Sea Cucumber (Holothuria arguinensis) as a Shelter for Juvenile Fish (Diplodus bellottii) in the Gulf of Cadiz (Southwestern Spain)

During a diving survey on soft-bottom habitats in the Gulf of Cadiz (Southwestern Spain), the use of the sea cucumber Holothuria arguinensis (Echinodermata, Holothuriidae) as a shelter by juvenile Senegal’s sea bream Diplodus bellottii (Chordata: Sparidae) was observed. Eight juvenile sea bream D. b...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: de Carvalho-Souza, Gustavo F., Roque, David, González-Ortegón, Enrique
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2022
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/295546
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/295546
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Refuge
Microhabitat
Holothurians
Young fish
Atlantic Ocean
Descripción
Sumario:During a diving survey on soft-bottom habitats in the Gulf of Cadiz (Southwestern Spain), the use of the sea cucumber Holothuria arguinensis (Echinodermata, Holothuriidae) as a shelter by juvenile Senegal’s sea bream Diplodus bellottii (Chordata: Sparidae) was observed. Eight juvenile sea bream D. bellottii were videoed sheltering under the sea cucumber’s body. This observation highlights the importance of sea cucumbers as a shelter for juvenile fish, providing a microhabitat to take refuge from predators. This is the first report of juvenile sea bream sheltered by a sea cucumber.