Predators in chemosynthesis-based food webs need both toxic and non-toxic prey

What is it about?

Predators should avoid toxic prey. However, non-toxic prey can bring costs too, such as indigestibility. Intoxication should then be balanced against being filled up with indigestible matter. Here we study a shorebird feeding on two bivalves, one being thin-shelled but toxic and the other being thick-shelled non-toxic. Survival rates were higher when the non-toxic prey was abundant. However, the non-toxic prey was usually not abundant enough, and hence the toxic alternative had to be consumed.

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Why is it important?

Our work stresses the strong involvement of microbial symbionts in the process of predation in chemosynthesis-based ecosystems. A better understanding of this process may offer a new perspective on ecological interactions in general, and the rare deep sea vent, cold seep and tropical intertidal systems in particular. Incidentally, this work also represents one of the first studies where winter-survival of migratory birds can be explained on the basis of both quantity and quality of their food.