IS THE BRISTLEWORM PYGOSPIO ELEGANS CLAPAREDE (SPIONIDAE) REALY A DEPOSIT-FEEDER?

Zbigniew Piesik†, Krystian Obolewski

Department of Water Ecology, Pomeranian Academy,

ul. Arciszewskiego 22 b, 76-200 Słupsk, Poland

e-mail: obolewsk@pap.edu.pl

Abstract

Gut contents of Pygospio elegans Claparede (Spionidae) individuals collected in the Polish coastal zone of the Baltic were analysed. Guts of almost all the P. elegans (89-100%) were found to con­tain sand grains and detritus. Microalgae (BaciUariophyta, Chlorophyta, Flagellata) occurred in the guts of 8-100% P. elegans individuals. Noteworthy was the finding, in the P. elegans gut contents, of oligochaeta remains, indicative of some predatory behaviour of the polychaete. The oligochaete contribution to the P. elegans food increased with polychaete size (from 33 to 100%). Therefore, P. elegans in the Baltic population should be regarded as omnivores rather than suspesion feed­ers-deposit feeders they have been classified with so far.

Key words: Baltic coastal zone, Pygospio elegans, feeding

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