Burrowing behaviour inferred from feeding traces of the opheliid polychaete <Emphasis Type="Italic">Euzonus</Emphasis> sp. as response to beach morphodynamics |
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Authors: | Koji Seike |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Earth and Planetary Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan |
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Abstract: | The distribution of the opheliid polychate Euzonus sp. and the orientation of its feeding traces were examined in a wave-dominated Pacific sandy beach of central Japan by periodical
sampling from June to December 2006. This species occurred constantly within sediments at mid-intertidal level, although its
horizontal distributions were variable depending on changes of the beach profiles. These facts indicate that Euzonus sp. moved horizontally seaward or landward within the substratum in response to the shifting beach face due to changes of
wave conditions from the ocean. By analysing the orientation of feeding traces, the adaptive burrowing behaviour of this species
in response to beach topographical changes was revealed: Euzonus worms burrowed horizontally to various directions in a relatively stable condition of beach topography, whereas they moved
preferentially landward under a heavy erosion of the beach face by a storm. These findings indicate that the burrowing behaviour
prevents Euzonus sp. from excessive burial and washing out due to the beach morphodynamics. |
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