The Burrowing Crab Neohelice granulata as key prey for the near threatened Olrog´s Gull Larus atlanticus: a review of its relevance throughout the annual cycle

SUAREZ, N.; BERON, P.; YORIO, P.

Neohelice granulata, a Model Species for Studies on Crustaceans

Cambridge Scholars Publishing

Lugar: Newcastle upon Tyne; Año: 2020; p. 207 - 227

Crabs constitute valuableprey for a variety of terrestrial and marine organisms, and are widely preyedupon by birds. They can be a dominant or even exclusive component in the dietof some rather specialized species, such as the Olrog?s Gull (Larusatlanticus). The Burrowing Crab (Neohelice granulata) is thedominant macroinvertebrate in salt marshes and tidal flats along the southwestAtlantic coasts, and plays an essential role in the functioning of thesecoastal ecosystems. Several studies have shown the Olrog?s Gull  has rather specialized trophic ecology,feeding almost exclusively on the Burrowing Crab, in addition to Cyrtograpsusangulatus and C. altimanus during the breeding season, and to agreat extent on Burrowing Crab and C. angulatus during its non-breedingdispersal along the coasts of Argentina and Uruguay. In this chapter, we reviewand integrate published information on the trophic ecology of Olrog?s Gullduring the annual cycle, focusing on the role of the Burrowing Crab as prey forthis near threatened species. We present information on (1) the contribution ofthe Burrowing Crab to the overall diet composition of breeding and non-breedingOlrog?s Gull individuals, (2) the segment of the Burrowing Crab population, interms of sizes and sex of prey individuals, that is preyed upon by the Olrog?sGull, and (3) the spatial patterns in the use of foraging areas by Olrog?s Gullin relation to Burrowing Crab distribution. Finally, we identify informationgaps and present recommendations for future research.