The cannibalistic snail Agaronia propatula (Caenogastropoda, Mollusca) is reluctant to feed on autotomized ‘tails’ of conspecifics

Species in which autotomy is triggered by cannibalism have rarely been studied. It has been hypothesized that in the intertidal gastropod Agaronia propatula , autotomized tissues are highly attractive to cannibals and so increase the victim’s chance to escape.

We tested the hypothesis by presenting autotomized ‘tails’ to foraging animals. The attack rates on autotomized ‘tails’ were lower than those on artificial objects reported previously. Autonomously moving autotomized ‘tails’ were more frequently ignored than non-moving and artificially moved ‘tail’ pieces.