Ecology of Onychoprion lunatus
| Main Ref. | SAUP Database, 2006 |
|---|---|
| Remarks | Found along the coast and continental shelf (Ref. 356). Exclusively marine. Breeds singly or in loose colonies, typically along cliffs (Ref. 91362). Breeding colonies may be found on tropical islands, along beaches and low sea cliffs. Heavily preyed on by rats (Ref. 84934). Exhibits dipping behavior (Ref. 356). Feeds mainly by plunge diving or by dipping the surface while hovering. Diet primarily consists of fish, especially five-horned cowfish, juvenile flyingfish, goatfish, herring, and dolphinfish, but also eats squid, crustaceans, mollusks and insects (marine and terrestrial) (Ref. 122680). |
Aquatic zones / Water bodies
| Marine - Neritic | Marine - Oceanic | Brackishwater | Freshwater | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marine zones / Brackish and freshwater bodies |
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Habitat
| Substrate | |
|---|---|
| Substrate Ref. | |
| Special habitats | |
| Special habitats Ref. |
Associations
| Ref. | Harrison, P., 1987 |
|---|---|
| Associations | colony-forming/symphorism; |
| Associated with | |
| Association remarks | May form loose breeding colonies. |
| Parasitism |
feeding
| Feeding type | mainly animals (troph. 2.8 and up) |
|---|---|
| Feeding type Ref. | Karpouzi, V.S., 2005 |
| Feeding habit | hunting macrofauna (predator) |
| Feeding habit Ref. | Karpouzi, V.S., 2005 |
Trophic Level(s)
| Estimation method | original sample | unfished population | Remark | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troph | s.e. | Troph | s.e. | ||
| From diet composition | |||||
| From individual food items | 4.14 | 0.43 | Trophic level estimated from a number of food items using a randomized resampling routine. | ||
| Ref. | |||||