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Title:	Size-frequency distribution of Palaemonetes pugio in two New Jersey estuaries and predator-prey interactions with Fundulus heterocolitus
Author:	Santiago, Celine
View Online:	njit-etd1997-086 (xi, 65 pages ~ 3.0 MB pdf)
Department:	Department of Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Environmental Science
Degree:	Master of Science
Program:	Environmental Science
Document Type:	Thesis
Advisory Committee:	Weis, Judith S. (Committee chair) Weis, Peddrick (Committee member) Trattner, Richard B. (Committee member)
Date:	1997-01
Keywords:	Intertidal animals--Behavior. Salt marsh ecology. Estuaries--New Jersey.
Availability:	Unrestricted
Abstract:	Predation by Fundulus heteroclitus is known to be an important factor regulating the abundance and size distribution of Palaemonetes pugio in the salt marsh habitat. A preliminary study showed that P. pugio from a polluted estuary, Piles Creek, were relatively larger than those found in a more pristine estuary, Little Sheepshead Creek. Possible causes could be differences in competition, inherent environmental components, reproductive effort, or predation. To investigate the differences in size frequency, data on relative abundances of both species and size frequency distribution of P. pugio were collected for comparison from the two estuaries. It was determined that P. pugio were preyed upon more frequently in LSC than in PC due to there being nearly three times as many F. heteroclitus in LSC than in PC. It was concluded that size selective predation is limiting the number of adult shrimp from ultimately reaching their maximum length.