Ecology Summary - Pearsonothuria graeffei

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Ecology of Pearsonothuria graeffei

Main Ref.	Conand, C., 1998
Remarks	A coral reef species rarely found in depths of more than 25 m; mostly found on reef slopes close to the coast (Ref. 122, 85218); abundant on corals mixed with calcareous red algae. Population densities generally less than 0.005 per square meter (Ref. 122). In times of considerable irritation, this animal ejects Cuvierian tubules (Ref. 85218). Feeds on the surface of coral colonies and sponges (Ref. 101700).

Main Ref.

Conand, C., 1998

Remarks

A coral reef species rarely found in depths of more than 25 m; mostly found on reef slopes close to the coast (Ref. 122, 85218); abundant on corals mixed with calcareous red algae. Population densities generally less than 0.005 per square meter (Ref. 122). In times of considerable irritation, this animal ejects Cuvierian tubules (Ref. 85218). Feeds on the surface of coral colonies and sponges (Ref. 101700).

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 Pearsonothuria graeffei may be found.

Habitat

Substrate	Benthic: mobile; megabenthos; Soft Bottom: sand;: rubble;
Substrate Ref.	Schoppe, S., 2000
Special habitats	Coral Reefs: reef slope/drop-offs;
Special habitats Ref.	Kerr, A.M., K. Netchy and A.M. Gawel, 2006

Associations

Ref.	Conand, C., 1998
Associations
Associated with
Association remarks
Parasitism

feeding

Feeding type
Feeding type Ref.
Feeding habit	browsing on substrate
Feeding habit Ref.	Roberts, D., A. Gebruk, V. Levin and B.A.D. Manship, 2003

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	3.66	0.11			Trophic level estimated from a number of food items using a randomized resampling routine.
Ref.

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