DNA Metabarcoding revealed interspecific dietary difference and prey selectivity in juvenile Horseshoe Crabs Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda & Tachypleus tridentatus from Hong Kong

This study demonstrates a non-invasive approach, using DNA metabarcoding analyses of the nuclear 18S rRNA gene on fecal samples to assess the dietary compositions of Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda and Tachypleus tridentatus juveniles to (i) determine their dietary compositions and trophic roles in their ecosystem, (ii) determine any prey selectivity, and (iii) distinguish the interspecific dietary differences with potential implications on the habitat requirement and ecological partitioning between these two horseshoe crab species.