Ecology of Spirula spirula
 
Main Ref. Jereb, P. and C.F.E. Roper (eds.), 2005
Remarks Migrates from 550 to 1000 meters during the day, and 100 to 300 meters at night (Ref. 106682). Young is captured at depths 1,000 to 1,750 m, which suggests that females lay eggs on bottom of continental slopes (Ref. 1695). Dead shells washed up on the beaches often in large numbers (Ref. 88739).

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 Spirula spirula may be found.

Habitat

Substrate Pelagic;
Substrate Ref. Springsteen, F.J. and F.M. Leobrera, 1986
Special habitats
Special habitats Ref.

Associations

Ref.
Associations
Associated with
Association remarks
Parasitism

feeding

Feeding type plants/detritus+animals (troph. 2.2-2.79)
Feeding type Ref. Ohkouchi, N., R. Tsuda, Y. Chikaraishi and K. Tanabe, 2013
Feeding habit
Feeding habit Ref.

Trophic Level(s)

Estimation method original sample unfished population Remark
Troph s.e. Troph s.e.
From diet composition 2.50 Trophic level was estimated to be 2.5-2.8 based on amino acid nitrogen isotopic analysis.
From individual food items 3.26 0.40 Trophic level estimated from a number of food items using a randomized resampling routine.
Ref. Ohkouchi, N., R. Tsuda, Y. Chikaraishi and K. Tanabe, 2013
Ref. [ e.g. 3742]
Glossary [ e.g. cnidaria]
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