Diet and feeding behaviour of the sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa in the St. Lawrence estuary, eastern Canada
Combined laboratory and field experiments showed that sea cucumbers (Cucumaria frondosa) from the St. Lawrence estuary in eastern Canada have well-defined feeding cycles with marked seasonal and tidal variations. Typical feeding behaviour involved extension of the tentacles, which were then successi...
Published in: | Canadian Journal of Zoology |
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Language: | English |
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Canadian Science Publishing
1998
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z98-040 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z98-040 |
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crcansciencepubl:10.1139/z98-040 2024-09-15T18:03:24+00:00 Diet and feeding behaviour of the sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa in the St. Lawrence estuary, eastern Canada Hamel, Jean-Francois Mercier, Annie 1998 http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z98-040 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z98-040 en eng Canadian Science Publishing http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining Canadian Journal of Zoology volume 76, issue 6, page 1194-1198 ISSN 0008-4301 1480-3283 journal-article 1998 crcansciencepubl https://doi.org/10.1139/z98-040 2024-09-05T04:11:14Z Combined laboratory and field experiments showed that sea cucumbers (Cucumaria frondosa) from the St. Lawrence estuary in eastern Canada have well-defined feeding cycles with marked seasonal and tidal variations. Typical feeding behaviour involved extension of the tentacles, which were then successively introduced into the oral cavity. Field observations and analysis of intestinal contents and indices demonstrated that C. frondosa fed mainly during spring and summer. Their diet comprised an abundance of phytoplanktonic cells (Coscinodiscus centralis, Chaetoceros debilis, Skeletonema costatum, and Thalassiosira gravida), with occasional ingestion of small crustaceans and a variety of eggs and larvae. Food types found in the digestive tract were closely related to the periodic abundance of plankton species in the water. Fewer individuals were observed feeding during fall and winter; they mostly ingested nonliving particles and the intestinal indices were low. In field populations, feeding rates were highest during ebb and rising tides, whereas under laboratory conditions without tidal variation, individuals showed no distinct feeding periods. However, individuals maintained under laboratory conditions and periodically provided with phytoplanktonic cells demonstrated a strong ability to detect the food in the water and react accordingly by extending their tentacles and beginning to feed. The results of the study suggest that food availability, rather than physical parameters such as temperature or current, best explains the cyclic feeding behaviour of C.\x11frondosa at seasonal and tidal scales. Article in Journal/Newspaper Cucumaria frondosa Canadian Science Publishing Canadian Journal of Zoology 76 6 1194 1198 |
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Open Polar |
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Canadian Science Publishing |
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crcansciencepubl |
language |
English |
description |
Combined laboratory and field experiments showed that sea cucumbers (Cucumaria frondosa) from the St. Lawrence estuary in eastern Canada have well-defined feeding cycles with marked seasonal and tidal variations. Typical feeding behaviour involved extension of the tentacles, which were then successively introduced into the oral cavity. Field observations and analysis of intestinal contents and indices demonstrated that C. frondosa fed mainly during spring and summer. Their diet comprised an abundance of phytoplanktonic cells (Coscinodiscus centralis, Chaetoceros debilis, Skeletonema costatum, and Thalassiosira gravida), with occasional ingestion of small crustaceans and a variety of eggs and larvae. Food types found in the digestive tract were closely related to the periodic abundance of plankton species in the water. Fewer individuals were observed feeding during fall and winter; they mostly ingested nonliving particles and the intestinal indices were low. In field populations, feeding rates were highest during ebb and rising tides, whereas under laboratory conditions without tidal variation, individuals showed no distinct feeding periods. However, individuals maintained under laboratory conditions and periodically provided with phytoplanktonic cells demonstrated a strong ability to detect the food in the water and react accordingly by extending their tentacles and beginning to feed. The results of the study suggest that food availability, rather than physical parameters such as temperature or current, best explains the cyclic feeding behaviour of C.\x11frondosa at seasonal and tidal scales. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hamel, Jean-Francois Mercier, Annie |
spellingShingle |
Hamel, Jean-Francois Mercier, Annie Diet and feeding behaviour of the sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa in the St. Lawrence estuary, eastern Canada |
author_facet |
Hamel, Jean-Francois Mercier, Annie |
author_sort |
Hamel, Jean-Francois |
title |
Diet and feeding behaviour of the sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa in the St. Lawrence estuary, eastern Canada |
title_short |
Diet and feeding behaviour of the sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa in the St. Lawrence estuary, eastern Canada |
title_full |
Diet and feeding behaviour of the sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa in the St. Lawrence estuary, eastern Canada |
title_fullStr |
Diet and feeding behaviour of the sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa in the St. Lawrence estuary, eastern Canada |
title_full_unstemmed |
Diet and feeding behaviour of the sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa in the St. Lawrence estuary, eastern Canada |
title_sort |
diet and feeding behaviour of the sea cucumber cucumaria frondosa in the st. lawrence estuary, eastern canada |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
1998 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z98-040 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z98-040 |
genre |
Cucumaria frondosa |
genre_facet |
Cucumaria frondosa |
op_source |
Canadian Journal of Zoology volume 76, issue 6, page 1194-1198 ISSN 0008-4301 1480-3283 |
op_rights |
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/z98-040 |
container_title |
Canadian Journal of Zoology |
container_volume |
76 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
1194 |
op_container_end_page |
1198 |
_version_ |
1810440890004537344 |