Publication Title

Aquaculture

Document Type

Article

Department or Program

Biology

Publication Date

5-15-2019

Abstract

Predation, especially by crabs, is a common source of mortality for natural and farmed populations of intertidal clams. Consumption of juvenile “seed clams” forces aquaculturists to try to exclude predators and/or raise juveniles in hatcheries until they can reach a size refuge. We ran a variety of lab experiments assessing vulnerabilities of juvenile clams to small, common shore crabs (Hemigrapsus spp.). Crabs“seed”, and can readily crush even larger softshell Mya clams. We suggest that using netting to prevent consumption by shore crabs is not practical given that smaller individuals can fit through mesh openings. Raising seed in hatcheries until they are 10–15 mm will provide a size refuge from shore crabs, but not larger cancrid crabs. Farming on beaches with little habitat (e.g., cobbles) for shore crabs can likely reduce juvenile clam mortality. A better understanding of predation threats to commercially important clams is critical, especially as the invasion of the green crab Carcinus to Washington shorelines further threatens survival of juvenile clams.

Comments

Original version is available from the publisher at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2019.03.070

Copyright Note

This is the author's version of the work. This publication appears in Bates College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.

Required Publisher's Statement

© 2019. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

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