Natural feeding of the temperate asymbiotic octocoral-gorgonian Leptogorgia sarmentosa (Cnidaria: Octocorallia)

Bathymetric distribution and growth rates of <i>Eunicella verrucosa</i> (Cnidaria: Gorgoniidae) populationsalong the Marseilles coast (France)

“…They are also equivalent to those noted in other Mediterranean gorgonians living at similar depths: 1.8 to 2.7 cm year -1 for Paramuricea clavata (Mistri andCecherelli 1994, Coma et al 1998), 2.2 cm year -1 for Eunicella singularis ) and 2.57 cm year -1 for Leptogorgia sarmentosa (Mistri and Ceccherelli 1993). Gorgonians are colonial suspension feeders that feed on plankton and on dissolved and particulate organic matter (Ribes et al 1999, Ribes et al 2003, Tsounis et al 2006. In colonial Anthozoa, food availability favours higher growth rates by affecting metabolic functions (Marschal et al 2004, Skoufas et al 2000, Mortensen and Buhl-Mortensen 2005.…”

Prey selectivity of the octocoral Carijoa riisei at Pernambuco, Brazil

“…In their studies, Ribes et al (2003) suggest that the ingestion of phytoplankton prey by octocorals depends both on prey size and abundance. The ingestion of greater, not abundant items (diatoms) was similar to that of the smaller, abundant nanoflagellates.…”

“…In shallow coastal ecosystems, benthonic organisms that feed on suspended material are ecologically favorable to communities and populations concerning feeding activity once they are abundant. However, these organisms depend on the availability of feeding resources along the water column since they show little or no motility at all (Ribes et al 2003). Despite the evidences that the feeding ecology of suspensivorous animals is important to the understanding of coastal ecosystems, the knowledge on their natural diet and feeding rates is still poor (Ribes et al 2003).…”

“…However, these organisms depend on the availability of feeding resources along the water column since they show little or no motility at all (Ribes et al 2003). Despite the evidences that the feeding ecology of suspensivorous animals is important to the understanding of coastal ecosystems, the knowledge on their natural diet and feeding rates is still poor (Ribes et al 2003). According to Rossi et al (2004), studies have focused mainly on suspension feeder behavior rather than on their impact on zoo and phytoplankton.…”

“…At the first stage of the trophic web, phytoplankton community is a great contributor for total primary production and the major food source for animals inhabiting the water column and the sediment (Day et al 1989). Ribes et al (2003) suggest that the ingestion of phytoplanktonic prey depends both on its size and abundance.…”