ИСТИНА

The snow crab Chionoecetes opilio is an important commercial species that established a non-indigenous self-sustaining population in the Barents region. Bycatch of the snow crab was recorded for the first time in 1996 in the Barents Sea, and later in 2003 it was also found in the south-eastern part of the Barents Sea, the Pechora Sea, thereafter forming a self-producing population and predicted to further grow in numbers. Snow crabs are benthic omnivores and their presence in the Pechora Sea pose potential threats to benthic habitats and biodiversity. There are currently no data on snow crab diets in the Pechora Sea and trophic relations with other benthic predators including other benthic decapods that are native to the Barents Sea. In this study, we investigate stomach contents of most abundant benthic decapods in the Pechora Sea including non-native species snow crab and two native species spider crab Hyas araneus and hermit crab Pagurus pubescens. Stomach contents of 70 decapod specimens collected in 2017 from water area nearby Vaigach Island were studied and twenty categories of prey items (taxa) were identified. Average 28% of stomachs had digested microplastics among other items. The most frequently occurring prey items included bivalve mollusks (specifically Cliatocardium ciliatum, Ennucula tenuis, Macoma calcarea, Mytilus edulis agg and Dacridium vitreum), polychaetes, crustaceans and plant debris. Diets, overlaps and preferences of the 3 species were compared and discussed.