Ecology Summary - Copula sivickisi

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Ecology of Copula sivickisi

Main Ref.	Bennett, C.L., M.D. Nicholson and R.B. Erdman, 2011
Remarks	Known for its unique courtship behavior (Ref. 116531). Strictly night active; sits inactively, attached to its substrate during the day. Co-localized (in Okinawa) with the bioluminescent dinoflagellate Pyrocystis noctiluca which is constantly induced to emit light by encounters with planktonic crustaceans. Behavioral experiment validated its use of vision while hunting: it locates high-prey densities using abundant bioluminescent signals/flashes from P. noctiluca. Predominantly associated with coral reefs where it hunts largely for different planktonic crustaceans in surface waters at night (Ref. 116832).

Main Ref.

Bennett, C.L., M.D. Nicholson and R.B. Erdman, 2011

Remarks

Known for its unique courtship behavior (Ref. 116531). Strictly night active; sits inactively, attached to its substrate during the day. Co-localized (in Okinawa) with the bioluminescent dinoflagellate Pyrocystis noctiluca which is constantly induced to emit light by encounters with planktonic crustaceans. Behavioral experiment validated its use of vision while hunting: it locates high-prey densities using abundant bioluminescent signals/flashes from P. noctiluca. Predominantly associated with coral reefs where it hunts largely for different planktonic crustaceans in surface waters at night (Ref. 116832).

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 Copula sivickisi may be found.

Habitat

Substrate
Substrate Ref.
Special habitats	Coral Reefs;
Special habitats Ref.	Garm, A., J. Bielecki, R. Petie and D.E. Nilsson, 2016

Associations

Ref.	Bennett, C.L., M.D. Nicholson and R.B. Erdman, 2011
Associations
Associated with	Attached to a blade of Thalassia testudinum (Ref. 116531).
Association remarks
Parasitism

feeding

Feeding type	mainly animals (troph. 2.8 and up)
Feeding type Ref.	Garm, A., J. Bielecki, R. Petie and D.E. Nilsson, 2016
Feeding habit	hunting macrofauna (predator)
Feeding habit Ref.	Garm, A., J. Bielecki, R. Petie and D.E. Nilsson, 2016

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
Ref.

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