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Microhabitat and resource utilization in cryptic rocky intertidal echinoderms at Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles

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Abstract

On a sheltered upper eulittoral rocky shore at Aldabra Atoll, 5 cryptic, tropical holothurian species Afrocucumis africana (Semper), Holothuria (Selenkothuria) parva Krauss, Polycheira rufescens (Brandt), H. (Thymiosycia) impatiens (Forskaal) and H. (Mertensiothuria) leucospilota Brandt, in decreasing order of abundance, co-occurred on intact beach-rock, whereas the only ophiuroid Ophiocoma scolopendrina (Lamarck) lived mainly on rubble. The 3 commonest holothurian species (A. africana, H. parva and P. rufescens) utilized significantly different microhabitats. All 5 holothurian species differed appreciably in body size, gut contents and feeding behaviour. The differing holochurian body sized could be related to both particle size classes of the gut contents of these species and microhabitats occupied. The amount of suitable microhabitats is probably more important to the number and abundance of cryptic species than the amount of detrital food resources available. The echinoderm assemblage appeared to be stable over time.

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Author notes

  1. N. A. Sloan

    Present address: Bermuda Biological Station, 1-15, St. George's West, Bermuda

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology and Comparative Physiology, Queen Mary College, University of London, Mile End Road, E1 4NS, London, England

    N. A. Sloan

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  1. N. A. Sloan
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Communicated by J. M. Lawrence, Tampa

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Sloan, N.A. Microhabitat and resource utilization in cryptic rocky intertidal echinoderms at Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles. Mar. Biol. 54, 269–279 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00395789

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