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Life at Interfaces and Under Extreme Conditions pp 43–55Cite as

Preying at the edge of the sea: the nemertine Tetrastemma melanocephalum and its amphipod prey on high intertidal sandflats

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Part of the book series: Developments in Hydrobiology ((DIHY,volume 151))

Abstract

In the European Wadden Sea, the nemertine Tetrastemma melanocephalum occurs together with its prey, the amphipod Corophium arenarium, in the upper intertidal zone. T. melanocephalum leaves the sediment when the tide has receded and captures C. arenarium in its U-shaped burrow. Highest abundances of T. melanocephalum on the sediment surface were found on summer evenings, 2-4 h after high tide, when just a thin film of water was left on the flats. Laboratory Y-maze experiments indicated that gradients of substances produced by C. arenarium in this film of water play a role in tracking the prey. In the field, T. melanocephalum appeared in significantly higher numbers on experimental high density patches of C. arenarium. The amphipod in turn is able to recognize the nemertine. In aquarium experiments, significantly more amphipods escaped from the sediment into the water column when the predator was present. In the field, both predator and prey showed a high mobility by drifting in tidal waters. Benthic abundance maxima of T. melanocephalum and C. arenarium usually did not coincide spatially. It is assumed that the nemertines avoid tidal flats that dry out quickly leaving too little time for prey capture. T. melanocephalum is not able to dig into the sediment, but lives in burrows of Nereis diversicolor. The abundance of this polychaete was inversely related to C. arenarium, presenting a dilemma for T. melanocephalum: the spatial overlap of food and accommodation was rather small.

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  1. Wadden Sea Station Sylt, Alfred Wegener Institute Foundation for Polar and Marine Research, Hafenstr. 43, D-25992, List/Sylt, Germany

    Inken Kruse

  2. Zoologisches Institut, Arbeitsgruppe Marine Ökologie und Systematik, Universität Kiel, Olshausenstr. 40-60, D-24118, Kiel, Germany

    Frank Buhs

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  1. Inken Kruse
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Kruse, I., Buhs, F. (2000). Preying at the edge of the sea: the nemertine Tetrastemma melanocephalum and its amphipod prey on high intertidal sandflats. In: Liebezeit, G., Dittmann, S., Kröncke, I. (eds) Life at Interfaces and Under Extreme Conditions. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 151. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4148-2_4

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