Efficiency of starfish mopping in reducing predation on cultivated benthic mussels (Mytilus edulis Linnaeus)

We found that efficiency of starfish mops varied temporally and discovered a density dependent relationship between the efficiency of starfish mops and the density of starfish encountered. These findings have particular relevance to on-growing of mussels in benthic cultivation in addition to the culture of other bivalve species. By providing insight into the ecology of starfish feeding on mussel beds and furthering knowledge on how best to remove predatory starfish species from the seabed in areas where they could affect the output from mussel fisheries this research is highly relevant to mussel cultivators.