Hayse Feeding, age, growth, and reproduction of Chsetodipterus faber 



71 



60n 



40- 



20- 



20- 



° 40- 



60- 



80 



A C 



B 



79% 



17% 



29% 



^il^°/°F 



TAXON 



46% 



IRI Ml 



A Hydrozoa 2464 2105 



B Anthozoa 813 533 



C Polychaeta 436 421 



D Amphipoda 3647 163 



E Porifera 88 85 



F Algae 40 30 



examining tentacle arrangement and nematocyst mor- 

 phology, as Chiropsalmus quadrumanus, a cubomedu- 

 sa known as the sea wasp. In stomachs obtained by nets 

 and spearing, hydroids were dominant by volume (27%) 

 and were the most frequently observed organisms (seen 

 in about 80% of the stomachs examined) (Fig. 3). Am- 

 phipods were in 45% of the stomachs and accounted for 

 about 76% of the individual organisms, but had a low 

 volume (4%). Nearly all of the amphipods were epi- 

 faunal, species primarily caprellids and tubicolous gam- 

 marids, that are frequently associated with hydroids. 

 Anthozoans, consisting nearly equally of anemones (Acti- 

 niaria) and sea pansies Ren ilia reniformis were pres- 

 ent in 29% of the stomachs, accounted for 10% of the 

 individuals, and were the third-ranking taxon in terms 

 of percent volume. Polychaetes were seen in 17% of the 

 stomachs and accounted for 24% of total volume, but 

 comprised less than 1% of the number of individuals. 

 This category consisted primarily of terebellid feeding 

 tentacles, which were probably cropped by C. faber 



Figure 3 



Percent frequency (%F), percent number (%A'). percent volume 

 (%V). index of relative importance (IRI). and modified index of im- 

 portance {MI) for higher taxonomic groups of food in the diet of 

 Chaetddiptenisjhher collected in South Carolina waters by nets and 

 spearing. 



