Ecology and behaviour of burrowing prawns and their burrow symbionts

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dc.contributor.advisorPillay, Deenaen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorMoyo, Ropafadzo Kelebuhileen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2015-07-01T09:04:46Z
dc.date.available2015-07-01T09:04:46Z
dc.date.issued2014en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractEcosystem engineers play important roles as determinants of community dynamics by modulating resource availability for other species. Marine soft-sediment ecosystems are dominated by burrowing engineers which indirectly create biogenic structures that often attract other species, often leading to the evolution of symbiotic relationships. Engineered structures provide non-trophic (e.g. refuge) and trophic functions (e.g. food) for burrow symbionts, however, the relative importance of these functions for symbionts is poorly understood. The behavioural interactions between burrowing engineers and their burrow symbionts are also poorly understood, mainly due to the difficulty in conducting behavioural observations in situ. This study aimed to enhance our understanding of the ecological processes and behavioural interactions underlying symbiotic relationships between a dominant South African ecosystem engineer (Callianassa kraussi) and its burrow symbiont (Betaeus jucundus) in soft sediment systems in Langebaan Lagoon. The study specifically quantified the relative importance of host abundance (a proxy for non-trophic functions) and food availability (trophic functions) provided by burrows of C. kraussi in influencing the abundance and distribution of B. jucundus. The second aim was to quantify behavioural changes of C. kraussi in the presence and absence of the symbiont B. jucundus and determine if the sex of C. kraussi influences its behavioural response to B. jucundus. Results indicate that at a patch scale, trophic functions (food availability) provided by burrows was more important than non-trophic functions in determining symbiont abundance and distribution. However, at an ecosystem scale, non-trophic functions could be a very important determinant of symbiont abundance and distribution. In terms of behavioural interactions, the presence of B. jucundus elicited three distinct behavioural responses from C. kraussi: intolerance, semitolerance and tolerance. In the absence of B. jucundus, there was no difference between male and female C. kraussi behaviour but this pattern changed in the presence of B. jucundus. Overall, the study has contributed to increasing our understanding of ecological processes that determine the abundance and distribution of burrow symbionts in marine soft-sediments as well as behavioural interactions between burrowers and their symbionts.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationMoyo, R. K. (2014). <i>Ecology and behaviour of burrowing prawns and their burrow symbionts</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13257en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationMoyo, Ropafadzo Kelebuhile. <i>"Ecology and behaviour of burrowing prawns and their burrow symbionts."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13257en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationMoyo, R. 2014. Ecology and behaviour of burrowing prawns and their burrow symbionts. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Moyo, Ropafadzo Kelebuhile AB - Ecosystem engineers play important roles as determinants of community dynamics by modulating resource availability for other species. Marine soft-sediment ecosystems are dominated by burrowing engineers which indirectly create biogenic structures that often attract other species, often leading to the evolution of symbiotic relationships. Engineered structures provide non-trophic (e.g. refuge) and trophic functions (e.g. food) for burrow symbionts, however, the relative importance of these functions for symbionts is poorly understood. The behavioural interactions between burrowing engineers and their burrow symbionts are also poorly understood, mainly due to the difficulty in conducting behavioural observations in situ. This study aimed to enhance our understanding of the ecological processes and behavioural interactions underlying symbiotic relationships between a dominant South African ecosystem engineer (Callianassa kraussi) and its burrow symbiont (Betaeus jucundus) in soft sediment systems in Langebaan Lagoon. The study specifically quantified the relative importance of host abundance (a proxy for non-trophic functions) and food availability (trophic functions) provided by burrows of C. kraussi in influencing the abundance and distribution of B. jucundus. The second aim was to quantify behavioural changes of C. kraussi in the presence and absence of the symbiont B. jucundus and determine if the sex of C. kraussi influences its behavioural response to B. jucundus. Results indicate that at a patch scale, trophic functions (food availability) provided by burrows was more important than non-trophic functions in determining symbiont abundance and distribution. However, at an ecosystem scale, non-trophic functions could be a very important determinant of symbiont abundance and distribution. In terms of behavioural interactions, the presence of B. jucundus elicited three distinct behavioural responses from C. kraussi: intolerance, semitolerance and tolerance. In the absence of B. jucundus, there was no difference between male and female C. kraussi behaviour but this pattern changed in the presence of B. jucundus. Overall, the study has contributed to increasing our understanding of ecological processes that determine the abundance and distribution of burrow symbionts in marine soft-sediments as well as behavioural interactions between burrowers and their symbionts. DA - 2014 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2014 T1 - Ecology and behaviour of burrowing prawns and their burrow symbionts TI - Ecology and behaviour of burrowing prawns and their burrow symbionts UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13257 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/13257
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationMoyo RK. Ecology and behaviour of burrowing prawns and their burrow symbionts. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 2014 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13257en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Biological Sciencesen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Scienceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherBiological Sciencesen_ZA
dc.titleEcology and behaviour of burrowing prawns and their burrow symbiontsen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMScen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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