Distribution Pattern and Feeding Preference of Asterias amurensis (Echinodermata: Asteriidae) in Tongyeong, Korea

This study examined distributional patterns of Asterias amurensis in Tongyeong, the central South Sea of Korea. The density of the sea star was estimated at 10 chosen sites in the inner and the outer parts of the Tongyeong coast from December 2000. The mean density of the species in this area was $2.4ind./m^{2}$. The seasonal surveys conducted at 3 arbitrary chosen sites (i.e., sea cage, reef and soft sediment) also showed that the abundance of the species at the sea cage site $(density:\;3.6\;ind./m^{2};\;biomass:\;250.7\;gwwt/m^{2})$ was significantly higher than at the reef site $(density:\;1.7\;ind./m^{2};\;biomass:\;63.5\;gwwt/m^{2})$ and the soft sediment site $(density:\;0.4\;ind./m^{2};\;biomass:\;18.9\;gwwt/m^{2})$. Densities were higher at sea cages areas than at reefs and soft bottom sites. At sea cage site, A. amurensis population exhibited a strong aggregated distributional pattern. In contrast, at reef and soft bottom sites, A. amurensis population showed a random distributional pattern. The spatial difference in prey species and its abundance was the primary factor determining the spatial heterogeneity of the sea star in its behavior characteristics. Experiments on the feeding preference indicated that A. amurensis had a strong selectivity on its prey, but this selectivity varied between populations living in different sites. In particular, A. amurensis populations at the reef site showed a strong selectivity on various sessile and mobile animals living in reef areas, suggesting that these animal groups may play a role as "windows for the survival of A. amurensis". These results suggest that the distribution of A. amurensis in Tongyeong is closely associated with abundance of prey species and the bottom composition.

통영해역에 서식하는 아므르불가사리의 분포 특성과 서식처에 따른 먹이 선호도 비교