Ecology Summary - Hermissenda crassicornis

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Ecology of Hermissenda crassicornis

Main Ref.	Gallivan, G. and J. Danforth, 1999
Remarks	Found in oyster beds in bays in low to subtidal zones. Carnivorous; preys on hydroids, small sea anemones, bryozoans, worms, small crustacea, tiny clams, and even dead animals. Does not digest stinging capsules (nematocysts) of their prey. Instead the nematocysts are moved to the tip of the cerata and incorporated into the creature's own defense system.

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 Hermissenda crassicornis may be found.

Habitat

Substrate	Benthic: mobile; Soft Bottom Hard Bottom;
Substrate Ref.	Gotshall, D.W., 2005
Special habitats
Special habitats Ref.

Associations

Ref.	Gallivan, G. and J. Danforth, 1999
Associations
Associated with
Association remarks
Parasitism

feeding

Feeding type	mainly animals (troph. 2.8 and up)
Feeding type Ref.	Gallivan, G. and J. Danforth, 1999
Feeding habit	hunting macrofauna (predator)
Feeding habit Ref.	Gallivan, G. and J. Danforth, 1999

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	3.60	0.37			Trophic level estimated from a number of food items using a randomized resampling routine.
Ref.