Particle size selection in individuals from epifaunal versus infaunal populations of the nereidid polychaete Neanthes succinea(Polychaeta: Nereididae)

Neanthes succinea (Frey & Leuckart, 1847) is a common nereidid polychaete of both epifaunal and infaunal estuarine habitats. The gut contents of individuals collected from two epifaunal and two infaunal habitats are compared. Our a priori expectation was that individuals from epifaunal habitats would be classified as macrophagous with guts indicating carnivory and/or macroalgal herbivory, while individuals from infaunal habitats would be classified as microphagous with guts indicating deposit feeding. At all four locations gut contents indicated deposit feeding with little indication of macrophagous feeding. Average particle sizes for mineral grains did not differ between the four collection sites. For the two infaunal locations mean size of the mineral grains in gut contents was significantly smaller than ambient sediments. In addition to mineral grains, guts contained diatoms, dinoflagellates, macrophytic detritus, protozoan tests, and a variety of metazoans. Our study demonstrates that caution is necessary when inferring feeding type from morphology and that population and habitat specific differences in diet can occur within the same species.