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The role of Asterina stellifera (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) as a predator in a rocky intertidal community in southern Brazil
Calil, Patrícia; M. da Rocha, Rosana; A. Freire, Carolina; J. Roper, James.
Afiliação
  • Calil, Patrícia; Universidade Federal do Paraná Departamento de Zoologia.
  • M. da Rocha, Rosana; Universidade Federal do Paraná Departamento de Zoologia.
  • A. Freire, Carolina; Universidade Federal do Paraná Departamento de Fisiologia.
  • J. Roper, James; Universidade Federal do Paraná Setor de Ciências Biológicas Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação.
Article em En | VETINDEX | ID: vti-690017
Biblioteca responsável: BR68.1
ABSTRACT
Populations of Asterina stellifera Möbius, 1859 are declining in southern Brazil and today the species is on the Brazilian list of endangered species. Here we experimentally investigate the ecological role played by A. stellifera as a predator on the rocky substrate community by increasing densities of this species. Starfish taken from other, nearby, locations were added to three replicate plots and their density was maintained every 15 days. None of the total of 32 species that were identified in the encrusting community appeared to be influenced by the experiment. Two species, the barnacle Chthamalus bisinuatus Pilsbry, 1916 and the algae Gracilaria verrucosa (Hudson), showed small apparent responses to predation. We found that A. stellifera only exerts weak predation pressure on the community, even at high densities. This result is strikingly different from that observed for similar species in the northern hemisphere and in Australia.
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Texto completo: 1 Base de dados: VETINDEX Idioma: En Revista: Zoologia (Curitiba) Ano de publicação: 2009 Tipo de documento: Article
Texto completo: 1 Base de dados: VETINDEX Idioma: En Revista: Zoologia (Curitiba) Ano de publicação: 2009 Tipo de documento: Article