To better understand predator–prey dynamics in benthic mussel
cultivation, we tested whether the feeding rate of three different size
classes of starfish (A. rubens) preying on two different size classes of
mussels (M. edulis) differed between: (a) stressed and unstressed mussels;
and (b) fouled and unfouled mussels. We further investigated
whether starfish presented with fouled mussels consumed any of the
epibiotic barnacles on the mussels and tested whether this varied
with both starfish and mussel size.