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Reproduction and feeding ethology of a tropical, intertidal sand-dwelling anemone (Actinoporus elongatus, Carlgren, 1900)

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Abstract

Actinoporus elongatus is a widely distributed, tropical, intertidal anemone from the Indo-Pacific and Caribbean regions. Its recorded occurrences are disjunct and its feeding and reproductive ecology have not previously been described in detail. A population of this sand-dwelling species was studied for one year at Shelly Bay, Queensland, Australia. Individuals were found to be randomly distributed within the study site at a density of 42 anemones per hectare. No immigration, juvenile recruitment or mortality was observed. Histological analysis indicated a protracted period of gamete maturity during the summer months, and that the sex ratio was 1:1. A. elongatus is an opportunistic feeder with two distinct feeding methods — actinopharyngeal eversion and a newly described “trapdoor response”. Ciliary currents on the tentacular crown and oral disk were used mainly for cleaning and sand removal.

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Authors
  1. Paul D. Clayton
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  2. John D. Collins
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Department of Zoology, James Cook University of North Queensland

Department of Marine Biology, James Cook University of North Queensland

Department of Marine Biology, James Cook University of North Queensland

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Clayton, P.D., Collins, J.D. Reproduction and feeding ethology of a tropical, intertidal sand-dwelling anemone (Actinoporus elongatus, Carlgren, 1900). Hydrobiologia 237, 31–38 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00008425

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00008425

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