FOOD CONSUMPTION
Britaev and Lyskin (2002) analyzed the gut content of the g. clavigera. They found tissue fragments and spicules of holothurians, fragments of crustaceans, multicellular and unicullular algae, chaetae and jaws of polychaetes, grains of sand, detris, foraminifera, and fragments of the shells of bivalves (Table 1)
Table 1. Food composition and the frequencies of different food objects and nonfood particles in the intestine of the polychaete G. clavigera associated wit different hosts
S. chloronotus
n = 39 |
H. atra
n = 9 |
A. echinites
n = 8 |
| Spicules of holothurians |
74.4% (29) |
55.6% (5) |
50.0% (4) |
67.9% (38) |
| Fragments of crustaceans |
38.5 % (15) |
22.2% (2) |
25.0% (2) |
33.9% (19) |
| Fragments of polychaetes |
15.4 % (6) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
10.7% (6) |
| Algae |
17.9 % (7) |
11.1% (1) |
0% (0) |
14.3% (8) |
| Grains of sand |
25.6% (10) |
33.3% (3) |
0% (0) |
23.2% (13) |
| Detritus |
15.4% (6) |
33.3% (3) |
37.5% (3) |
21.4% (12) |
| Foraminifera |
10.3% (4) |
11.1% (1) |
0% (0) |
8.9% (5) |
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