Foraging Rhythm of the Whelk Muricodrupa fusca (KÜSTER) (Muricidae) in Intertidal Rockpools
1993 Volume 1993 Issue 45 Pages 43-48
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1993 Volume 1993 Issue 45 Pages 43-48
YAMAMOTO, TOMOKO (Department of Zoology, Kyoto University). 1993. Foraging rhythm of the whelk Muricodrupa fusca (KÜSTER) (Muricidae) in intertidal rockpools. Benthos Research, 45 : 43-48.
Foraging rhythm of predatory gastropod Muricodrupa fusca (KÜSTER) was investigated in some intertidal rockpools of mid-tide level at the south-west coast of Kii Peninsula. The foraging activity of M. fusca did not exhibit clear rhythms with day-night periodicity, high and low tide periodcity nor even semilunar periodicity. Comparison of these results with those from other studies about animals living out of pools evidently indicate that M. fusca in the pools do not have any foraging rhythmicity reported in the other studies. It was suggested that such a foraging pattern of the whelk was caused by its long foraging time and less changeable environmental conditions in rockpools. This non-rhythmicity of the foraging was considered not to be so disadvantageous to the living in rockpools.
