Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Comparison of spatial overlap between the polychaetes Nereis virens and Nephtys caeca in two intertidal estuarine environments

  • Published:
Marine Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

An intensive study of spatial overlap between the polychaetes Nereis virens (Sars) and Nephtys caeca (Fabricius) was conducted in 1992 on two tidal sand flats, which differ by their exposure to dominant winds and residual currents in the Lower St. Lawrence Estuary (Québec, Canada). Results showed that spatial overlap (Lloyd's index and spatial distribution) was higher among adults of both species at the lower tidal elevation of l'Anse-à-l'Orignal (north-east oriented). Results also suggest weaker interspecific interactions among juveniles of both species because of limited spatial overlap. In Baie-du-Ha!Ha! (south-west oriented), spatial overlap was greater than that observed in l'Anse-à-l'Orignal and appeared important in adults as well as in juveniles. Levins' directional measure of competition indicated an asymmetric spatial overlap between N. virens and N. caeca in Baie-du-Ha!Ha! and a symmetric overlap in l'Anse-à-l'Orignal. The intraspecific encounter values, estimated from Lloyd's mathematical expression, were significantly higher than values of interspecific interactions only in l'Anse-à-l'Orignal. Moreover, no vertical stratification was found inside the sediment, with no effect of the densities and individual body weights of the polychaetes. Juveniles of both species mainly inhabited the organic-rich upper portion of the sediments (0 to 12 cm), while adults colonised greater depths (>25 cm) where organic matter content was lower. A complementary field experiment was conducted in 1993 to investigate interspecific interactions (predation and competition) existing between N. virens and N. caeca. Results from this experiment depend on which species was first-introduced and showed an important variation in mortality rates between allopatric and sympatric conditions. The influence of competition and predation on the structure of these populations is also discussed in relation to their spatial overlap.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abrams P (1980) Some comments on measuring niche overlap. Ecology 61(`): 44–49

    Google Scholar 

  • Abrams P (1983) The theory of limiting similarity. A Rev Ecol Syst 14: 359–376

    Google Scholar 

  • Ambrose WG Jr (1984a) Increased emigration of the amphipod Rheporynus abronius (Barnard) and the polychaete Nephtys caeca (Fabricius) in the presence of invertebrate predators. J exp mar Biol Ecol 80: 67–75

    Google Scholar 

  • Ambrose WG Jr (1984b) Influences of predatory polychaetes and epibenthic predators on the structure of a soft-bottom community in a Maine estuary. J exp mar Biol Ecol 81: 115–145

    Google Scholar 

  • Ambrose WG Jr (1986) Estimate of removal rate of Nereis virens (Polychaeta: nereidae) from an intertidal mudflat by gulls (Larus spp.). Mar Biol 90: 243–247

    Google Scholar 

  • Bellan G (1977) Contribution à l'étude des annélides polychètes de la province du Québec (Canada). 1. Les facteurs du milieu et leur influence. Tethys 4: 365–374

    Google Scholar 

  • Boucher L (1991) Dynamique de population du polychète Nephtys caeca dans la Baie Wilson, Parc du Bic. Master Thesis, Université du Québec à Rimouski

  • Bradley WH, Cooke P (1959) Living and ancient population of the clam Gemma gemma in a Maine coast tidal flat. Fish Bull, US 58: 305–334

    Google Scholar 

  • Branch GM (1984) Competition between marine organisms: ecological and volutionary implications. Oceanogr mar Biol A Rev 22: 429–593

    Google Scholar 

  • Caron A (1991) Variations à moyenne échelle des structures démographiques de deux annélides polychétes de la côte sud de l'estuaire maritime du St-Laurent, Québec. Master Thesis, Université du Québec à Rimouski

  • Caron A, Desrosiers G, Retière C, Hudier E (1993a) Comparaison démographique des populations de deux annélides polychètes selon l'orientation des baies dans l'estuaire du Saint-Laurent. Oceanol Acta 16(4): 403–412

    Google Scholar 

  • Caron A, Olivier M, Desrosiers G, Hudier E, Côté E, Koutitonsky V, Miron G, Retière C (1993b) Distribution spatiale d'une espèce benthique épitoque en zone intertidala: Rôle de l'hydrodynamisme? Vie Milieu 43(2–3): 85–93

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark RB (1962) Observations on the food of Nephtys. Limnol Oceanogr 7: 380–385

    Google Scholar 

  • Colwell RK, Futuyama DJ (1971) On the measurement of niche breadth and overlap. Ecology 52: 567–576

    Google Scholar 

  • Commito JA (1982) Importance of predation by infaunal polychaetes in controlling the structure of a soft-bottom community in Maine, USA. Mar Biol 68: 77–81

    Google Scholar 

  • Commito JA, Ambrose WG Jr (1985) Predatory infauna and trophic complexity in solt-bottom communities. In: Gibbs PE (ed) Proceedings of the 19th European marine biology symposium. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England, pp 323–333

    Google Scholar 

  • Commito JA, Sharder PB (1985) Benthic community responses to experimental additions of the polychaete Nereis virens. Mar Biol 86: 101–107

    Google Scholar 

  • Connell JH (1961) Effects of competition, predation by Thais lapillus, and other factors on natural populations of the barnacle Balanus balanoides. Ecol Monogr 31: 61–104

    Google Scholar 

  • Connell JH (1980) Diversity and the coevolution of competitors or the ghost of competition past. Oikos 35: 131–138

    Google Scholar 

  • Copeland M, Wieman HL (1924) The chemical sense and feeding behavior of Nereis virens Sars. Biol Bull mar biol Lab, Woods Hole 47: 231–238

    Google Scholar 

  • Côté S (1991) Modélisation numérique de la circulation et identification des mécanismes de transport de l'Anse-à-l'Orignal. Master Thesis, Université du Québec à Rimouski

  • Croker RA (1967) Niche diversity in five sympatric species in intertidal amphipods (Crustaceans: Haustoriidae). Ecol Monogr 37: 173–200

    Google Scholar 

  • Davey JT, George CL (1986) Factors in the distribution of intertidal, estuarine polychaetes: a field experiment with Nereis (Hedistes) diversicolor and Nephtys caeca in the Tamar at Plymouth. Estuar cstl Shelf Sci 22: 603–618

    Google Scholar 

  • Desrosiers G, Brêthes JCF (1984) Étude bionomique de la communauté à Macoma balthica de la batture de Rimouski. Sciences Techqs Eau (Montréal) 17(1): 25–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Desrosiers G, Olivier M, Caron A, Vincent B, Koutitonsky V, Côté S (1992) Distribution spatiale des recrues de l'annélide polychète Nereis virens dans deux baies d'orientation différente. Données préliminaires et intérêt des travaux expérimentaux. Colloque. Programme National sur le déterminisme du recrutement (PNDR), Informations 12–13: 21–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Desrosiers G, Olivier M, Vincent B (1991) Variations de la densité et de la croissance des recrues de l'annélide polychète Nereis virens Sars en zone intertidale. Can J Zool 69: 560–566

    Google Scholar 

  • Desrosiers G, Vincent B, Retière C, Boucher L (1988) Comparaison de critères utilisables pour l'étude de la structure des populations du polychaete Nereis virens (Sars). Can J Zool 66: 1454–1459

    Google Scholar 

  • Dionne JC (1977) La mer de Goldthwait au Québec. Géographic phys Quatern (Univ Montréal) 31: 61–80

    Google Scholar 

  • El-Sabh MI (1988) Physical oceanography of the St. Lawrence estuary. Vol. 2. In: Kjerfve B (ed) Hydrodynamics of estuaries. CRC Press Inc, Boca Raton, Fla., pp 61–78

    Google Scholar 

  • Fauchald K, Jumars PA (1979) The diet of worms: a study of polychaete feeding guilds. Oceanogr mar Biol A Rev 17: 193–284

    Google Scholar 

  • Gause GF (1934) The struggle for existence. William & Wilkins, Baltimore, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibbs PE, Bryan GW (1984) Calcium phosphate granules in muscle cells of Nephtys (Annelida: Polychaeta): a novel skeleton? Nature, Lond 310: 494–495

    Google Scholar 

  • Grinnell J (1917) The niche relationships of the California thrasher. Auk 34: 427–433

    Google Scholar 

  • Hairston NG (1951) Interspecific competition and its probable influence upon the vertical distribution of appalachian salamanders of the genus Plethodon. Ecology 32: 266–274

    Google Scholar 

  • Hairston NG, Smith FE, Slobodkin LB (1960) Community structure, population control, and competition. Am Nat 94: 421–425

    Google Scholar 

  • Harrison SJ, Phizacklea AP (1980) Temperature in the intertidal zone. Bibliography and notes. Intertidal microclimate research project. Report No 1. University of Stirling, Stirling, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartmann-Schröder G (1971) Die Tierwelt Deutschlands und des angrenzenden Meeresteile nach ihren Merkmalen und nach ihren Lebensweisen. 58. Annelida, Borstenwürmer, Polychaeta. VEB Gustav Fischer, Jena

    Google Scholar 

  • Harvey M, Vincent B (1989) Spatial and temporal variations of the reproduction cycle and energy allocation of the bivalve Macoma balthica (L.) on a tidal flat. J exp mar Biol Ecol 129: 139–217

    Google Scholar 

  • Heck KL (1976) Some critical considerations of the theory of species packing. Evolutionary Theory 1: 247–258

    Google Scholar 

  • Hespenheide H (1973) Ecological inferences from morphological data. A Rev Ecol Syst 4: 213–230

    Google Scholar 

  • Hill C, Elmgren R (1987) Vertical distribution in the sediment in the co-occurring benthic amphipods Pontoporeia affinis and P. femorata. Oikos 49: 221–229

    Google Scholar 

  • Hurlbert SH (1978) The measurement of niche overlap and some relatives. Ecology 59(1): 67–77

    Google Scholar 

  • Hutchinson GE (1959) Homage to Santa Rosalia, or why are there so many kinds of animals? Am Nat 93: 145–159

    Google Scholar 

  • Kristensen E (1988) Factors influencing the distribution of nereid polychaetes in Danish coastal waters. Ophelia 29(2): 127–140

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawlor LR (1980) Overlap, similarity and competition coefficient. Ecology 61(2): 245–251

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawlor LR, Maynard Smith J (1976) The coevolution and stability of competing species. Am Nat 110: 79–99

    Google Scholar 

  • Levins R (1967) Evolution in changing environments: some theoretical explanations. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey

    Google Scholar 

  • Lloyd M (1967) “Mean crowding”. J Anim Ecol 36: 1–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Lopez G, Elmgren R (1989) Feedings depths and organic absorption for the deposit-feeding benthic amphipods Pontoporeia affinis and P. femorata. Limnol Oceanogr 35(6): 982–991

    Google Scholar 

  • MacArthur RH (1960) On the relative abundance of species. Am Nat 94: 25–36

    Google Scholar 

  • MacArthur RH, Levins R (1967) The limiting similarity, convergence and divergence of coexisting species. Am Nat 101: 377–385

    Google Scholar 

  • Mangum CP (1962) Studies on speciation in maldanid polychaetes of the North American coast. II. Distribution and competitive interactions of five sympatric species. Limnol Oceanogr 9: 12–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Michaud G, Ferron J (1990) Sélection des proies par quatre espèces d'oiseaux limicoles (Charadrii) de passage dans l'estuaire du St-Laurent lors de la migration vers le sud. Can J Zool 68: 1154–1152

    Google Scholar 

  • Miron G (1988) Distributions et variations intra-populations de trois espèces de polychètes de la baie de l'Anse-à-l'Orignal, Parc du Bic, Rimouski. Master Thesis, Université du Québec à Rimouski

  • Miron G, Desrosiers GL (1990) Distributions and population structures of two estuarine polychaetes in the Lower St. Lawrence Estuary, with special reference to environmental factors. Mar Biol 105: 297–306

    Google Scholar 

  • Miron G, Desrosiers G, Retière C, Lambert R (1991a) Évolution spatio-temporelle du réseau de galeries chez le polychète Nereis virens (Sars) en relation avec la densité. Can J Zool 69: 39–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Miron G, Desrosiers G, Retière C, Lambert R (1991b) Dispersion and prospecting behaviour of the polychaete Nereis virens (Sars) as a function of density, J exp mar Biol Ecol 145: 65–77

    Google Scholar 

  • Miron G, Desrosiers G, Retière C (1992) Organization of fighting in the polychaete Nereis virens (Sars) and the effect of residency and orientation. Behaviour 121 (1–2): 20–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Odum EP (1959) Fundamentals of ecology. 2nd edn. Saunders, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  • Olive PJW (1977) The life history and population structure of the polychaetes Nephtys caeca and N. hombergii with special reference to the growth rings of the teeth. J mar biol Ass UK 57: 133–150

    Google Scholar 

  • Olive PJW, Morgan PJ (1983) A survey of the age structure of beach populations of Nephtys spp. in the British Isles. Actes 17ième Symposium Européen de Biologie Marine, Brest, France, 27 Sept Oct 1982. The basis of population fluctuations. Oceanol Acta (Spec Issue): 141–145

  • Olivier M, Desrosiers G, Retière C, Brêthes JC (1993) Variations spatio-temporelles de l'alimentation du polychète Nereis virens (Sars) en zone intertidale (Estuaire maritime du St-Laurent, Québec). Vie Milieu 43(1): 1–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Peterson CH (1977) Competitive organization of the soft-bottom macrobenthic communities of southern California lagoons. Mar Biol 43: 343–359

    Google Scholar 

  • Peterson CH, André SV (1980) An experimental analysis of interspecific competition among marine filter feeders in a soft sediment environment. Ecology 61(1): 129–139

    Google Scholar 

  • Pianka ER (1973) The structure of lizard communities. A Rev Ecol Syst 4: 53–74

    Google Scholar 

  • Pianka ER (1978) Evolutionary ecology. 2nd edn. Harper & Row, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Rathke BJ (1976) Competition and coexistence within a guild of herbivorous insects. Ecology 57: 76–87

    Google Scholar 

  • Reid AB, Reid A (1969) Feeding processes of members of the genus Macoma (Mollusca: Bivalvia). Can J Zool 47: 644–657

    Google Scholar 

  • Rivière A (1977) Méthodes granulométriques: techniques et interprétations. Masson, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanders HL, Goudsmit EM, Mills EL, Hampson GR (1962) A study of the intertidal fauna of Barnstable Harbour, Massachusetts. Limnol Oceanogr 7: 63–79

    Google Scholar 

  • Scherrer B (1984) Biostatistique. Gaetan Morin éditeur Itée. Québec, Canada

    Google Scholar 

  • Schoener TW (1970) Non-synchronous spatial overlap of lizards in patchy environments. Ecology 51: 408–418

    Google Scholar 

  • Schoener TW (1974) Some methods for calculating competition coefficients from resource utilization spectra. Am Nat 108: 332–340

    Google Scholar 

  • Simpson EH (1949) Measurement of diversity. Nature, Lond 163: p 668

    Google Scholar 

  • Tamaki A (1933) Characteristics of species interactions of macrobenthos in tidal flats: a summary with a perspective. In: DeAngelis DL, Teramoto E, Neergaard DA (eds) Proceedings of a joint US—Japan seminar in the environmental sciences, April 24–30, 1988, East-West Centre, Honolulu, Hawaii. Oak Ridge National Library, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

    Google Scholar 

  • Therriault JC, Levasseur M (1985) Control of phytoplankton production in the lower St. Lawrence estuary: light and freshwater runoff. Naturaliste can 112: 77–96

    Google Scholar 

  • Vaillancourt R (1982) Contribution à l'étude biologique de la population de plies rouges Pseudopleuronectes americanus (Walbaum), de la région de Saint-Fabien-sur-mer, Québec. Master Thesis, Université du Québec à Rimouski

  • Vassallo MT (1971) The ecology of Macoma inconspicua (Broderip and Sowerby, 1829) in central San Francisco Bay. Part II. Stratification of the Macoma community within the substrate. Veliger 13: 279–284

    Google Scholar 

  • Vermeij GL (1972) Intraspecific shore-level size gradients in intertidal molluscs. Ecology 53(4): 696–700

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitlatch RB (1980) Animal-sediment relationship in intertidal marine benthic habitats: some determinants of deposit-feeding species diversity. J exp mar Biol Ecol 53: 31–45

    Google Scholar 

  • Whittaker RH, Levin SA, Root RB (1973) Niche, habitat, and ecotope. Am Nat 107: 321–338

    Google Scholar 

  • Wissinger SA (1992) Niche overlap and the potential for competition and intraguild predation between size-structured populations. Ecology 73: 1431–1444

    Google Scholar 

  • Zar JH (1984) Biostatistical analysis. 2nd edn. Prentice-Hall, Engle-wood Cliffs, New Jersey

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre Océanographique de Rimouski, Départment d'Océanographie, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 310 Allée des Ursulines, G5L 3A1, Rimouski, Québec, Canada

    A. Caron & G. Desrosiers

  2. GIROQ, Départment de Biologie, Pavillon Alexandre-Vachon, Université Laval, G1K 7P4, Ste-Foy, Québec, Canada

    G. Miron

  3. Laboratoire maritime, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 17 avenue George V, BP 28, F-35801, Dinard, France

    C. Retière

Authors
  1. A. Caron
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. G. Desrosiers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. G. Miron
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. C. Retière
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Communicated by R.J. Thompson, ST. John's

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Caron, A., Desrosiers, G., Miron, G. et al. Comparison of spatial overlap between the polychaetes Nereis virens and Nephtys caeca in two intertidal estuarine environments. Marine Biology 124, 537–550 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00351035

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00351035

Keywords

Search

Navigation