Other Techniques: Difference between revisions

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Another example of filter feeders is the manta ray.  
Another example of filter feeders is the manta ray.  
Manta rays practice a variation called “ram filter-feeding,” in which they swim at high speeds through a concentration of plankton with their mouth open. At lower concentrations of prey they may continuously filter out plankton as they swim, while amid higher concentrations of prey they engulf and filter out large concentrations of plankton at a time<ref name="ram">Paig-Tran, E. (2012). Filtration at the mega-scale: Exploring the filter morphology and filtration mechanisms in the cartilaginous fishes (Order No. 3552837). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Full Text; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1312511009). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1312511009?accountid=14244</ref>. A manta ray expands its flattened body while propelling itself forward through the water with its mouth open, allowing water to flow through the oral cavity and out over five pairs of gill slits that line its throat (5). It unfurls two horn-like cephalic fins on either side of its mouth to form a funnel to channel more water and plankton into its oral cavity (5). Any plankton larger than a grain of sand is then captured by the feathered gill plates that line its gill slits<ref name="mantas">http://www.mantatrust.org/about-mantas/feeding-frenzy/</ref>.
Manta rays practice a variation called “ram filter-feeding,” in which they swim at high speeds through a concentration of plankton with their mouth open. At lower concentrations of prey they may continuously filter out plankton as they swim, while amid higher concentrations of prey they engulf and filter out large concentrations of plankton at a time<ref name="ram">Paig-Tran, E. (2012). Filtration at the mega-scale: Exploring the filter morphology and filtration mechanisms in the cartilaginous fishes (Order No. 3552837). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Full Text; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1312511009). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1312511009?accountid=14244</ref>. A manta ray expands its flattened body while propelling itself forward through the water with its mouth open, allowing water to flow through the oral cavity and out over five pairs of gill slits that line its throat (5). It unfurls two horn-like cephalic fins on either side of its mouth to form a funnel to channel more water and plankton into its oral cavity (5). Any plankton larger than a grain of sand is then captured by the feathered gill plates that line its gill slits<ref name="mantas">http://www.mantatrust.org/about-mantas/feeding-frenzy/</ref>.
Manta rays use a variation of filter feeding called “cross-flow filtration” in which water flows parallel to its gill plate surfaces, only deviating slightly to dip across the filter surface and siphon out of the gills (6). This causes denser food particles with more momentum than the surrounding water medium to travel straight to the back of the mouth and form a concentrated food ball for the manta ray to eat  <ref name="crossflow">Brainerd, E. L. (2001). Caught in the crossflow. Nature, 412(6845), 387-8. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/35086666</ref>. This filtration method can act as a self-cleaning process that pushes food particles collecting on the filters back to the opening of the esophagus without needing mucus to capture or carry them. This means that manta rays have less filter-clogging problems and can swim and feed for longer periods of time without needing to stop and close their mouths to clear and eat the food off their filters<ref name="nomucus">Paig-Tran, Misty. "Secrets of Filter-Feeding Sharks and Rays." College of the Environment at the University of Washington. January 1, 2013. http://depts.washington.edu/fhl/enews/winter2013/misty.html.</ref>.
Manta rays use a variation of filter feeding called “cross-flow filtration” in which water flows parallel to its gill plate surfaces, only deviating slightly to dip across the filter surface and siphon out of the gills (6). This causes denser food particles with more momentum than the surrounding water medium to travel straight to the back of the mouth and form a concentrated food ball for the manta ray to eat  <ref name="crossflow">Brainerd, E. L. (2001). Caught in the crossflow. Nature, 412(6845), 387-8. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/35086666</ref>. This filtration method can act as a self-cleaning process that pushes food particles collecting on the filters back to the opening of the esophagus without needing mucus to capture or carry them. This means that manta rays have less filter-clogging problems and can swim and feed for longer periods of time without needing to stop and close their mouths to clear and eat the food off their filters<ref name="nomucus">Paig-Tran, Misty. "Secrets of Filter-Feeding Sharks and Rays." College of the Environment at the University of Washington. January 1, 2013. http://depts.washington.edu/fhl/enews/winter2013/misty.html.</ref>.  
#**various swimming techniques while filter feeding - barrel rolling, bottom feeding, surface feeding, feeding chains, cyclone feeding <ref name="mantas">http://www.mantatrust.org/about-mantas/feeding-frenzy/</ref>
Manta rays employ many different strategies while filter feeding. One such strategy is called "barrel rolling", involves the ray rolling itself backwards as they feed on densely patches of plankton. Another strategy employed while filter feeding is simply bottom feeding, where the manta ray will scoop up plankton from the seabed. One strategy called "cyclone feeding" is observed only in the Hanifaru Bay in the Maldives, and only occurs about a dozen times each year. In cyclone feeding, the mantas feed in a chain that loops around to form a spiraling column of up to 150 individuals. This spiraling column acts as a cyclone that creates a vortex where filtered water is pulled towards the surface. Plankton on the outside of the cyclone get pulled in to the cyclone and to the open mouths of the manta rays<ref name="mantas">http://www.mantatrust.org/about-mantas/feeding-frenzy/</ref>.
#*Example: Whale Shark
#*Example: Whale Shark
#** Also ram feeding - "rams" water and food (plankton) through the filtering pads covering the entrance to their throat <ref name="usf">http://www.cas.usf.edu/news/s/89</ref>
#** Also ram feeding - "rams" water and food (plankton) through the filtering pads covering the entrance to their throat <ref name="usf">http://www.cas.usf.edu/news/s/89</ref>

Revision as of 18:54, 14 April 2015

Other Techniques

Filter Feeding

Filter feeding is a feeding method observed among some types of fish in Caribbean reefs. Filter feeders filter dissolved and suspended organic matter from the water by forcing water to flow across specialized filtration structures. The most common food source for filter feeding fish is plankton or other small organisms. In fish, the anatomical structures used to filter out plankton are most often gill rakers.[1].


Herring are one example of a fish that uses filter feeding, although they use it as one of two methods of feeding (the other is particulate-feeding) [2]. When filter feeding, herrings swim through the water with an open or snapping mouth, allowing water to flow through the oral cavity and out gill openings, using long and thin gill rakers to sift out the small crustaceans and plankton present in the water column (Marshall Islands). The sieve effect of the gill rakers causes food particles to concentrate in the oral cavity, after which they are ingested [3].


Another example of filter feeders is the manta ray. Manta rays practice a variation called “ram filter-feeding,” in which they swim at high speeds through a concentration of plankton with their mouth open. At lower concentrations of prey they may continuously filter out plankton as they swim, while amid higher concentrations of prey they engulf and filter out large concentrations of plankton at a time[4]. A manta ray expands its flattened body while propelling itself forward through the water with its mouth open, allowing water to flow through the oral cavity and out over five pairs of gill slits that line its throat (5). It unfurls two horn-like cephalic fins on either side of its mouth to form a funnel to channel more water and plankton into its oral cavity (5). Any plankton larger than a grain of sand is then captured by the feathered gill plates that line its gill slits[5]. Manta rays use a variation of filter feeding called “cross-flow filtration” in which water flows parallel to its gill plate surfaces, only deviating slightly to dip across the filter surface and siphon out of the gills (6). This causes denser food particles with more momentum than the surrounding water medium to travel straight to the back of the mouth and form a concentrated food ball for the manta ray to eat [6]. This filtration method can act as a self-cleaning process that pushes food particles collecting on the filters back to the opening of the esophagus without needing mucus to capture or carry them. This means that manta rays have less filter-clogging problems and can swim and feed for longer periods of time without needing to stop and close their mouths to clear and eat the food off their filters[7]. Manta rays employ many different strategies while filter feeding. One such strategy is called "barrel rolling", involves the ray rolling itself backwards as they feed on densely patches of plankton. Another strategy employed while filter feeding is simply bottom feeding, where the manta ray will scoop up plankton from the seabed. One strategy called "cyclone feeding" is observed only in the Hanifaru Bay in the Maldives, and only occurs about a dozen times each year. In cyclone feeding, the mantas feed in a chain that loops around to form a spiraling column of up to 150 individuals. This spiraling column acts as a cyclone that creates a vortex where filtered water is pulled towards the surface. Plankton on the outside of the cyclone get pulled in to the cyclone and to the open mouths of the manta rays[5].

    • Example: Whale Shark
      • Also ram feeding - "rams" water and food (plankton) through the filtering pads covering the entrance to their throat [8]

Detritivores

    • Consume dead organic material and return nutrients to the sediment. [9]
    • Definition of dead organic material: animal and plant remains, waste products, and the bacteria/microorganisms associated with waste products [10]
    • At least 3 reef fish families have been identified as feeding heavily on detritus in what is called the "epilithic algal matrix": Surgeonfishes, damselfishes, and blennies [10]
    • Hard Substrate Detritivores (most members of the Ctenochaetus genus) [10]
      • feeding technique: press jaw against substrate and then throw lower jaw upward[10]
      • effectively brushes particulate matter off of rock and dead corals, and also out of turf algae[10]
    • Sediment Detritivores
      • feeding technique: eat mouthfuls of sand and associated debris[10]
      • Example: orange-shoulder surgeonfish[10]
      • Example: Spotted Surgeonfish - Feeds by whisking comb-like teeth over the bottom as it closes its mouth [11]
    • Algal Detritivores
      • Technique: scape algae off of hard surface, along with associated filamentous algae, diatoms, detritus, and sand (eat some algae, but primary source of nutrition is detritus within algae) [12]
      • Example: Combtooth Blennies [12]
    • Mucus-feeders: "consume only coral mucus without removing any other live coral tissue or underlying skeleton" [13]
      • coral mucus contains energy-rich wax esters, fatty acids, and triglycerides, which provide valuable source of energy for many fish [10][13][14]
      • Corals produce a lot of mucus, producing 51-480 mg m^-2 d^-1 [14]
      • Study by Bensen and Muscatine (1974) [15]
        • When coral mucus was artificially dispersed, fish assembled and avidly ingested it
        • Conclusion: coral mucus is an important food source for reef inhabitants and could be an energy source linking the coral producer and small fish consumers in reef communities
      • Example: Ornate Butterfly Fish has been shown to consume large quantities of coral when feeding [10][16]
    • Scavengers
      • Carrion not common on coral reefs [17]
      • One study found that all carrion left on reef was consumed within 24 hours at very rapid rates - indicates that scavenged biomass is tightly recycled within the reef fish community[17]
      • Example: Tiger Shark [18]

Notes

  1. http://www.coralscience.org/main/articles/aquaculture-a-husbandry-4/filter-feeders
  2. Gibson, R.N., and A. Ezzi. "Effect of Particle Concentration on Filter- and Particulate-feeding in the Herring Clupea Harengus." Marine Biology 88, no. 2 (1985): 109-16.
  3. Sanderson, S. L., Cheer, A. Y., Goodrich, J. S., Graziano, J. D., & Callan, W. T. (2001). Crossflow filtration in suspension-feeding fishes. Nature, 412(6845), 439-41. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/35086574
  4. Paig-Tran, E. (2012). Filtration at the mega-scale: Exploring the filter morphology and filtration mechanisms in the cartilaginous fishes (Order No. 3552837). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Full Text; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1312511009). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1312511009?accountid=14244
  5. 5.0 5.1 http://www.mantatrust.org/about-mantas/feeding-frenzy/
  6. Brainerd, E. L. (2001). Caught in the crossflow. Nature, 412(6845), 387-8. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/35086666
  7. Paig-Tran, Misty. "Secrets of Filter-Feeding Sharks and Rays." College of the Environment at the University of Washington. January 1, 2013. http://depts.washington.edu/fhl/enews/winter2013/misty.html.
  8. http://www.cas.usf.edu/news/s/89
  9. http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/media/coral-reef-food-web/?ar_a=1
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8 http://www.fishchannel.com/fish-health/saltwater-conditions/marine-fish-feeding-guilds.aspx
  11. http://www.fishbase.org/summary/6015
  12. 12.0 12.1 http://www.tfhmagazine.com/details/articles/ber-algae-eaters-the-lawnmower-blennies-full-article.htm
  13. 13.0 13.1 Rotjan, Randi D. "Impact of Coral Predators on Tropical Reefs." Marine Ecology Progress Series 367 (2008): 73-91. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "Rotjan" defined multiple times with different content
  14. 14.0 14.1 Coffroth 1984, http://www.nsm.buffalo.edu/Bio/burr/Publications/4%20Coffroth1984.pdf
  15. Benson and Muscatine 1974, http://aslo.net/lo/toc/vol_19/issue_5/0810.pdf
  16. Cole, Andrew J., Morgan S. Pratchett, and Geoffrey P. Jones. "Diversity and Functional Importance of Coral-feeding Fishes on Tropical Coral Reefs." Fish and Fisheries 9 (2008): 1-22.
  17. 17.0 17.1 Rassweiler, Andrew, and Thomas Rassweiler. "Does Rapid Scavenging Hide Non-predation Mortality in Coral-reef Communities?" Marine and Freshwater Research 62 (2011): 510-15.
  18. http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=37
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