Behavioural responses of the netted dogwhelk Nassarius reticulatus to olfactory signals derived from conspecific and nonconspecific carrion

Abstract

Netted dogwhelks Nassarius reticulatus were offered standardized olfactory signals derived from flesh of: cod (Gadus morhua), starfish (Asterias rubens), shore crabs (Carcinus maenas), mussels (Mytilus edulis), periwinkles (Littorina littorea), dog whelks (Nucella lapillus) and netted dogwhelks. Nassarius reticulatus responded positively to all signals except the conspecific one. Positive responses to extracts were in the order (strongest to weakest): Gadus, Carcinus, Nucella, Mytilus, Asterias, Littorina. Starved Nassarius reticulatus buried in sand emerged rapidly to feed on crushed C. maenas, but remained buried when offered crushed conspecifics. These data confirmed the hypothesis that N. reticulatus would not respond positively to the smell of conspecific carrion, to avoid emerging from the substratum while neighbours were being predated. However, a second hypothesis, that strength of response to olfactory signal was proportional to taxonomic distance between N. reticulatus and the source of carrion was not supported by the data.