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Movement of whelks (Buccinum undatum) towards a baited trap

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Abstract

The movement of whelks, Buccinum undatum L., towards a food source was examined by releasing a large number of tagged individuals at 6 distances in each of four directions from a baited trap and recording their recovery in the trap. Eight such experiments were performed under a variety of conditions. The peak recapture of individuals released downstream at 2, 5, 10, 18, and 30 m from a baited trap was at 6 h, 6 h, 1 d, 2 d and 3 d, respectively. The area of attraction of a trap, the surface over which the whelks perceive and are drawn towards the bait, is usually irregularly shaped and determined mainly by current direction. In strong directional current it is elongated in the direction of the current and its size is much reduced. The area of attraction is also less at 20 m than at 10 m in depth. The size of the area of attraction varies seasonally due to behavioural changes probably associated with temperature and the whelk's reproduction. Isopleths of 25% capture of tagged whelks usually expand and become more rounded with time, probably reflecting the entry of whelks from outside the area of attraction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Département de biologie et GIROQ (Groupe interuniversitaire de recherches océanographiques du Québec), Université Laval, G1K 7P4, Québec, Canada

    J. H. Himmelman

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  1. J. H. Himmelman
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Communicated by R. W. Doyle, Halifax

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Himmelman, J.H. Movement of whelks (Buccinum undatum) towards a baited trap. Marine Biology 97, 521–531 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00391048

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00391048

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