A Predator‐Prey Interaction between Two Physically and Biologically Constrained Tropical Rocky Shore Gastropods: Direct, Indirect and Community Effects

Abstract

The archaeogastropod Nerita scabricosta is an abundant and extremely mobile herbivore which occurs from above mean high water through the mid—intertidal zone of exposed rocky areas along the Pacific coast of Panama. It is the principal prey of Purpura pansa, a patchily distributed, high intertidal neogastropod. Both snails exhibit activity patterns and habitat preference which appear to have evolved in response to heavy predation pressure by fish and to harsh physical factors. These behavioral mechanisms restrict movement and limit foraging time for both species, but also result in a cyclic overlap of their distributions. Potential interaction between the two gastropods is thus limited to well defined, discrete periods. Purpura elicits both an escape and an avoidance response in Nerita. The intensity of predation on the nerite by Purpura is lessened by these responses and Purpura appears unable directly to control the abundance of Nerita. However, it is experimentally shown that in a heterogeneous environment, Nerita's distribution is still more restricted and its local abundance further reduced by avoidance responses to temporally stable aggregations of Purpura. These aggregations, centered on specific fish—safe microhabitat, are thus hypothesized to result in the creation of local patches of intertidal substrate which are free from herbivory or disturbance effects by Nerita scabricosta. Evidence from field observations and manipulations is presented to support the hypothesis that in this complex, four trophic level community, a predator—prey interaction between two gastropods can limit potential resource monopolization and affect primary space occupancy.