THE RESPONSES OF INTERTIDAL SCAVENGERS TO DAMAGED CONSPECIFICS IN THEFIELD

Previous studies have shown that some marine scavengers avoid damaged conspecifics. Intriguingly, however, none of these species have respon ded unanimously to damaged conspecifics in the field; some individuals of each have shown avoidance, but others have fed. The generality of avoidance of damaged conspecifics among species, and the unanimity of this behaviour within each species, were assessed in the field for sev en species of intertidal scavenging snails from four sites within lati tudes 16-36 degrees S and longitudes 137-180 degrees E. The effect of starvation on the responses of four of these species to damaged conspe cifics were examined in the laboratory. In the field, some snails of e ach species avoided damaged conspecifics, but the remainder fed. In th e laboratory, snails readily fed on damaged herbivores but would only eat damaged conspecifics after at least 4 days of starvation. It is su ggested that some individuals fed on damaged conspecifics in the field because their innate response to avoid such carcasses had been overri dden by hunger.