Graeme M. Smith’s research while affiliated with Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and other places

Mature Palaemonetes pugio, from a polluted estuary, Piles Creek (PC) are larger than those in a more pristine estuary in Tuckerton (TK). Possible causes for the differences in size-structure could be differences in environmental factors at the two creeks, differential competition at the two sites, inherent factors causing a greater growth rate in the PC population, differences in reproductive timing, or differential predation at the two sites. Lab microcosm studies were used to examine the possibility of inherent population differences or environmental conditions (including differences in salinity) causing faster growth in PC. There was no evidence that PC shrimp grew faster than TK shrimp, nor that PC conditions fostered greater growth compared to TK. Salinity adjustments in PC and TK tanks also had no effect on growth. Therefore, it appears that genetic and environmental factors did not play a significant role in greater shrimp growth in PC. In the field, data on relative abundances of Fundulus heteroclitus and P. pugio, and size-frequency distributions of P. pugio were collected from the two estuaries. Gravid females and recruits of young shrimp physically appeared at approximately the same time within both systems, eliminating earlier reproduction as a cause of the size discrepancy. There were three times as many shrimp in PC than in TK (eliminating the possibility of increased population density and competition at TK as a cause) and three times as many F. heteroclitus present in TK than in PC. Since it has already been established that the Fundulus at PC are smaller than at TK and that they are poor predators, differences in Fundulus predation would appear to be an important factor in determining the number and size-frequency of the grass shrimp.

Behavior can demonstrate linkages ofcontaminant effects at different levels oforganization from the biochemical/cellular to theorganism, population, and community levels.Mummichogs, Fundulus heteroclitus, from acontaminated area were previously found to havereduced condition, growth, and longevity, comparedwith conspecifics from clean sites. Thispopulation-level observation may be due to theirimpaired predator/prey behavior, which is associatedwith altered levels of serotonin in their brains. Theyare slow, less able to capture live food, and eat muchnon-nutritious detritus, which may contribute to theirdecreased growth and condition. They are also lessable to avoid being captured by blue crabs, which canalso contribute to their reduced life span andsize-structure. Grass shrimp, Palaemonetespugio, a major prey species, are not behaviorallyimpaired at this polluted site, but are more numerousand larger in size than at the reference site,probably due to reduced mummichog predation.

Predator/prey behavior has important consequences for individual survival and recruitment into fish populations, both of which can be affected by stressors such as environmental contaminants. The degree to which prey capture or predator avoidance abilities of a predator or prey species are affected will determine the direction in which the balance will be shifted. In a contaminated estuary we have studied, prey capure and predator avoidance of resident mummichogs, Fundulus heteroclitus, are impaired, which may account for individuals in that estuary having reduced growth and longevity compared with those from uncontaminated sites. Exposure to sediments, water, and grass shrimp from the contaminated site can impair the predatory abilities of mummichogs from a clean site. An important prey species, the grass shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio, has a greater population density and a greater proportion of large individuals at the polluted site, apparently because of reduced predation pressure. Mummichog larvae at the polluted site are initially more active and better at prey capture and predator avoidance than larvae from clean sites, but later they become poorer at both. Differences in predator vulnerability among larvae appear to be due to population differences in behavior, which may be due in part to both genetic and environmentally-caused factors. Conservation of fish populations should consider fish behavior and its interaction with contaminants.

Analysis of prey capture ability of mummichogs, Fundulus heteroclitus (L.) from a mercury-polluted tidal creek compared with conspecifics from an uncontaminated environment showed that the latter captured the prey organism Palaemonetes pugio Holthuis at a significantly faster rate and had significantly lower levels of mercury in their brain tissues. Exposure of uncontaminated fish to conditions similar to those of the polluted creek caused both a reduction in their prey capture rate and an increase in brain mercury to levels similar to those of fish native to the creek. Polluted fish maintained in the laboratory for extended periods failed to show either an increase in prey capture rate or a decrease in their levels of brain mercury. Size-selective predation on grass shrimp was observed among mummichogs from both sites, but did not appear to vary between sites. Videotape analysis of predatory behavior showed that fish from the polluted creek made significantly fewer attempts to capture prey. Fish from the polluted environment suffered significantly greater mortality in the presence of a predator, the blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, than fish from the unpolluted environment.