Echeneid-sirenian associations, with information on sharksucker diet

Association of the sharksucker Echeneis naucrates and whitefin sharksucker E. neucratoides with the West Indian manatee Trichechus manatus and the dugong Dugong dugon is presented and discussed. Alimentary tract‐content analysis and field observations suggest that coprophagy (feeding on host faecal...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of fish biology 2003-11, Vol.63 (5), p.1176-1183
Main Authors: Williams Jr, E. H., Mignucci-Giannoni, A. A., Bunkley-Williams, L., Bonde, R. K., Self-Sullivan, C., Preen, A., Cockcroft, V. G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agnatha. Pisces
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Autoecology
Biological and medical sciences
Brackish
commensalism
coprophagy
Dugong dugon
Echeneis
Echeneis naucrates
Echeneis neucratoides
Freshwater
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Mammalia
Marine
Sirenidae
Trichechus manatus
Vertebrata
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Summary:Association of the sharksucker Echeneis naucrates and whitefin sharksucker E. neucratoides with the West Indian manatee Trichechus manatus and the dugong Dugong dugon is presented and discussed. Alimentary tract‐content analysis and field observations suggest that coprophagy (feeding on host faecal material) may be the primary food source for echeneids associated with sirenian hosts.
ISSN:0022-1112
1095-8649
DOI:10.1046/j.1095-8649.2003.00236.x