[Coral-List] Fireworm predators - porgies
Amber McCammon
amccammo at fau.edu
Tue Feb 2 12:10:34 EST 2010
In reply to Andrew Ross's inquiry. I have been working with Hermodice
carunculata in the Caribbean and have witnessed a number of individuals of
Porgy fish (species not verified but I believe they were Calamus pennatula)
eating fireworms from my in situ experiments. I have had to modify my
experimental set up to keep the porgies from using my experimental
enclosures as feeding troughs.
I brought a few smaller progies (ave. FL = 18cm) into the lab and these fish
tried to eat introduced fireworms but quickly spit them out. The fireworms
were fairly large, 10-15cm long and the porgies in the lab were
approximately 1/2 the size of those seen feeding on equally sized fireworms
in the field. I have plans for investigating this line of inquiry in the
near future.
Also, there are a couple of videos on you tube posted by home aquarium
owners, which show a goby and a crab eating fireworms in captivity.
[1]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aObk9qHHeyk&feature=PlayList&p=A9137812A2E
4E9D4&index=2 The species of crab is not stated and whether or not the worm
is alive while being eaten is unclear..but I think I can see bristling when
the crab pinches.
[2]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AST_YVQtdzQ&feature=PlayList&p=A9137812A2E
4E9D4&index=3This fish species is unfamiliar to me…Pacific?
Amber--
References
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aObk9qHHeyk&feature=PlayList&p=A9137812A2E4E9D4&index=2
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AST_YVQtdzQ&feature=PlayList&p=A9137812A2E4E9D4&index=3
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