Ecology of Bursatella leachii
| Main Ref. | Debelius, H., 2001 |
|---|---|
| Remarks | Commonly found in estuaries and tidal swimming pools (Ref. 866). Known from depths of 0 to 30 m (Ref. 7727). It is known to secrete purple ink which is produced from the purple gland, speculated to be a defensive decoy (Ref. 81111). The ink may also be a metabolic by-product in response to eating algae, particularly red algae, as observed with the species under the genus Aplysia (Ref. 81114). Primarily feeds on cyanophytes and diatom mats and films found on sand, mud and other benthic substrata; facultatively it consumes Ectocarpus and Enteromorpha spp. (Ref. 81111). |
Aquatic zones / Water bodies
| Marine - Neritic | Marine - Oceanic | Brackishwater | Freshwater | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marine zones / Brackish and freshwater bodies |
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Habitat
| Substrate | Benthic: mobile; Soft Bottom: sand; mud; |
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| Substrate Ref. | Masterson, J., 2008 |
| Special habitats | Beds: sea grass; |
| Special habitats Ref. |
Associations
| Ref. | Debelius, H., 2001 |
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| Associations | |
| Associated with | |
| Association remarks | |
| Parasitism |
feeding
| Feeding type | mainly plants/detritus (troph. 2-2.19) |
|---|---|
| Feeding type Ref. | Masterson, J., 2008 |
| Feeding habit | browsing on substrate |
| Feeding habit Ref. | Masterson, J., 2008 |
Trophic Level(s)
| Estimation method | original sample | unfished population | Remark | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troph | s.e. | Troph | s.e. | ||
| From diet composition | |||||
| From individual food items | 2.00 | 0.00 | Trophic level and s.e. inferred from exclusive plant/detritus food items. | ||
| Ref. | |||||