Feeding behaviour of deep-sea dwelling holothurians: inferences from a laboratory investigation of shallow fjordic species

Hudson, I.R.; Wigham, B.D.; Solan, M.; Rosenberg, M.. 2005 Feeding behaviour of deep-sea dwelling holothurians: inferences from a laboratory investigation of shallow fjordic species. Journal of Marine Systems, 57 (3-4). 201-218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmarsys.2005.02.004

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract/Summary

An experimental mesocosm was used to investigate the feeding behaviour, particle size selectivity, gut throughput time and dietary selection of two holothurian species, Stichopus tremulus (Gunnerus) and Mesothuria intestinalis (Ascanius). Specimens usually only present at depths > 1000m in the North-eastern Atlantic Ocean were collected from a relatively shallow (< 100 m) cold-water fjordic system in Sweden and maintained in the laboratory. Both species exhibited a similar strategy for retrieving sediment particles from the sediment surface; feeding tentacles were used in a ‘grasping’ motion to pick up sediment particles. The rate at which the feeding tentacles were placed onto the sediment surface, however, differed between species (S. tremulus was three times quicker than M. intestinalis) resulting in a significant difference in gut throughput time. Both species, when offered different sized sediment particles, showed a preference for finer sediment and for nutritionally rich, pigment-enhanced, food patches.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmarsys.2005.02.004
Additional Keywords:	Holothurian, pigment, biomarker, deep sea, enrichment experiment; mesocosm
Date made live:	27 Oct 2005 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/117750

Actions (login required)

View Item

Document Downloads

More statistics for this item...