Food and habitat choice in floating seaweed clumps: the obligate opportunistic nature of the associated macrofauna

The species composition of macrofauna associated with floating seaweed rafts is highly variable and influenced by many factors like spatial and temporal variation, period since detachment and probably also the seaweed species. The presence of seaweed preferences was assessed by a combination of in situ seaweed samplings and multiple-choice aquarium experiments in a controlled environment, using the seaweed-associated grazing organisms Idotea baltica and Gammarus crinicornis . Results from the sampling data confirm that the seaweed composition influences macrofaunal species composition and abun... Mehr ...