In situ observations of feedingbehavior of thecosome pteropod molluscs

• Other Authors: Gilmer, R. W., Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: American Malacological Society
• Subjects: North Atlantic Ocean; Thecosomata; Pteropoda; Cavolinia; Animals > Food; Arctic; Antarctic; Antarc*; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00007205; https://fau.digital.flvc.org/islandora/object/fau%3A32822/datastream/TN/view/In%20situ%20observations%20of%20feedingbehavior%20of%20thecosome%20pteropod%20molluscs.jpg

Recent in situ observations of thecosome pteropods were made during five cruises in tropical, temperate, and arctic waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, and during one astral summer season in Antarctic waters. The long quiescent periods employed by thecosomes to fish their mucous feeding webs and the apparent lack of a pumping mechanism to move water through the web suggests they rely on contact trapping of large, motile prey. Species of Cavolinia and Diacria were estimated to remain in one location for at least 35 min to fish sequential webs. The external spherical webs used by euthecosomes and their ability to rapidly ingest them appear to be a unique feeding method among plankton that utilize mucous feeding structures. Florida Atlantic University. Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute contribution 748 This manuscript is an author version with the final publication available and may be cited as: Gilmer, R. W. (1990). In situ observations of feeding behavior of thecosome pteropod molluscs. American Malacological Bulletin, 8(1), 53-59.