Abstract:

Detritovorous macroorganisms have important functions in nutrient remineralization and may exert significant predation pressure on meiofaunal communities. We have examined food excrements of detritus grazing holothuroids of Elba Island (Mediterranean Sea) to investigate whether ingested foraminifera survive the passage through the digestive tract. Our findings provide evidence that some benthic foraminifera pass through the complete digestive tract without being harmed by its predators. Sediment-feeding holothurians may thus affect microdistribution processes ultimately resulting in an allochthonous redistribution within the environment.

Revue de micropaléontologie 48 (2005) 169-174