Influence of light on the feeding behaviour of Isaurus tuberculatus Gray, 1828 (Cnidaria: Zoanthidea) under laboratory conditions

Abstract

The zoanthids are generally colonial anthozoans with a stolan in the basal region. They are very common and abundant in  tropical intertidal communities. The species  Isaurus tuberculatus presents tubercules on the body surface and it has small tentacules  and a very thick mesogleia. The objective of this study was to observe the feeding behavior of  Isaurus tuberculatus under different  light conditions in laboratory. The animals were collected on Flecheiras Beach, Ceará State, Northeast Brazil. In the laboratory the  animals were divided into three groups, and kept in aerated tanks. In the first group the animals were kept constantly in the dark and  in the second group they were kept constantly in the light. The third group was the control that was kept in a 12 hrs dark and 12 hrs  light daily cycle. This experiment last for eight days, and then, another one was done. In this other experiment, the animals that were  kept in the dark in the first experiment now were kept constantly in light conditions and vice-versa. This experiment last for seven  days. The results of these two experiments showed that the light conditions did not have an influence in the feeding behavior of  Isaurus  tuberculatus .