dplatt@teknowledge-vaxc.UUCP (06/08/87)
Are there any marine biologists out there? If so, I have a question: what sort of animals prey upon oysters? Specifically, are there any species of starfish that eat oysters? [I seem to recall reading that some starfish prey upon clams... are their tastes eclectic?] advTHANKSance, dave platt
bob@brspyr1.UUCP (06/11/87)
in article <13496@teknowledge-vaxc.ARPA>, dplatt@teknowledge-vaxc.ARPA (Dave Platt) says: > > Are there any marine biologists out there? If so, I have a question: > what sort of animals prey upon oysters? Specifically, are there any > species of starfish that eat oysters? [I seem to recall reading that > some starfish prey upon clams... are their tastes eclectic?] Well, I used to be a marine biologist. I remember enough to answer in a general way. Starfish are not very fussy, and will indeed eat oysters, clams, scallops, or whatever else they can wrap themselves around. However, as far as oysters are concerned (or the people that raise them commericially) the oyster drill is a bigger problem in most areas. "Oyster drill" is the common name for several species of predatory marine gastropods (members of the Order Gastropoda). They do exactly what their name implies - they drill holes in oysters (or other bivalves) and eat them. I eat oysters too, but I believe I have a rather negligible impact on the population. -- Bob Armao (bob@brspyr1) | Took my gal to the baseball game. UUCP: ihnp4!dartvax!brspyr1!bob | I kissed her between the strikes. BRS Information Technologies | She kissed me between the balls. Phone: (518) 783-1161 |--------------------------------------
bchso@uhnix2.UUCP (06/15/87)
In article <13496@teknowledge-vaxc.ARPA> dplatt@teknowledge-vaxc.ARPA (Dave Platt) writes: >Are there any marine biologists out there? If so, I have a question: >what sort of animals prey upon oysters? Specifically, are there any >species of starfish that eat oysters? [I seem to recall reading that I lived in Oyster Bay, NY for a few years. They now harvest clams instead of oysters because the starfish population explosion finished off the oysters. BTW, the oystermen thought that by cutting up starfish and throwing the pieces overboard they were killing the starfish off... dr. dan davison/ Dept of Biochemical and Biophysical Sciences/ U. of Houston bitnet: bchs6\@uhupvm1.bitnet | 4800 Calhoun/ Houston, Tx 77004 arpanet: davison\@sumex-aim.stanford.edu|uucp:...rice!soma!uhnix1!uhnix2!bchso "Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most"
mrh@cybvax0.UUCP (Mike Huybensz) (06/19/87)
In article <396@uhnix2.UUCP> bchso@uhnix2.UUCP (Dan Davison) writes: > I lived in Oyster Bay, NY for a few years. They now harvest clams instead of > oysters because the starfish population explosion finished off the oysters. > BTW, the oystermen thought that by cutting up starfish and throwing the > pieces overboard they were killing the starfish off... This sounds much like an apocryphal story to me. Does anyone have a reference to support this? I remember hearing this when I was a kid on Long Island. But in order for oystermen to significantly increase the population of starfish, they would have to produce a large proportion of regenerating starfish. It would be readily observable and obvious, and they'd stop. It strikes me as more likely that the pieces got eaten, and that there was a reproductive bloom through ordinary sexual means. It's also possible that the oysters declined because of a change in bottom conditions, pollution, etc. -- "Enough of acting the infant who has been told so often how he was found under a cabbage that in the end he remembers the exact spot in the garden and the kind of life he led there before joining the family circle." Samuel Beckett -- Mike Huybensz ...decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!cybvax0!mrh