First report of the fireworm Hermodice carunculata (Annelida: Amphinomidae) preying on a Sea Cucumber

Amphinomidae Hermodice Isostichopus predation.

Authors

  • Romulo Barroso Departamento de Biologia; Pontifí­cia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro-RJ, Brazil.
  • Daniel Filgueiras RosaMar mergulho; Rua Lucio Bacelar, 40/802. Praia da Costa, Vila Velha-ES, Brazil.
  • Mariana Contins Laboratório de Echinodermata, Museu Nacional/UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
  • Jerry Kudenov Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage, 3211 Providence Drive, Anchorage, Alaska 99508, USA.
October 6, 2017

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The annelid "˜fireworm' Hermodice carunculata is widely recorded in clear shallow waters of the tropical Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas, where it inhabits hard substrata. It is an omnivore and opportunistic scavenger, feeding strategies considered central to the maintenance of its broad geographic distribution. Hermodice carunculata also preys on various cnidarians, and starfish. This study represents the first report of active predation by H. carunculata on living specimen of the holothurian Isostichopus badionotus, from the southwestern Atlantic, Brazilian coast. The fact that parts of living holothurians were consumed, excluded the possibility of scavenging behavior. Such predatory behavior is described here for the first time, corroborates that H. carunculata feeds on Echinoderms other than starfish. However, we cannot presently answer the question whether H. carunculata actively preys on healthy holothurians or opportunistically feeds on injured sea cucumbers.