and lobsters showed distinct and constant preferences for certain size scallops. This preferred prey size increased with predator size. These laboratory studies demonstrated that both rock crabs and lobsters are potential scallop predators.This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit:
- Distance Chemoreception and Vision in the Selection of Prey by American Lobster (Homarus americanus)Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada, 1978
- Changing lobster abundance and the destruction of kelp beds by sea urchinsMarine Biology, 1976