Logo image
Seasonal and diel variation in movement rhythms of sand dollar, Peronella lesueuri (Valenciennes 1841), in Cockburn Sound, Western Australia
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Seasonal and diel variation in movement rhythms of sand dollar, Peronella lesueuri (Valenciennes 1841), in Cockburn Sound, Western Australia

S. Yeo, J.K. Keesing and M. van Keulen
Marine Biology, Vol.160(2), pp.277-284
2013
url
Link to Published Version *Subscription may be requiredView

Abstract

Rates and direction of movement in the sand dollar Peronella lesueuri were measured in summer and winter in Cockburn Sound, a large coastal embayment in south-western Australia. P. lesueuri was found to have a diurnal activity pattern throughout the year and had a greater movement rate in the summer (mean of 5.3 cm h -1, day; 3.9 cm h -1, night) than in the winter (mean of 2.7 cm h -1, day; 2.0 cm h -1, night). Seasonal change in temperature and physiological requirements by the sand dollar are the most likely reason for the seasonal differences. Reasons for diurnal variation were not clear. Direction of movement was found to be random at both times of the year. Based on these movement rates, one sand dollar can bioturbate an approximate area of 0.1 m 2 day -1 and 36.4 m 2 year -1. At a conservative density estimate of 0.5 sand dollars per m 2 it takes approximately 20 days for the sand dollars to rework the entire area of the sediments in the habitats they occupy.

Details

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#14 Life Below Water

Source: InCites

Metrics

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Citation topics
3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology
3.2 Marine Biology
3.2.1339 Marine Invertebrate Development
Web Of Science research areas
Marine & Freshwater Biology
ESI research areas
Plant & Animal Science
Logo image