Testing Scylla palamamosain as a predator on the invasive mussel, Mytella strigata, in China by predation preference experiments

Biological invasions are the second largest driver of global biodiversity loss after habitat destruction.As an ecological management measure, biological control utilizes natural predators to selectively suppress invasive species while maintaining ecosystem stability.This study focuses on the invasive mussel Mytella strigata (Hanley, 1843), which spreads quickly in Indo-Pacific oceans and threatens marine biodiversity by outcompeting native species and degrading benthic habitats.We assessed the potential of using indigenous Scylla paramamosain (Estampador, 1949), a native crab indigenous to Southeast Asia, as a biocontrol agent by investigating its predation preferences between the invasive M. strigata and two native bivalves: Perna viridis (Linnaeus, 1758) and Meretrix lusoria (Röding, 1798).Furthermore, we examined size-specific predation patterns on M. strigata populations to inform targeted control strategies.The results indicated that S. paramamosain showed a greater preference for M. strigata compared to P. viridis and M. lusoria.Moreover, as the size of M. strigata decreased, the number of individuals consumed increased, whereas the total dry weight of prey consumed declined.These findings suggested that S. paramamosain may potentially mitigate the proliferation of M. strigata in areas where their habitats overlap.