Hitching a ride on a hermit crabs home: Movement of gastropod shells inhabited by hermit crabs

There is little information on the movement and connectivity patterns for many species. The movement by shells occupied by the hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus and the organisms encrusting these shells was investigated on the south coast of Wales (UK). Hermit crabs shells moved considerable distances along the shore over 1 month periods, moving a minimum mean distance (±SE) of 148 (±8) and 174 (±9) m from release sites in the January and August respectively. Hermit crab-inhabited shells were also found to travel across habitats (sandy areas) that are unsuitable for both hermit crabs and epibionts. Through the examination of 150 of the most abundant shells used by P. bernhardus (Nucella lapillus), twelve epibiont species were found (10 animal and 2 algal species) and choice experiments demonstrated that hermit crabs preferred epibiont covered shells (84%), compared with bare shells (16%). The distance that shells were moved and the preference of hermit crabs for epibiont encrusted shells, coupled with the ability for epibionts to cross unsuitable habitats, may provide a dispersal advantage for epibiont species.     

Shell use by sympatric hermit crab species in a seasonally open coastal lagoon in Northeastern Brazil

There are gaps in what is known about the patterns of gastropod shell use by hermit crabs in Brazilian lagoon areas, especially in Northeastern Brazil. However, this is important because the understanding of selection patterns provides information on life history and eco‐evolutionary conceptions of paguroids. The present study investigated the use of gastropod shells occupied by Pagurus criniticornis and Clibanarius sclopetarius in a coastal lagoon seasonally connected to an estuary and to the sea, correlating eco‐evolutionary aspects and hydrodynamic characters. The study was carried out between February 2013 and January 2014. Hermit crabs and their shells were identified and measured (hermit crabs’ cephalothorax shield length and width, major propodus length and height, weight, shell total length and width, shell aperture length and width). Partial least squares regression was used to analyse the morphometric data. Additionally, a multinomial proportions test was performed to infer patterns (inter‐/intra‐specific) of shells’ occupation. Hermit crab species occupied a total of 13 types of shells, predominantly those of Neritina virginea (67.83%). The shell weight was the most important determinant of shell occupancy in the morphometric model (variable importance in projection >1). The proportions of N. virginea shells used were similar in both species of hermit crabs, except between the sexes of P. criniticornis. Presumably, the high utilization rate of N. virginea shells is related to its abundance and dispersal, and to the shells’ suitability for hermit crabs, which is reflected by the morphometric model, as well as by the hydrodynamics of the lagoon‐estuarine environment. The relative occupation of different types of shells for each species of hermit crabs studied appears to be associated with regulation by inter‐/intra‐specific competition, which fosters the co‐occurrence of those populations. These results endorse coastal lagoons as a refuge and recruitment area for aquatic fauna. In addition, it highlights a challenge in the management and conservation of paguroid species whose population dynamics depend on the resources coming from the Gastropoda community.     

The Effects of Hermit Crabs on Hydractiniid Hydroids The effects of hermit crabs on hydractiniid hydroids

Abstract. Hermit crab shells are often encrusted with diverse communities of epibionts. To explore the effects of hermit crabs on the interactions of these encrusting species, two species of hydractiniid hydroids, Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus and Podocoryna carnea , were examined in the presence and absence of Pagurus longicarpus hermit crabs. Colonies growing on Littorina littorea snail shells with hermit crab hosts were compared to those growing on shells without crabs. These experiments suggest that hermit crabs variably affect colony polyp number, colony morphology and the outcome of interspecific competition, according to the size and number of crabs; other factors include water temperature, food availability and hydroid clonal genotype. In order to allow image analysis of perturbations of colony morphology, hydroids were grown on glass surfaces both exposed and unexposed to hermit crabs. Relative to colonies growing on unexposed surfaces, colonies growing on exposed surfaces exhibited larger within-colony patches, thus decreasing the total encrusted surface area and polyp number of colonies. Further, on glass surfaces, hermit crabs accelerated the time to the resolution of interspecific competition ( i.e. , the overgrowth of one colony by the other). While a number of factors may contribute to the relative abundance of these encrusting species, under most circumstances P. longicarpus have large effects on hydractiniid hydroids. Mechanisms underlying these effects likely include hydrodynamics and mechanical disturbance.     

Behaviour of some New Zealand sea anemones and their molluscan and crustacean hosts

The sea anemones Calliactis conchicola Parry, 1952 and Paracalliactis rosea Hand, 1975, which live associated with gastropods, hermit crabs, and true crabs, possess mounting responses similar to those known for several species of Calliactis. In some areas of New Zealand Calliactis conchicola occurs most abundantly on living gastropods and in others on gastropod shells occupied by hermit crabs. No behaviour by either the gastropod or the hermit crabs was observed which explains this differential distribution. One hermit crab stimulates Paracalliactis rosea to mount its shell by a regular tapping of the anemone with its chelae or dactyls, but ignores Calliactis conchicola. Several other hermit crabs, which may be found carrying these anemones, do not stimulate them to mount. The spider crab Leptomithrax longipes may be found in nature carrying specimens of four kinds of anemones: Calliactis conchicola, Paracalliactis rosea, Bunodactis chrysobathys, and Phellia aucklandica. This crab prises these anemones from most substrates with its chelae, cleans them with its mouth parts, and places them on its legs and carapace with its chelae. From observation, Calliactis conchicola apparently protects this crab from octopus predatiori, but not from other predators such as small sharks. Though associations of anemones with hermit crabs and other invertebrates are usually considered to be commensal, it seems likely that these associations may be mutualistic.     

Boldness in a deep sea hermit crab to simulated tactile predator attacks is unaffected by ocean acidification

Despite rapidly growing interest in the effects of ocean acidification on marine animals, the ability of deep-sea animals to acclimate or adapt to reduced pH conditions has received little attention. Deep-sea species are generally thought to be less tolerant of environmental variation than shallow-living species because they inhabit relatively stable conditions for nearly all environmental parameters. To explore whether deep-sea hermit crabs (Pagurus tanneri) can acclimate to ocean acidification over several weeks, we compared behavioral “boldness,” measured as time taken to re-emerge from shells after a simulated predatory attack by a toy octopus, under ambient (pH ～7.6) and expected future (pH ～7.1) conditions. The boldness measure for crab behavioral responses did not differ between different pH treatments, suggesting that future deep-sea acidification would not influence anti-predatory behavior. However, we did not examine the effects of olfactory cues released by predators that may affect hermit crab behavior and could be influenced by changes in the ocean carbonate system driven by increasing CO₂ levels.     

Study of a Crustacea Decapoda Taxocoenosis of Posidonia oceanica Beds from the Southeast of Spain

Abstract. During 1986 and 1987 a decapod crustacean taxocoenosis of Posidonia oceanica beds from the southeast of Spain has been studied.
Data on abundance-dominance of the 50 species found and other information such as reproduction and the selective use of gastropod shells by the dominant hermit crabs arc given.
Differences in richness and cquitability between shallow (3–4 m) and deeper (5–7 m) samples arc also shown.
The taxocoenosis presents a geometrical distribution in which only 9 species have a relative abundance higher than 1 % and in which the structure is basically controlled by the two dominant hermit crabs, Cestopagitius limidus and Calcium tubularis , and hydrodynamic conditions.     

Foraging across ecosystems: diet diversity and social foraging spanning aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems by an invertebrate

Ecosystems are fundamentally connected to one another, although empirical documentation of the links between them, especially the links between marine and terrestrial ecosystems, has been limited. This study examined the foraging behavior and ecology of an understudied invertebrate, the hermit crab Coenobita compressus, which is remarkably abundant at the nexus of marine, terrestrial, and freshwater ecosystems. Data collected between 2008 and 2011 in the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica revealed that C. compressus plays a generalist scavenger role across ecosystems. Beach almond fruits (Terminalia catappa) were a staple of the crabs’ diet, but the crabs also commonly consumed a variety of other fruit species and various parts of plants (nuts, seeds, flowers, husk, stems, buds) as well as algae, fungus, animal feces, and the carcasses of insects, jellyfish, conspecifics, other crustacean species, freshwater and saltwater fish, sea turtles (eggs and adults), and mammals. The crabs fed on these resources in prominent social aggregations, also forming such aggregations as they exchanged the aquatically derived gastropod shells that they use as homes while roaming the land. The size of the crabs’ aggregations around plant versus animal resources and around terrestrial versus aquatic resources did not differ, underscoring the species’ generalist foraging behavior. Broadly, these results suggest that C. compressus has one of the most diverse diets of any crustacean and plays a critical role in recycling organic matter and nutrients. This species might also mediate the passage of resources across different ecosystems, although further research is needed to explore this possibility.     

Descriptions of two New Zealand sea anemones (Actiniaria: Hormathiidae)

The sea anemones Calliactis conchicola Parry, 1952 and Paracalliactis rosea n.sp. are described. This is the first report of the hormathiid genus Paracalliactis for New Zealand. Calliactis conchicola occurs with living gastropods, hermit crabs, and a true crab, and Paracalliactis rosea occurs with hermit crabs and a true crab. Certain characteristics of each of the two anemones suggest that the genera Calliactis and Paracalliactis may not be as discrete as was indicated by earlier reports.     

Effects of habitat complexity on cannibalism rates in European green crabs (Carcinus maenas Linnaeus, 1758)

The habitat in which predator–prey interactions take place may have a profound influence on the outcome of those interactions. Cannibalism is an intriguing form of predation whereby foraging by predators may contribute to the regulation of their own populations.This is particularly interesting in the case of invasive species, like the widely distributed European green crab (Carcinus maenas). This study explores how habitat complexity influences cannibalism rates in green crab populations of Prince Edward Island, Atlantic Canada. Both laboratory and field experiments were conducted to measure feeding rates by individual adult green crabs on a standard number of smaller conspecifics. In the laboratory, experimental treatments mimicked unstructured to increasingly structured habitats: water, sandy bottom, oyster shells, mussel shells, oyster shells with sandy bottom and mussel shells with sandy bottom. In those trials, adult green crabs consumed several times more juveniles on unstructured habitats than on the most structured ones, with a gradual decrease in predation rates across increasingly complex habitats. Field inclusion experiments used the same approach and were conducted in sandy bottoms, sandy bottoms with a layer of oyster shells and sandy bottoms with a layer of mussel shells. These trials showed similar patterns of decreasing feeding rates across increasingly complex habitats, but differences among treatments were not significant. These results support the idea that complex habitats have the potential to mediate predator–prey interactions, including adult–juvenile cannibalism in green crabs.     

Interpreting odours in hermit crabs: A comparative study

Odours of different sources can indicate to hermit crabs the availability of empty shells, crucial resources for the life cycle of almost all of them. Here, we compared Clibanarius erythropus and Pagurus bernhardus for the intensity of investigative behaviour exhibited towards an empty, well-fitting shell in the presence of (1) plain seawater as control and seawater conditioned by (2) dead and live snails, (3) dead and live conspecifics, (4) live predators, and (5) food. During 10 min of observation, we recorded latency (the time until the first contact with the shell), and the number and duration of shell investigation bouts. The two species behaved similarly when exposed to the odours of food, live snails, and predators, while a more intense shell investigation was induced by dead snail odour in C. erythropus and by dead or live conspecific odour in P. bernhardus. Further studies should investigate the influence of phylogeny and ecology on this interspecific difference.     

Inter-annual variability of the epibiotic community on Pagurus bernhardus from Scotland

Epibiont communities of Pagurus bernhardus and its inhabiting shell collected in the same month of two consecutive years near the Isle of Cumbrae (Scotland) were analyzed. The epibionts found were: (1) the protozoans Acineta, Conchacineta, Corynophrya, Zoothamnium, Cothurnia mobiusi, Cothurnia longipes, Chilodochona, Cryptacineta, Ephelota gemmipara and Ephelota plana; (2) the hydrozoans Leuckartiara, Clytia and Phialella; (3) the entoproct Barentsia; (4) the cirripeds Balanus balanus and Balanus crenatus; (5) the polychaetes Pomatoceros triqueter, Circeis amoricana paguri and Hydroides norvegica. Among these epibionts, a protozoan (E. plana), two hydrozoans (Leuckartiara, and Phialella), and the entoproct (Barentsia) have not been described previously as epibionts on crustaceans. The protozoan, entoproct and hydrozoan epibiont species found on P. bernhardus represent the first mention of their presence on this hermit crab. The protozoan epibionts were found only on the crab, while the hydrozoan epibionts were observed on the shell and on the crab. The cirriped species were observed only on the external surface of the shell, and the polychaete species were observed on the external and internal surfaces of the shell, although Circeis was found only internally. An analysis of the distribution and density of each epibiont species on the anatomical units of the crab, as well as on the different shell areas were made. The comparison between the data of the two years showed differences with respect to the size of crabs, diversity of epibiont groups and density of epibionts. There was a significant difference between the two years with respect to the distribution of epibionts on the anatomical units of the crab, both in terms of density and biomass. The influence of some environmental parameters on these differences is considered.     

Phylogeny and phylogeography of the land hermit crab Coenobita purpureus (Decapoda: Anomura: Coenobitidae) in the Northwestern Pacific Region

Hermit crabs of the family Coenobitidae comprise the land hermit crabs, with 16 Coenobita species, and the coconut crab Birgus latro. They are terrestrial but spend their marine life as planktonic larvae. Some coenobitid crabs are widely distributed in the Indo‐West Pacific region, and some species occupy narrower ranges. To improve our knowledge of coenobitid crab speciation and geographical distribution patterns, we examined the phylogenetic relationship between Coenobita purpureus, which has a narrow distribution in the Northwestern Pacific, and its more widely distributed coenobitids including B. latro, Coenobita brevimanus, Coenobita cavipes, Coenobita perlatus, Coenobita rugosus and Coenobita violascens based on the mtDNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 16S rDNA genes. We also assessed the phylogeography of Co. purpureus populations based on the COI gene. Our phylogenetic and phylogeographical analyses revealed that (i) Co. purpureus clustered with Co. rugosus and (ii) the Co. purpureus population in the Ogasawara Islands was genetically distinct from those in other regions, which showed genetic panmixia. It has been hypothesized that Co. purpureus evolved in the isolated landmasses of the Ryukyu region during the Pliocene, and that its population expanded and colonized the Ogasawara Islands in the late Pleistocene. Further phylogeographical studies on Coenobita species with relatively narrow distributions coupled with characterization of their phylogenetic relationships with widely distributed congeners will advance our knowledge of the speciation and geographical distribution history of coenobitid crabs.     

Shell damage and shell repair in the Antarctic limpet Nacella concinna from King George Island

Nacella concinna is the most conspicuous macroinvertebrate in the intertidal of King George Island. An important predator, the Kelp gull Larus dominicanus, feeds on Nacella during spring low tides. The gulls deposit empty Nacella shells as regurgitates mainly on roosts on coastal rocks. The regurgitates were found to consist of 40% shell fragments by weight and 60% intact shells. Faeces of Kelp gulls contained much smaller fragments than the regurgitates. Some of the Nacella, particularly those too large to ingest, are handled in the intertidal. The middens are, therefore, inadequate to study size selection by Kelp gulls: the largest Nacella are underrepresented. Seventy-five per cent of the intact Nacella shells from the Larus middens showed one or more shell repairs. Such repairs may be due to unsuccessful attacks by gulls, but more probably they indicate damage caused by rolling ice blocks and stones in the intertidal and shallow subtidal. A number of living Nacella were found stranded on the beach, detached from the rocks. They showed damage along the shell margin and even one Nacella was collected without any shell left. The observed repair frequency of 75% in Nacella was much higher than in other (smaller) intertidal gastropods at Potter Peninsula (3–11%, av. 8%). Comparably high frequencies are observed for instance in tropical intertidal gastropods, where repair is due to heavy unsuccessful crab predation; however, shell-crushing crabs are absent on King George Island. This indicates that palaeontologists should be cautious in ascribing all shell repairs in fossil shells (particularly from tidal environments) to predators. Shell repair in the related Nacella deaurata, collected in a less exposed site at Port Stanley (Falkland Islands), occurred only in 13% of the specimens. Another conspicuous form of shell damage was due to grazing by Nacella on the boring algae living in other Nacella shells. Epigrowth of crustose calcareous algae inhibited such grazing, but in the absence of epigrowth deep hollows were scraped in the shells, the parallel scratches by the radula clearly visible, urging Nacella to repair its shell by producing more shelly material on the inside.     

Salinity tolerance and osmotic response of the estuarine hermit crab Pagurus maclaughlinae in the Indian River Lagoon,Florida

Pagurus maclaughlinae is the most common hermit in the Indian River Lagoon System. Wide variations in lagoonal salinity make it likely that P. maclaughlinae is euryhaline and that other hermit species in the area are more stenohaline, at least in some stages of their life histories. In a study of salinity tolerance, crabs were held unfed at salinities of 5–50 (25 control) for up to 30 days. Based on survivorship curves, P. maclaughlinae tolerated acute exposure to salinities of 10–45 for up to 18 days, and survivorship up to 30 days at 20–45 equaled or exceeded survivorship of the control. In a study of acclimation, the osmotic pressure of hemolymph was measured after crabs were held in the laboratory for 12, 48, and 96 h acutely exposed to salinities of 10–45. Paired t-tests revealed that the crabs weakly hyperregulated their hemolymph at 45–154 mOsmol above the external medium at all salinities and sampling times, and the osmotic differential of their hemolymph was fully acclimated by 96 h. In a third study, acclimatization of hemolymph was studied on crabs at four field sites that differed in their recent salinity histories. Field-collected crabs weakly regulated their hemolymph 72–84 mOsmol above the external medium at all sites sampled. Performance did not differ by site. The range of salinity tolerance and acclimation of hemolymph of P. maclaughlinae partly explain their wide distribution, and the consistent osmotic differential of its hemolymph indicates that the osmoregulatory ability of this small-bodied species is conserved in populations throughout the lagoon. Although some other larger-bodied hermit species in the region are euryhaline as adults, their tendency to hyperregulate strongly at low salinities possibly adds an energetic burden that, along with their less euryhaline long-lived larvae, might exclude them from the lagoon. Salinity tolerance of larval P. maclaughlinae has yet to be studied.     

Distribution of amphipods Ischyrocerus on the red king crab, Paralithodes camtschaticus: Possible interactions with the host in the Barents Sea

The determination of costs and benefits experienced by crustaceans as a result of occupation by their symbionts has received increased attention from marine ecologists. However, the interactions between some important species and their associates remain unclear. We examined the distribution of amphipods in the genus Ischyrocerus on the red king crab Paralithodes camtschaticus, a commercially important species, in two areas of the Barents Sea. Ischyrocerus commensalis was found on 30.5% of crabs in Dalnezelenetskaya Bay (DZB) with the mean number per crab being 55.1, in Dolgaya Bay (DLB) these rates were 28.6% with 19.3 specimens per crab. Sympatric species Ischyrocerus anguipes was found on 13.5% of crabs in DZB with a mean of 7.3 individuals per host, in DLB it had much lower occurrence (1.3% and 1.5 specimens per host). There were no significant differences between proportions of male and female crabs infested by amphipods in both areas examined. Prevalence of amphipods was similar among years examined except for I. commensalis on small crabs (carapace length CL <90 mm) and I. anguipes on large crabs (CL >90 mm) in DZB. We found that I. commensalis and I. anguipes are not egg predators of P. camtschaticus in the Barents Sea, at least in summer. High numbers of I. commensalis occur in crab gills, and both mean intensity of the amphipods and their empty tubes increased with crab size. In the gills, I. commensalis predominated in the section nearest the mouth parts. Possible negative impacts for the hosts due to gills infestation are discussed. In contrast, I. anguipes were predominately found on the carapace and limbs of crabs and appears to be a less specific symbiont of P. camtschaticus. Both amphipod species seem to be commensals, however possible negative impacts for the host could not be excluded.     

The impact of the hydrodynamic conditions in aquatic areas on the red king crab fouling communities of the Barents Sea

A comparative analysis of the species composition and indices of associated organisms for the red king crab Paralithodes camtschaticus has been carried out at two aquatic areas of the Barents Sea that differ based on the intensity of their water exchange with the open sea areas. In Dolgaya Bay, a typical fjord of the Barents Sea with low water circulation, such common fouling organisms as the barnacles Balanus crenatus dominated on the crabs, while, in Dalnezelenetskaya Bay, a semiopen coastal area, the most common mobile symbionts on the red king crab were the amphipods Ischyrocerus commensalis and I. anguipes. In Dolgaya Bay, the hydrodynamic conditions promote the settlement of larval foulers, whose colonization leads to a decrease of the crab infestation with the mobile symbionts and changes in their distribution along the host body if compared to the more open coastal areas of Eastern Murman.     

The Southwest Atlantic intertidal burrowing crab Neohelice granulata modifies nutrient loads of phreatic waters entering coastal area

Along the coastal areas of the Southwest Atlantic estuaries and embayments, phreatic water often circulates through very extended areas (up to several hundred meters perpendicular to the coast), dominated by dense assemblages of deep burrows of the crab Neohelice granulata (formerly Chasmagnathus granulatus). This crab inhabits the intertidal area, from mudflats to marshes vegetated by species of Spartina, Sarcocornia and Juncus, generating extensive burrowing beds where burrow density may reach up to 60 burrows m⁻². Since the lower limit of the crab burrows is usually the water table, we investigated through field experiments the effect of N. granulata and their burrows on the chemical characteristics of this phreatic water. Water analysis from experimental (1) occupied burrows (with crabs), (2) unoccupied burrows (where crabs were excluded), and (3) sediment pore water show remarkable differences. Water oxygenation, and nitrate, ammonium and sulphate concentrations inside occupied burrows were higher than in the water inside unoccupied burrows or pore waters. Moreover, directed sampling of phreatic water entering and leaving the crab bed, shows that dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentration is enhanced as the water crosses the crab bed. These results may be ascribed to the fact that in the salt marsh the crabs spend most of their time within burrows, where presumably they store food (plants) and defecate. These activities generate an area of accumulation of excrements and nutrients in different decomposition states. The present work shows a novel way by which bioturbating organisms can affect nutrients exportation from salt marshes to the open waters.     

Variations in crab claw morphology and diet across contrasting inter‐tidal habitats

Crabs are important predators of inter‐tidal ecosystems, controlling the abundance and distribution of their prey populations. Often the same crab species occupies several habitats and, although their effects on prey have been quantified across habitats, crabs’ dietary and morphological responses to differing environmental influences have been overlooked. Here, we used the crabs Eriphia verrucosa and Pachygrapsus marmoratus as model species to examine differences in claw morphometry – size and wear – and diet between rocky shore and heterogeneous sand flat habitats. We predicted that, intra‐specifically, crabs from rocky shores would consume more hard‐shelled prey owing to their high availability and consequently, would display chelipeds with the following claw characteristics: a higher degree of claw damage, stronger musculature (higher propel height) and increased mechanical advantage (defined as the ratio of input lever length to output lever length) than crabs in the heterogeneous sand flat habitats. Sampling was performed in heterogeneous sand flat habitats and rocky shores of the Central Portuguese coast. For each crab species, carapace width, diet composition and several claw morphometric measures were recorded, revealing significant intra‐specific differences (using multivariate analysis) between shore types. We found that E. verrucosa and P. marmoratus consumed more hard prey on rocky shore than on sand flat habitats, which resulted in rocky shore crabs having more accentuated dentition wear and larger musculature than their sand flat habitat counterparts. We suggest that the strong response of crab claw morphometry to environmentally induced diet variations is an important mechanism in the successful adaptation of crab species to inhabit differing habitats. A major implication is that the impact of the same species on prey may vary largely with habitat type as a result of predation efficiency varying with claw condition.     

Sex‐related differences in size,function and regeneration of the major cheliped in the hermit crab Pagurus filholi

Pagurus hermit crabs have a well‐developed right cheliped (major cheliped) and in some species the major cheliped of males is longer than that of females. This paper describes sex‐related differences in major cheliped length and regeneration pattern of the major cheliped in the hermit crab Pagurus filholi. We also examined the function of the major cheliped in male–male competition. Major cheliped length of males was longer than that of females in P. filholi. Males regenerated larger chelipeds than females at the first molt after experimentally induced autotomy. Body size growth in males of the regeneration group was less than that in intact males of the control group while there was no significant difference in body size growth of females between regeneration and control groups. Major cheliped length was included in the best model to explain the outcome of male–male competition and thus sexual selection appears to be a causative factor in the sex‐related difference of the major cheliped length. Sex‐related differences in the regeneration pattern may reflect differences in evolutionary pressures on males for large major chelipeds and females for large body size.     

Dominance of blue mussels versus consumer-mediated enhancement of benthic diversity

In the shallow subtidal of Kiel Fjord (western Baltic Sea), the blue mussel Mytilus edulis is the dominant competitor for space. Vertically suspended settlement substrata in the upper 6 m of the water column almost invariably become dominated by M. edulis within a few summer months. However, not all naturally available hard substrata bear mussel monocultures.In three in situ experiments we investigated the dominance of mussels and the influence of local consumers on establishment and dynamics of a benthic community: (a) the natural course of succession in the absence of benthic consumers was followed on vertically suspended settlement substrata, (b) settling plates were exposed to natural recruitment being either accessible or inaccessible to all benthic consumers, and (c) the three major local consumer species, viz. the shore crab Carcinus maenas, the starfish Asterias rubens and the periwinkle Littorina littorea, were enclosed separately in cages containing a settling panel to assess species-specific consumer effects on recruitment.The results illustrate that in this region of the Baltic Sea mussels do have the potential to dominate ungrazed substrata within a few weeks and that top-down effects (predation and grazing) may control community structure. While some species - mussels in particular - were suppressed by consumption, others seemed to benefit from the presence of consumers. Thus, barnacles and algae thrived when consumers were present. Blue mussels being the locally dominant competitor, the beneficial effects of consumers on barnacles and algae were presumably indirect ones through consumer-caused release from asymmetrical competition.The isolated effects of C. maenas, A. rubens and L. littorea, on recruitment differed in quality (positive vs. negative), quantity (strength of effect) and specificity. Barnacle recruitment was significantly reduced in the presence of both starfish and shore crabs. Diatom recruitment was significantly reduced by snails and shore crabs. Scyphozoan recruitment was significantly reduced by crabs only, but was significantly increased by snails. The influence of the shore crabs was most remarkable: recruitment by any potential coloniser species was impeded to a point where in the presence of single individuals of C. maenas the plates stayed perfectly clean macroscopically.