Ecology Summary - Nymphon gracile

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Ecology of Nymphon gracile

Main Ref.	Roberts, D., 1981
Remarks	Coastal to slope (Ref. 19); intertidal and sublittoral of rocky shores (Ref. 277). Larvae is an ectoparasite of hydroids. Chemically attracted to various hydroid species (Ref. 121217). Feeding on hosts: hydroid Actinia equina by grasping the sides and rasping away by the action of the jaws; Polyzoan Bowerbankia (Ref. 12); Actinia equina, Dynamena pumila, Bowerbankia,and Nucella eggs. Chelifores: responsible for transferring food to proboscis (Ref. 236). Method of feeding: When this species feed on the hydroid Dynamena pumila it slings to the colony by means of its long, slender legs and removes pieces by using the right and left chelifores alternatively (Ref. 236). Free-living (Ref. 3123).

Main Ref.

Roberts, D., 1981

Remarks

Coastal to slope (Ref. 19); intertidal and sublittoral of rocky shores (Ref. 277). Larvae is an ectoparasite of hydroids. Chemically attracted to various hydroid species (Ref. 121217). Feeding on hosts: hydroid Actinia equina by grasping the sides and rasping away by the action of the jaws; Polyzoan Bowerbankia (Ref. 12); Actinia equina, Dynamena pumila, Bowerbankia,and Nucella eggs. Chelifores: responsible for transferring food to proboscis (Ref. 236). Method of feeding: When this species feed on the hydroid Dynamena pumila it slings to the colony by means of its long, slender legs and removes pieces by using the right and left chelifores alternatively (Ref. 236). Free-living (Ref. 3123).

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 Nymphon gracile may be found.

Habitat

Substrate	Benthic: demersal;
Substrate Ref.
Special habitats
Special habitats Ref.

Associations

Ref.	Bisby, F.A., M.A. Ruggiero, K.L. Wilson, M. Cachuela-Palacio, S.W. Kimani, Y.R. Roskov, A. Soulier-Perkins and J. van Hertum, 2005
Associations
Associated with
Association remarks
Parasitism

feeding

Feeding type	mainly animals (troph. 2.8 and up)
Feeding type Ref.	Hily, C. and M. Bouteille, 1999
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	3.99	0.24			Trophic level estimated from a number of food items using a randomized resampling routine.
Ref.

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