Habitat partitioning between prey soldier crab Mictyris brevidactylus and predator fiddler crab Uca perplexa

Interaction and habitat partition between the soldier crab Mictyris brevidactylus (prey) and the fiddler crab Uca perplexa (predator) were examined at a sandy tidal flat on Okinawa Island, Japan, where they co-occur. Both live in dense colonies. When the soldier crabs were released in the densely populated habitat of the fiddler crab, male fiddler crabs, which maintain permanent burrows in hard sediment, preyed on small soldier crabs and repelled large ones. Thus, the fiddler crabs prevented the soldier crabs from trespassing. It was also observed whether soldier crabs burrowed successfully when they were released 1) where soldier crab burrows just under the sand were abundant, 2) in a transition area between the two species, 3) an area without either species, and 4) where artificial tunnels simulated soldier crabs' feeding tunnels were made by piling up sand in the area lacking either species. In contrast to the non-habitat area, many soldier crabs burrowed in the sediment near the release point in the tunnel, transition and artificial tunnel areas. This indicates that the feeding tunnels on the surface attracted other crabs after emergence. When the large male fiddler crabs were transplanted into the artificial burrows made in soft sediment of the soldier crab habitat, all left their artificial burrows by 2 days. In the fiddler crab habitat, however, about one-third of the transplanted male fiddler crabs remained in the artificial burrows after 3 days. The soldier crabs regularly disturb the sediment by the up and down movement of their burrow (small air chamber) between tides. This disturbance probably prevents the fiddler crab from making and occupying permanent burrows. Thus, it appears that these crabs divide the sandy intertidal zone by sediment hardness and exclude each other by different means.     

First record of an epibiosis between the sand crab Emerita analoga (Stimpson, 1857) (Decapoda: Hippidae) and the mussel Semimytilus algosus (Gould, 1850) (Bivalvia, Mytilidae) in southern Peru

Coastal zones of the Humboldt Current Upwelling System (HCUS) are composed both of rocky and sandy beaches inhabited by macrozoobenthic communities. These show oscillating changes in the dominance of species; the abundance of the sand crab Emerita analoga is linked to phases of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The biogenic surfaces of these crabs serve as substrate for opportunistic colonizers. This study is the first record of an epibiosis between E. analoga and the rock mussel Semimytilus algosus, detected at a southern Peruvian sandy beach. Mussels fouled a wide size-range of adult E. analoga (7.3%) but they themselves belonged to small-size classes. The largest S. algosus was 17.4 mm in length. Highest permanence of epibionts was found on larger sand crabs (maximum between 24 and 27 mm). Significantly more mussels were found on the ventral surface (39.4%) compared to 10 other surface areas of the sand crab. Possible benefits and disadvantages of the observed epibiosis for both the basibiont and the epibiont are discussed.     

Parental size and environmental conditions affect egg capsule production by Nassarius reticulatus (Linnaeus 1758) (Gastropoda: Nassariidae)

In shallow coastal habitats scavenging netted whelks Nassarius reticulatus attached egg capsules to the stipes of red algae Chondrus crispus and occasionally on Furcellaria lumbricalis and Plumaria plumose. In the laboratory egg capsules were laid on aquaria sides and lids by individuals ≥ 21 mm shell length. Larger size classes produced more egg capsules and spawned over a longer period and in doing so partitioned less energy into shell growth. Large netted whelks (25-28.9 mm) produced larger capsules which contained significantly more and larger eggs than those produced by smaller individuals (21-24.9 mm). Egg capsule production continued throughout the year by regularly fed N. reticulatus held at ambient seawater temperatures. Egg production increased in the spring and summer with peak production during June (15 °C), decreased between August and October and resumed again during the winter (November to February at ∼ 7 °C). During the summer (15-16 °C) egg capsules were smaller and contained smaller eggs than those deposited during the winter (7-10 °C), although the number of eggs · capsule⁻¹ was similar. Enforced food limitation reduced the number and size of the egg capsules, the number and size of eggs produced · female⁻¹ and the duration of the breeding period. Hatching success of N. reticulatus egg capsules was high (95%) even at winter seawater temperatures (11-8.5 °C) and the duration of embryonic development was fastest between 15 and 17.5 °C.     

Immunological detection of winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) eggs and juveniles in the stomach contents of crustacean predators

Predation on the early life history of fish is an important factor regulating year-class strength. Verifying predation events, however, is difficult when analyses rely on visually identifying the remnants of partially digested fish in the stomachs of suspected predators. The objective of this study was to assess the utility of using immunological assays to detect the presence of winter flounder eggs and juveniles (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) in the gut contents of sand shrimp (Crangon septemspinosa) and green crab (Carcinus maenas). After defining assay capabilities, the stomach contents of field-collected shrimp and crabs were examined to determine if these predator-prey relationships occur under natural conditions. Winter flounder-specific antisera developed and used in this study successfully identified homologous antigens (egg or juvenile flounder extracts) without appreciably cross-reacting with antigenic material from predators or nontarget prey. Moreover, antisera detected flounder eggs 10.8-16.4 h after initial feeding by various sized shrimp, and identified juvenile flounder 9.4 and 7.8 h after initial ingestion by shrimp and crabs, respectively. Immuonological dietary analysis of decapod crustaceans collected from Niantic River, Connecticut, revealed that C. septemspinosa and C. maenas are potentially important predators on the early life stages of winter flounder. The temporal trends and magnitude of flounder predator-induced mortality was affected primarily by the spatial and temporal overlap between predator and prey (egg mortality), and the size-dependent relationships underlying crustacean and flatfish predator-prey interactions (juvenile mortality).     

Egg hatching of two locusts,Schistocerca gregaria and Locusta migratoria,in response to light and temperature cycles

The present study showed that the eggs of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, and the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria, responded to photoperiod by hatching when placed on sand in the laboratory. S. gregaria mainly hatched during the dark phase and L. migratoria during the light phase. The importance of light as a hatching cue depended on the magnitude of the temperature change during the thermoperiod; photoperiod played a more important role in the control of hatching time in both species when the magnitude of the temperature change was small. In addition, the eggs of the two species that were covered with sand did not respond to photoperiod and hatched during both the light and dark phases, indicating that light did not penetrate through the sand. Because locust eggs are normally laid as egg pods and a foam plug is deposited between the egg mass and the ground surface, we tested a possibility that naturally deposited eggs perceived light through the foam plug. The eggs that were deposited and left undisturbed in the sand hatched during the light and dark phases at similar frequencies. These results suggest that the eggs of both locust species responded to light and controlled their hatching timing accordingly but would not use light as a hatching cue in the field. The evolutionary significance of the ability of eggs to respond to light in these locusts was discussed.     

The reproductive output of sea lice Caligus rogercresseyi under controlled conditions

Gravid females of Caligus rogercresseyi were collected from Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) from a farm located at Chiloe Island (42°40′S73°15′W), Chile, to obtain information about the reproductive output of this parasite in vitro. The egg strings removed from the females were incubated under controlled conditions to obtain virgin adult females. One female which had mated only once produced eleven generations of eggs strings in a period of 74 days. The first egg strings of the females obtained in vitro were produced at 389 degree days (°D) after egg incubation, while the next generations of eggs strings were produced with a periodicity between 4 and 6 days dependent on the water temperature. The average length of the egg string was 3.1 mm and the mean number of eggs per string was 31. The values recorded in captivity for the egg string length and the number of eggs per string, were lower than the values recorded in gravid females from the field. One female survived for 79 days and males, maintained separately from the females, survived for 60 days.     

Temporal and spatial patterns of organic carbon are linked to egg deposition by beach spawning horseshoe crabs (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Limulus polyphemus</Emphasis>)

The spring spawning by the American horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus L.) results in temporally and spatially discrete inputs of eggs onto sandy beaches in Delaware Bay, USA. We tested the hypothesis that seasonal patterns of sediment organic carbon on Delaware Bay beaches is linked to this pulsed input of horseshoe crab eggs. At a location with minimal horseshoe crab spawning activity (Higbee Beach), there was little seasonal variation in sediment organic carbon, no distinction between organic carbon levels as a function of shoreline position or sediment depth, and no significant correlation between the abundance of crab eggs and percent organic carbon. Conversely, at a prime horseshoe crab spawning habitat (North Beach), organic carbon levels were seasonally pulsed and were correlated with egg abundance. Moreover, the strongest evidence of seasonality was seen at the middle foreshore location at the 15–20 cm depth, consistent with the highest input of horseshoe crab eggs. Although some of the organic carbon contributed by horseshoe crab eggs in May–June leaves the beach in the form of hatched larvae later in the year, there is a net input of organic carbon to the system in the form of unfertilized and/or dead eggs, egg membranes, and embryonic molts. We suggest that the inputs of eggs from horseshoe crabs and other beach spawning animals, such as grunion and capelin, make significant contributions to the energy budget of sandy beaches.     

Effects of chlorophyll concentration and temperature variation on the reproduction and survival of Temora longicornis (Copepoda, Calanoida) in the Eastern English Channel

The influence of temperature and chlorophyll concentration on egg production, hatching success, female survival and body size of the copepod Temora longicornis was investigated in situ in the coastal waters of the Eastern English Channel. Twenty samples were collected between February and July 2003 three to four times per month. The maximum daily level of egg production of 75.5 eggs female⁻¹ was observed in March, with minima of 10 eggs female⁻¹ in February and July. Between February and March egg production increased with chlorophyll concentration. At the end of March a decrease in egg production corresponded to a strong increase in chlorophyll concentration that indicated a Phaeocystis-dominated bloom. After this period egg production closely followed the temporal variation in chlorophyll concentration with a maximum of 55.3 eggs female⁻¹ in April during a second peak of chlorophyll concentration. Hatching success varied between 60% and 80% and was not influenced by chlorophyll concentration, in situ temperature or any other biological parameter considered in this study. Increases in temperature from February to July paralleled a decrease in body length and an increase in the percentage of spawning females. Mean female survival followed the variation of both temperature and chlorophyll concentration only between April and July. Temperature and chlorophyll concentration affected the reproductive parameters of T. longicornis differently. Female survival and body size were negatively correlated with temperature, while the highest chlorophyll concentrations were not always favourable for egg production. Therefore the quality of food should not be associated with chlorophyll quantity. Furthermore, the maximum values of egg production in this study are the highest recorded for T. longicornis. This study, conducted for the first time in the Eastern English Channel, showed high levels of productivity of T. longicornis despite a decrease of egg production during a Phaeocystis sp. dominated bloom in April.     

Evidence for a permanent establishment of the snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) in the Barents Sea

In the Atlantic the snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) is naturally distributed on the northwestern side, i.e. eastern Canada and west Greenland. Until recently, there have been no observations of snow crab in eastern Atlantic. However, in 1990s single and occasional reports were made of crabs captured in the eastern part of the Barents Sea, presumably introduced through ballast water. Special attention during the annual bottom-trawl surveys in the Barents Sea during February 2004–2006 were given to include recordings of snow crab to evaluate if the introduced species has succeeded to establish a self-sustaining population in this region. Recordings of snow crabs were systematically noted and biological measurements carried out. The results confirm previous Russian observations of snow crabs in the northern region of Gåsebanken. In addition, a significant number of crabs were also found in the central region of the Barents Sea, mainly in deeper waters from 180 to 350 m depth. The sizes ranged from 14 to 136 mm carapace width. All females above 70 mm were berried with fertilised eggs. A major fraction (31% in 2005; 76% in 2006) of the crabs consisted of juveniles below 50 mm CW, providing evidence for successful recruitment. The small-sized crabs were exclusively found in Gåsebanken, identifying the main recruiting area at present for snow crab in the Barents Sea. The results obtained show that the snow crab is now adapted to the northeast Atlantic.     

Biology of a hoplonemertean from the branchial chambers of the pinnotherid crab Zaops (= Pinnotheres) ostreum

The pea crab, Zaops ostreum, a symbiont in the mantle cavity of the American oyster (Crassostreavirginica), is itself a host to a symbiotic nemertean. Thisnemertean belongs to the genus Carcinonemertes, and issimilar to or possibly the same as C. pinnotheridophila,known from another sympatric pinnotherid crab, Pinnixachaetopterana. Living in mucous sheaths within the gillchambers of female crabs, the life cycle of the nemertean isintimately synchronized with and dependent on the crab's reproduction. A total of 138 pea crabs were collected andexamined for nemerteans during the summers of 1965 to 1967 atBeaufort, North Carolina, U.S.A.; of these 97 (70%) were mature(5th stage) female crabs. Mature females harbored thenemerteans, and had a prevalence of 39.2%. A maximum of 20worms was found in the gill chambers of a single crab, 9 ofwhich were the red, eyeless, mature female worms, along with 11colorless males. Worm egg sacs were attached to the pleopods ofovigorous crabs; a maximum of 293 sacs was recorded in anindividual crab with 7 mature females. At about 110 eggs persac, this translates to a potential production of >32 200nemertean larvae. Since female Z. ostreum may live for 2to 3 yr and produce two broods of eggs per year (beyond thefirst year), the reproductive potential of the symbionts may beeven greater. Gills of crabs with more than one mature femalewere usually covered by the worm sheaths, and were frequentlydamaged (gnarled, torn, silted, etc.). The sternum of infestedcrabs was often damaged due to the projection of worm sheathsthrough it to the subabdominal region. There the egg sacs weredeposited on the pleopods to develop along with the crabembryos.     

Environmental,parental and adaptive variation in egg size of Tengmalm's owls under fluctuating food conditions

We studied egg size variation of Tengmalm's owls in western Finland during 1981–1990. The owls fed on voles whose population fluctuated in a predictable manner: low (1981, 1984, 1987, 1990), increase (1982, 1985, 1988) and peak (1983, 1986, 1986) phases of the cycle occurred every third year. Eggs were largest in the increase phase of the vole cycle, even though that voles were more abundant and egg-laying started earlier in the peak phase than in the increase phase. This suggests that owls invest mostly in egg size when vole abundance increases along with survival chances of offspring. Territory quality and female age had no effects on egg size, but egg size decreased with laying data in the increase phase of the vole cycle. Egg size was significantly positively related to the male age in the increase phase, but the opposite relationship was significant in the peak phase of the vole cycle. The partners of adult males also decreased their egg volume from the increase to the peak phase, whereas the partners of yearling males produced their largest eggs in the peak phase of the vole cycle. This suggests the importance of experience in prevailing food fluctuations. Possibly male Tengmalm's owls can adjust the intensity of courtship feeding not only in relation to the food abundance on their territories at the time of egg laying, but also to the survival prospects of their offspring. Phenotypic plasticity seems to play a substantial role, as the egg size repeatabilities of individual females and partners of individual males were low. Obviously, under cyclic food conditions, predictability and inter-generational trade-offs are important to life history traits.     

Burrow structure and use in the sand fiddler crab, Uca pugilator (Bosc)

Uca pugilator, the sand fiddler crab, constructs two kinds of burrows in protected, sandy upper-intertidal and supratidal substrates on the west coast of Florida. Temporary burrows are built and used as a refuge by non-breeding crabs during high tide periods and at night when crabs cease feeding in the intertidal zone. Breeding burrows are constructed and defended by courting males and are the site of mating, oviposition and the incubation of eggs by females. Up to three ovigerous females may be accommodated in a single breeding burrow, each female sequestered in a separate terminal chamber. The construction and defence of burrows specialized for breeding may be an adaptive response by males to the preferences females exhibit when selecting a breeding site.     

Hermit crab biocoenoses: a worldwide review of the diversity and natural history of hermit crab associates

The symbiotic associates of hermit crabs (excluding parasites and flora) are reviewed worldwide. The review includes species found on the shells occupied by hermit crabs (epibiotic species), species boring into these shells (endolithic species), species living within the lumen of the shell (either free-living or attached to the shell), species attached to the hermit crabs themselves, and hypersymbionts. In total over 550 invertebrates, from 16 phyla are found associated with over 180 species of hermit crabs. Among these associates, 114 appear to be obligate commensals of hermit crabs, 215 are facultative commensals, and 232 are incidental associates. The taxa exhibiting the highest number of associates are arthropods (126), polychaetes (105), and cnidarians (100). The communities of species associated with Dardanus arrosor, Paguristes eremita, Pagurus bernhardus, Pagurus cuanensis, and Pagurus longicarpus are the best studied and harbor the most diverse assemblages of species. While trends in biodiversity of hermit crab assemblages do not follow predicted patterns (e.g., hermit crabs within the Indo-West Pacific do not harbor more species than those from temperate regions), this is suggested to reflect a lack of sampling rather than a true representation of the number of associates. Hermit crabs date to at least the Cretaceous and provided a niche for a number of groups (e.g., hydractinians, bryozoans, polydorids), which were already associates of living gastropods. Apparently hermit crab shells initially supplied a substrate for settlement and then these symbiotic relationships were reinforced by enhanced feeding of symbionts through the activity of the hosts. Through their use and recycling of gastropods shells, hermit crabs are important allogenic ecosystem engineers in marine habitats from the intertidal to the deep sea. Hermit crabs benefit from some symbionts, particularly cnidarians and bryozoans, through extension of shell apertures (alleviating need to switch into new shells) and by providing protection from predators. However, hermit crabs are also negatively impacted (e.g., decreased reproductive success, increased predation) by some symbionts and a review of egg predators is provided. Thus, the symbiotic relationships between hermit crabs and many associates are difficult to characterize and often exhibit temporal changes depending on environmental and biological factors. Research on the biology of these symbionts and the costs/benefits of their associations with hermit crabs are analyzed. While some associates (e.g., Hydractinia spp.) have been studied in considerable detail, for most associations little is known in terms of the impacts of symbionts on hosts, and future experimental studies on the multitude of relationships are suggested.     

不同发育阶段中华绒螯蟹对底质的喜好性研究

为探究不同发育阶段中华绒螯蟹对底质类型的喜好性, 采用单因子实验方法, 研究不同发育阶段中华绒螯蟹个体和群体对泥、泥沙(泥﹕沙=1﹕1)、中沙(0.35—0.50 mm)和细沙(0.25—0.35 mm)等4种底质的喜好性。亲蟹个体出现在各底质上的时间百分比和群体出现在各底质上的数量百分比结果均表明亲蟹对泥底质的喜好性显著高于其他三种底质(P＜0.05); 扣蟹个体和群体实验结果均表明扣蟹对泥和中沙底质的喜好性显著高于其他两种底质(P＜0.05); 仔蟹群体实验结果表明仔蟹最喜好泥底质, 其次是泥沙, 两者显著多于中沙和细沙(P＜0.05)。昼夜研究结果表明, 亲蟹个体和群体、扣蟹群体及仔蟹群体在白天和夜晚对底质的选择均具有显著性差异(P＜0.05), 但扣蟹个体在夜晚对底质的选择无显著性差异(P＞0.05)。对栖息方式的研究表明, 亲蟹无显著的埋栖行为, 扣蟹喜好埋栖在泥和中沙里面, 仔蟹喜好埋栖在泥里面, 其次是泥沙。研究揭示, 中华绒螯蟹对不同底质的喜好性具有显著差异, 且不同发育阶段中华绒螯蟹对底质的喜好及栖息方式也不尽相同, 为其生境修复和资源养护提供了参考。     

Better eggs today than psocids tomorrow: Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) eggs exposed to Liposcelis sp. (Psocodea: Liposcelididae) has reduced hatching rates

For different research purposes, there is a need to mass rear mosquitoes, such as Aedes aegypti, under laboratory conditions. The rearing process begins with egg production followed by egg storage in a dry environment, inside containers. Stored eggs are susceptible to environmental threats when storage conditions are suboptimal. Some terrestrial insects can invade this environment and attack stored eggs. In this brief report, we assessed whether Ae. aegypti eggs exposed to Liposcelis sp. individuals had reduced hatching and immature development rates. We exposed 100 eggs in different treatment conditions (fixed in porous paper and loosed) to 30 Liposcelis sp. individuals for ten days and then we induced hatching. We observed a hatching rate of 99% reduced for those eggs adhered to porous paper and loosed eggs showed a hatching rate of 45% decreased for those eggs exposed to Liposcelis sp. The remaining larvae took longer to develop into pupae as well, showing a four-day delay on average to the final metamorphosis of the aquatic stage. These results reinforce the need to frequently monitor egg storage conditions to maintain laboratory colonies stable and free from pests that can interfere with mosquito life-history traits.     

Microinjection of the monoclonal anti-tubulin antibody YL1/2 inhibits cleavage of sand dollar eggs

Two monoclonal antibodies against alpha-tubulin (YL1/2 and D2D6) were microinjected into the egg of the sand dollar Clypeaster japonicus, and their effects on cleavage of the egg were investigated. They had already been shown by immunoblotting to react specifically with egg tubulin and by immunofluorescence to stain the mitotic apparatus [OKA et al., (1990). Cell Motil. Cytoskel. 16:239-250]. Injection of YL1/2 prevented chromosome movement and cleavage, although the cleavage furrow developed in some cases. In all eggs injected at prometaphase, metaphase, or anaphase, the birefringence of the mitotic apparatus disappeared immediately after injection. Injection of D2D6 had no significant effect on mitosis or cleavage of whole eggs injected after nuclear disappearance, although it prevented the disappearance of the nuclear envelope in 54% of the eggs injected before the disappearance. FITC-conjugated D2D6 did not accumulate in the spindle when injected into the dividing sand dollar egg. These results indicate that YL1/2 disassembled microtubules, whereas D2D6 did not bind to microtubules in the living cell.     

Egg-laying behavior and morphological and chemical characterization of egg surface and egg attachment glue of the digger wasp Ampulex compressa (Hymenoptera,Ampulicidae)

For providing their offspring females of the digger wasp species Ampulex compressa hunt cockroaches, paralyze them and attach as a rule one egg to the coxa of one of the mid legs of their prey. We observed the egg-laying behavior and examined with light- and scanning microscopy (i) nearly mature eggs from ovaries of freshly dissected females and (ii) eggs immediately after their deposition on the coxae of their prey. The length of the white bean-shaped eggs varied between 2.2 and 3.0 mm, their diameter between 0.66 and 0.72 mm, and their weight between 345 and 832 μg. The surface of fresh, untreated eggs shows even at higher magnifications (>20.000×) a smooth appearance. However, after conventional fixation, dehydration with ethyl-alcohol and critical-point drying the egg-surface exhibited a little bit texture. The eggs are at two-third of their underside glued to the coxa of the prey. With the naked eye the glue appears as a compact mass. The eggs may be mechanically removed from the substrate (their attachment site); however, in doing so the viscous attachment glue appears in a more fibrous consistence. The polypeptide composition washed off the egg surface and the glue revealed no similarities, whereas the molecular mass of two polypeptides were similar between glue and the Dufour's gland contents.     

Egg production of the burrowing shrimp Callichirus seilacheri (Bott 1955) (Decapoda, Callianassidae) in northern Chile

The thalassinidean shrimp Callichirus seilacheri is a common species in the intertidal zone of the South American Pacific coast. However, our knowledge of its reproductive ecology is rather limited. The present study was carried out between January and December 2003 at Las Machas, northern Chile. Although ovigerous females were encountered almost throughout the study period, they were particularly abundant between May and September when water temperatures were lowest and sediment coverage of the burrow entrances was highest. Females of C. seilacheri produced numerous (17,450 ± 3,796 eggs) and small (0.884 ± 0.080 mm; 0.262 ± 0.054 mm³) eggs when compared to other thalassinidean shrimps for which such information is available. Fecundity was positively correlated with female size; however, correlations were allometric, which might be related to the elasticity of the abdomen. Egg volume increased by 41.2% during embryogenesis, and egg loss during the incubation period was on average 8%. Females inverted on average 14.9% of their dry weight into egg production.     

Concerning the problem of carcinophilia of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Careproctus</Emphasis> species (Scorpaeniformes: Liparidae) in the North Kurils

Along the east coast of North Kurils, the egg deposits of Careproctus snailfishes (Scorpaeniformes: Liparidae) were revealed in the gill cavity of 9.9% of all golden king crabs, mostly in individuals with carapace of 61–80 mm width (61.6%). The number of Careproctus eggs in the gill cavity of crabs increased with the increase of the carapace width. In fact, 97.0% of the crabs had such egg deposits only at one side of their carapaces. Most of the egg deposits, apparently, belonged to C. cypsellurus and C. furcellus. The number of crabs with egg deposits was related to the number of post-molt individuals. Evidently, egg depositing by Careproctus snailfishes out of the gill cavity of crabs is a rather widespread phenomenon.     

The influence of egg size and colour on egg consumption by the Algerian hedgehog (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Atelerix algirus</Emphasis>)

We tested the hypothesis that the Algerian hedgehog (Atelerix algirus) consumes smaller eggs in preference to larger ones and that the colour of the eggs (brown or white spotted) does not influence the egg consumption rate. Eggs of three galliform species (the quail, Coturnix japonica; the red legged partridge, Alectoris rufa; the chicken, Gallus domesticus) were offered to 14 individual hedgehogs under experimental conditions. Overall, the hedgehogs consumed 107 of the 225 eggs offered (48%) in 5 days. The colour of the eggs did not influence the rates of egg consumption. However, egg size had a significant influence on the rates of egg consumption. Generalized linear mixed models showed that hedgehogs preferred to consume smaller quail eggs (91%, n = 65) than intermediate partridge eggs (44%, n = 110), whereas the largest chicken eggs (n = 50) were not consumed at all. There was a strong inter-individual variation in egg consumption, particularly of partridge eggs, from 0 to 100%, whereas individual variation in consumption of quail eggs was lower, from 70 to 100%.