Food selection and consumption of the shrimp Crangon crangon in some shallow marine areas in western Sweden

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Abstract
C. crangon L. is the dominant mobile epibenthic species in shallow waters of western Sweden. Seasonal food selection and diel food intake are reported and consumption of C. crangon is quantified for 4 different areas with different substrate and exposure. The main food items for small-sized C. crangon were meiofauna, mainly ostracods and harpacticoids. Mid-sized and large shrimp preferred macrofauna such as Mya arenaria, Cardium edule, Nereis spp. and Corophium volutator. In some years mobile epibenthos, such as Carcinus maenas, Crangon crangon and mysids, were also eaten. Main feeding was during darkness with peaks around dawn and dusk. In summer an additional midday peak was found. Evacuation rate had a negative linear relationship with time; on average the food left the stomach within 2 h. Mean diel food intake in June and Sept. was estimated to be 12.1% of body wet weight. Total consumption during the ice-free period (April-Dec.) was estimated to range between 3.7 and 14.8 g ash-free dry wt m-2 in the 4 areas, giving a mean food conversion [P/C, production/consumption] of about 19%. In 1 area, C. crangon annually consumed 10-21% of the production of Nereis spp., 25-97% of that of Corophium volutator, and 2-68% of the combined production of the bivalves M. arenaria and Cardium edule. Crangon crangon thus is one of the major benthos carnivores in these shallow areas and exerts a major impact on the infaunal community.