Ecology Summary - Dardanus megistos

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Ecology of Dardanus megistos

Main Ref.	Barnes, D.K.A. and R.J. Arnold, 2001
Remarks	Intertidal to 50 m (Ref. 85195). Also occurs from littoral and subtidal zones (Ref. 2884); associated with coral reef, reef flats, rocky platform, rubble, sand (Ref. 81753), seagrass bed and algal mat (Ref. 106227). On coral heads in lagoons (Ref. 74671). Reported to feed on holothurians (Ref. 106232). Opportunistic omnivore (Ref. 100471).

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 Dardanus megistos may be found.

Habitat

Substrate	Benthic: mobile; Soft Bottom: sand; Hard Bottom: rocky; rubble;
Substrate Ref.	Davie, P.J.F., 2002
Special habitats	Beds: algae/seaweed; sea grass; Coral Reefs: reef flats; lagoons;
Special habitats Ref.	Davie, P.J.F., 2002

Associations

Ref.	CRUSTA, 2012
Associations	commensalism;
Associated with	Associated with an anemone (Ref. 96667); Heteromysis harpax (mysid); Aretopsis amabilis (shrimp) (Ref. 76630).
Association remarks	The mysid and shrimp (commensals) inhabit the shell of D. megistos. It was suggested that the commensals may play a role in cleaning the hermit shell (Ref. 76630).
Parasitism

feeding

Feeding type	plants/detritus+animals (troph. 2.2-2.79)
Feeding type Ref.	Pawlik, J.R., M.R. Kernan, T.F. Molinski, M.K. Harper and D.J. Faulkner, 1988
Feeding habit
Feeding habit Ref.

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	3.00	0.00			Tentative trophic level derived from 1 + troph of a single food item
Ref.