Marine Biology

, Volume 39, Issue 4, pp 361–370 | Cite as

Population structure and foraging biology of the predaceous chilean asteroid Meyenaster gelatinosus and the escape biology of its prey

  • P. K. Dayton
  • R. J. Rosenthal
  • L. C. Mahen
  • T. Antezana
Article
Accepted:

Abstract

Observations of the feeding biology of Meyenaster gelatinosus (Meyen) were made between Horcón and the southern Golfo de Penas, Chile. Of 811 sea stars examined, 436 were feeding on individuals representing 30 prey species. M. gelatinosus preys upon almost all the echinoderms and molluscs in its habitat, yet most of the prey species have extremely effective running escape behaviour in which they eventually release their attachment to the substratum, usually assuring that they will be swept to safety. Many of the molluscs exaggerate this by dorsoventral flattening of their mantles, so that they glide even farther. The echinoid Loxechinus albus has a very effective pedicillariae defense. Even at a distance, prey species usually discern foraging M. gelatinosus from non-foraging individuals, and on several occasions were observed touching M. gelatinosus which were eating conspecifics. Comparisons of the sizes of individual M. gelatinosus and their L. albus prey items showed no correlation; none of the prey species except possibly Concholepas choncholepas and M. gelatinosus itself has a refuge in size from attacking M. gelatinosus. The density of M. gelatinosus in 3 of 4 widely separated study areas where such data were collected was 0.04/m2. The mean radius of M. gelatinosus ranged from 150 to 210 mm in five study areas.

Keywords

Assure Population Structure Prey Item Prey Species Escape Behaviour 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 1977

Authors and Affiliations

  • P. K. Dayton
    • 1
  • R. J. Rosenthal
    • 1
  • L. C. Mahen
    • 1
  • T. Antezana
    • 1
  1. 1.Scripps Institution of OceanographyLa JollaUSA

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