Ecology Summary - Chaetopterus variopedatus

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Ecology of Chaetopterus variopedatus

Main Ref.	Gibbs, P.E., 1978
Remarks	Found in sublittoral mudflats (Ref. 3197), on muddy fine sand (Ref. 96521), cracks between rocks and on rocky bottoms (Ref. 87630). A filter feeder and host of a parasitic porcellanid crab (Ref. 3197). Tubiculous (Ref. 112705). Feeds mainly on detritus (Ref. 96580).

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 Chaetopterus variopedatus may be found.

Habitat

Substrate	Benthic: sessile; macrobenthos; Soft Bottom: sand ( fine, ); mud;: rocky;
Substrate Ref.	Tan, L.T. and L.M. Chou, 1993
Special habitats	Other habitats: burrows;
Special habitats Ref.	Brueggeman, P., 1998

Associations

Ref.	Gibbs, P.E., 1978
Associations	parasitism;
Associated with	It is the obligate host of the peculiar porcellanid crab Euenaios cometes.
Association remarks
Parasitism

feeding

Feeding type	mainly plants/detritus (troph. 2-2.19)
Feeding type Ref.	MacGinitie, G.E., 1939
Feeding habit	filtering plankton
Feeding habit Ref.	Chou, L.M. and K.S. Tan, 2008

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	2.00	0.00			Trophic level and s.e. inferred from exclusive plant/detritus food items.
Ref.