PREY ENCOUNTER AND CAPTURE BEHAVIOR OF THE MYSID NEOMYSIS AMERICANA IN THE WATER LAYER ADJACENT TO THE BOTTOM

Mysids are small crustaceans that contribute significantly to both the abundance and biomass of zooplankton communities in shallow coastal and estuarine waters. They are typically found in the water layer immediately above the sediment, feeding omnivorously on small zooplankton, algae, and detritus, and serving as important prey for fish. Neomysis americana, a key species in the coastal and estuarine food webs of the northwest Atlantic, was the focus of this study. Using high-speed videographic observations, we investigated the prey encounter and capture behavior of N. americana. Mysids were freshly collected from the Damariscotta River estuary, Maine, and offered copepods, copepod nauplii, and polychaete larvae as prey. Observations were conducted in darkness under infrared illumination. Rather than relying on a suspension feeding current, N. americana detected and attacked zooplankton prey individually. The capture success rate of adult copepods was extremely low because they overwhelmingly evaded mysid attacks by escape jumping. In contrast, N. americana captured copepod nauplii and polychaete larvae with extremely high success rates, curving its body with precise maneuvers to avoid displacing prey. Additionally, mysids demonstrated significantly greater reaction distances than those of their prey reacting to them, highlighting their specialized predatory strategies.

Presentation Preference: Oral

Primary Presenter: Houshuo Jiang, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (hsjiang@whoi.edu)

Authors:

Houshuo Jiang, Department of Applied Ocean Physics & Engineering, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution  (hsjiang@whoi.edu)

Rachel Lasley-Rasher, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Maine  (rachel.lasleyrasher@maine.edu)

Allison Fogg, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Maine  (allison.fogg1@maine.edu)

Aditya Nayak, Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering, Florida Atlantic University; Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University  (anayak@fau.edu)

Alexis Base, Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering, Florida Atlantic University; Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University  (abase2015@fau.edu)

Sumit Dass, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University  (dasss@fau.edu)