The chiton Hanleya nagelfar (Polyplacophora, Mollusca) and its association with sponges in the European Northern Atlantic

Abstract

We present data on sponge species found to serve as substrate and prey to the chiton Hanleya nagelfar in Northern Scandinavian waters and describe a recently discovered sponge–sponge–chiton association. A specimen of H. nagelfar was found to display selective feeding and homing behaviour on a massive sponge covered by an encrusting sponge. The nature of this three-fold association is discussed.