Abstract
Abstract In shallow, soft-bottom benthic communities meiofauna is as important as macrofauna, with regard to both biomass and production. Shallow bottoms are also important as feeding habitats for the sand goby Pomatoschistus minutus and meiofauna accounts for a considerable part of their diet. Population dynamics, diet and potential predation effect on the infauna by P minutus were studied in a shallow (1—1.5 m) sandy area in the northwestern part of Aland, northern Baltic Sea (May-October, 1989).The predation efficiency of the fish was studied in aquaria with Ostracoda, Corophium volutator; Neomysis integer and Macoma balthica as prey. The abundance of P. minutus resembled that of other areas in the Baltic and neighbouring seas. The lowest density was found in October (0.5 ind/m2), while the highest abundance (11.2 ind/m2) was recorded in September. The diet of P. minutus varied seasonally and with increasing fish size. Small individuals ( 40 mm) a...
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.