Effects of Feeding Pit Formation by Rays on an Intertidal Meiobenthic Community

• Published in: Estuarine, coastal and shelf science Vol. 51; no. 3; pp. 293 - 298
• Main Authors: Cross, R.E., Curran, M.C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2000; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Brackish water ecosystems; disturbance; feeding; fish; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Marine; meiobenthos; South Carolina; Synecology; United States; North America; South Carolina; America; disturbance; meiobenthos; South Carolina; fish; feeding; Meiofauna; Brackish water environment; Estuaries; Environmental factor; Zoobenthos; Sediments; Spatial variation; Bioturbation; Vertebrata; Intertidal zone; Animal community; Pisces; Chondrichthyes; Invertebrata; Ecological abundance
• ISSN: 0272-7714; 1096-0015
• DOI: 10.1006/ecss.2000.0682

The purpose of this study was to determine effects of feeding pit formation by rays on benthic meiofauna communities in an estuarine intertidal sand flat. Core samples were collected both inside and outside feeding pits on four different dates during the summer of 1998, and were dominated by nematodes. Regardless of sampling date, the total number of meiofauna and the dominant meiobenthic component (nematodes) were always higher outside pits than inside pits. The total number of meiofauna in the control areas (outside pits) exceeded 300cm−2and steadily declined over the study period. The decline in numbers may have been due to continued excavation and reworking of the sediments as well as other uncontrolled factors. Statistically significant differences between treatments also occurred for ostracods on the first three sampling dates, and for oligochaetes on the first two sampling dates. There were no significant differences in numbers of copepods or polychaetes for any of the sampling dates of the study; however, densities were low. Preliminary data suggest that the low numbers of meiofauna in pits is maintained for at least 2 days after formation.