FOOD OF THE SEA-STAR ASTROPECTEN ARTICULATUS
Open Access
- 1 April 1961
- journal article
- research article
- Published by University of Chicago Press in The Biological Bulletin
- Vol. 120 (2) , 265-271
- https://doi.org/10.2307/1539382
Abstract
The stomach contents of 124 Astropecten articulatus have been identified and discussed. This starfish ingests great numbers of small sand-dwelling organisms. Ninety-one species of invertebrates were recovered, of which 73 were molluscs. The gastropods Acteocina candei, Natica pusilla and Olivella mutica comprised over 60% of the animals recovered. Astropecten articulatus apparently ingests whatever animals or shells it encounters. Because it effectively samples tiue fauna of offshore sand bottoms, its use is recommended as a collection tool for the study of this community.This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: