Ecology Summary - Cassis cornuta

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Ecology of Cassis cornuta

Main Ref.	Poutiers, J.M., 1998
Remarks	Live in colonies. During periods of activity, lift their shell straight up to move forward, then drop it down. Often partially buried below the surface of sand when inactive or during feeding. Preys on the crown-of-thorns Acanthaster planci, which is recently responsible for the devastation of many coral reefs.

Aquatic zones / Water bodies

	Marine - Neritic	Marine - Oceanic	Brackishwater	Freshwater
Marine zones / Brackish and freshwater bodies	supra-littoral zone littoral zone sublittoral zone	epipelagic mesopelagic epipelagic abyssopelagic hadopelagic	estuaries/lagoons/brackish seas mangroves marshes/swamps	rivers/streams lakes/ponds caves exclusively in caves

Highighted items on the list are where Cassis cornuta may be found.

Habitat

Substrate	Benthic: mobile; Soft Bottom: sand;
Substrate Ref.	Springsteen, F.J. and F.M. Leobrera, 1986
Special habitats	Coral Reefs; Other habitats: burrows;
Special habitats Ref.

Associations

Ref.	Poutiers, J.M., 1998
Associations	colony-forming/symphorism;
Associated with
Association remarks
Parasitism

feeding

Feeding type	mainly animals (troph. 2.8 and up)
Feeding type Ref.
Feeding habit	hunting macrofauna (predator)
Feeding habit Ref.

Trophic Level(s)

Estimation method	original sample		unfished population		Remark
Estimation method	Troph	s.e.	Troph	s.e.	Remark
From diet composition
From individual food items	4.10	0.60			Tentative trophic level derived from 1 + troph of a single food item
Ref.