6533b827fe1ef96bd1285b5e
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Feeding strategy of the sacoglossan opisthobranch Oxynoe olivacea on the tropical green alga Caulerpa taxifolia.
Silvano RiggioFranco AndaloroPaola Gianguzzasubject
biologyAlgaeCaulerpa taxifoliaOxynoe olivaceaUlvophyceaeBotanyGastropodaIntroduced speciesCaulerpa spp.Feeding strategy Introduced species Oxynoe olivaceaAquatic Sciencebiology.organism_classificationMolluscaThallusdescription
The feeding behaviour of the shelled sacoglossan Oxynoe olivacea was investigated to better understand the role and importance of this species in influencing encroachments of the alien alga Caulerpa taxifolia in the Mediterranean sea. We tested whether this slug preferred, as preliminary field observations suggested, an aggregative feeding behaviour and which part of the algal thallus, phylloid vs rhizoid, it preferred. Results showed that O. olivacea fed in groups and actively selected phylloid. This outcome poses important questions regarding the possibility that this species, fragmenting the alga thallus, could enhance dispersion and regeneration of C. taxifolia.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-04-01 |