The Diet of Large and Small Individuals of the Sea Anemone Metridium senile

Abstract

Microscopic examination of waste pellets of Metridium senile on wharf pilings in Monterey, California, revealed that the same foods were utilized by both large and small anemones. Zooplankters, including copepods, polychaete larvae, bivalve and gastropod veligers. copepod nauplii, and barnacle nauplii and cyprids constituted nearly all of the available planktonic animals and identifiable animals in waste pellets. Zooplankters were eaten roughly in proportion to their availability. Pieces of flesh, scraped from fish or squid by fishermen, were available in the water, and commonly occurred in waste pellets. Both large and small specimens of M. senile appear to feed non-selectively on small waterborne animal foods.