Ecology Summary - Hexabranchus sanguineus

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Ecology of Hexabranchus sanguineus

Main Ref.	Gosliner, T., 1987
Remarks	Found in coral reefs at depths of 10 to 20 m (Ref. 866). Derives a potent chemical defense from Halichondria sp., a sponge that it eats. It displays a spectacular swimming response - it throws its body into sweeping dorsoventral flexions creating synchronous undulations through its broad and vividly patterned red and white mantle (Ref. 100471).

Aquatic zones / Water bodies

	Marine - Neritic	Marine - Oceanic	Brackishwater	Freshwater
Marine zones / Brackish and freshwater bodies	supra-littoral zone littoral zone sublittoral zone	epipelagic mesopelagic epipelagic abyssopelagic hadopelagic	estuaries/lagoons/brackish seas mangroves marshes/swamps	rivers/streams lakes/ponds caves exclusively in caves

Highighted items on the list are where Hexabranchus sanguineus may be found.

Habitat

Substrate	Benthic: mobile; Soft Bottom: sand; Hard Bottom: rocky; rubble;
Substrate Ref.	Pawlik, J.R., M.R. Kernan, T.F. Molinski, M.K. Harper and D.J. Faulkner, 1988
Special habitats	Beds: rock; Coral Reefs;
Special habitats Ref.	Pawlik, J.R., M.R. Kernan, T.F. Molinski, M.K. Harper and D.J. Faulkner, 1988

Associations

Ref.	Gosliner, T., 1987
Associations
Associated with
Association remarks
Parasitism

feeding

Feeding type	mainly animals (troph. 2.8 and up)
Feeding type Ref.	Pawlik, J.R., M.R. Kernan, T.F. Molinski, M.K. Harper and D.J. Faulkner, 1988
Feeding habit
Feeding habit Ref.

Trophic Level(s)

Estimation method	original sample		unfished population		Remark
Estimation method	Troph	s.e.	Troph	s.e.	Remark
From diet composition
From individual food items	3.00	0.00			Tentative trophic level derived from 1 + troph of a single food item
Ref.