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Corallivorous snails: first record of corallivory by Ergalatax junionae (Gastropoda: Muricidae) in the Persian Gulf

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 December 2011

A. Saledhoust ,
H. Negarestan ,
M.J. Jami  and
Brian Morton
A. Saledhoust*
Affiliation:
Iranian Fisheries Research Organization, No. 297 West Fatemi Street, Tehran, Iran
H. Negarestan
Affiliation:
Iranian Fisheries Research Organization, No. 297 West Fatemi Street, Tehran, Iran
M.J. Jami
Affiliation:
Iranian Fisheries Research Organization, No. 297 West Fatemi Street, Tehran, Iran
Brian Morton
Affiliation:
Iranian Fisheries Research Organization, No. 297 West Fatemi Street, Tehran, Iran Department of Zoology, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BP, UK
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: A. Saledhoust, Iranian Fisheries Research Organization, No. 297 West Fatemi Street, Tehran, Iran email: azadeh.saleh@yahoo.com
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Abstract

Ergalatax junionae is a muricid gastropod endemic to the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. Following a coral bleaching event in the Persian Gulf in 2007, E. junionae was observed feeding in large numbers on local corals, notably species of Porites and Platygyra. Hitherto, it was unknown what E. junionae fed on but it is not known if this is a record of an opportunistic event or if this muricid is a corallivore as with some congeners.

Keywords

Ergalatax junionaeCorallivoryPersian Gulf
Type
Research Article
Information
Marine Biodiversity Records , Volume 4 , December 2011 , e99
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2011

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References

RELATED JMBA PUBLICATIONS

Morton, B. (2006) Scavenging behaviour by Ergalatax contractus (Gastropoda: Muricidae) and interactions with Nassarius nodifer (Gastropoda: Nassariidae) in the Cape d'Aguilar Marine Reserve, Hong Kong. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 86, 141–152.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morton, B. and Blackmore, G. (2009) Seasonal variations in the density of and corallivory by Drupella rugosa and Cronia margariticola (Caenogastropoda: Muricidae) in the coastal waters of Hong Kong: ‘plagues’ or ‘aggregations’. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 89, 147–159.CrossRefGoogle Scholar