New Zealand Journal of Zoology abstracts
Ingestion of quill-worms by the astropectinid sea-star Proserpinaster
neozelanicus (Mortensen)
GEOFFREY B. READ
HELEN E. S. CLARK
National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research Ltd
P. O. Box 14 901
Kilbirnie
Wellington, New Zealand
Abstract Asteroid predation of the common tube-carrying
epibenthic polychaetes known as quill-worms (Onuphidae:
Hyalinoecia
spp.) is recorded for the first time. Four specimens of the astropectinid
Proserpinaster neozelanicus (Mortensen) from the New Zealand continental
slope and lower shelf were found to have consumed the distinctive rigid tubes
of up to 95 mm length, and one individual was extraordinarily packed with
tubes.
Proserpinaster neozelanicus and
Hyalinoecia spp. records
are concentrated in the 100-600 metres depth zone around New Zealand.
Quill-worms were present in the catch with the sea-star in about half its
occurrences; records of coexistence have a mean depth of 360.7 metres. The
predator-prey link among the species is discussed.
Keywords New Zealand; quill-worm; Polychaeta; Onuphidae;
Hyalinoecia; Echinodermata; Asteroidea; Astropectinidae;
Proserpinaster; predation
Z98004
Received 18 February 1998; accepted 21 August 1998
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (883K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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