Feeding, defaecation and absorption efficiency in the sea-urchin, Parechinus angulosus Leske

Abstract

Feeding, defaecation and absorption rates were estimated for a controlled laboratory population of Parechinus angulosus. Both feeding and defaecation were power functions of mass. Expressed for an animal of standard size, annual population consumption was estimated as 14% of the annual kelp production at Oudekraal, Cape Peninsula. Absorption efficiency did not vary with size of animal and was shown to be considerably higher than the predicted value of Ricklefs (1973).