ABSTRACT

Ophioderma appressum is a common and abundant ophiuroid species in tropical reef communities. Nevertheless, few studies analyse and describe its biology. In this paper, we evaluate and describe the diet of this species collected at Seixas reefs, João Pessoa, Brazil. Monthly diurnal samples were obtained between September 2018 and July 2019. In total, 143 individuals were analysed. The recorded diet was variable and consisted of 24 taxa and two additional items. Most material represented unidentifiable and/or digested remains, foraminiferans, crustacean fragments, and sediment particles, indicating omnivory. The number of individuals with stomach contents varied along the year (from two to 13 specimens per month). There was also significant temporal variation in the composition of the stomach contents. The months September 2018, May 2019 and June 2019 had the highest variety of items during the study. Our results suggest generalist and opportunistic feeding behaviour and highlight the role of O. appressum as an active predator on prey of diverse taxa and body size.

摘要

黑木耳是热带珊瑚礁群落中常见且丰富的鸦片类动物。然而，很少有研究分析和描述其生物学。在本文中，我们评估和描述了在巴西 João Pessoa 的 Seixas 珊瑚礁收集的该物种的饮食。在 2018 年 9 月至 2019 年 7 月期间获得了每月的昼夜样本。 总共分析了 143 个人。记录的饮食是可变的，由 24 个分类群和两个附加项目组成。大多数材料代表无法识别和/或消化的遗骸、有孔虫、甲壳类动物碎片和沉积物颗粒，表明是杂食动物。胃内容物的数量随年份变化（从每月 2 个到 13 个样本）。胃内容物的组成也有显着的时间变化。2018 年 9 月，在研究期间，2019 年 5 月和 2019 年 6 月的项目种类最多。我们的结果表明了通才和机会主义的喂养行为，并强调了O. appressum作为一种活跃的捕食者，捕食不同分类群和体型的猎物。