Natural diet, feeding periodicity and functional response to food density of the abalone, Haliotis asinina L., (Gastropoda)

The natural food spectrums of the different size groups of abalone, Haliotis asinina L., from Tawi-Tawi, southern Philippines, were determined by analysis of gut contents. Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the feeding and defecation patterns and functional response of the abalone to varying food density under ambient water conditions. Like other tropical haliotids, H. asinina prefers red algae to brown algal species. Eighteen algal species, 72.2% of which are red algae (Rhodophyta), were observed in the gut contents of all size groups of abalone; Laurencia, Hypnea, Amphiroa and Coelothrix are the most frequent food species. Hypnea and Laurencia are also the most abundant food items of H. asinina. A chi-square test indicated that frequency of occurrence (%) of most algal food species in the gut samples is independent of the size of the animal. About 84% of all algal species were observed in the gut contents of small abalone. Haliotis asinina (mean shell length ± SD = 3.48 ± 0.05 cm) showed a distinct nocturnal feeding periodicity and remained cryptic during daylight hours. Feeding activity was intense from 1800 to 0200 h, but it slowed down a few hours before sunrise, resulting in about 11 h of feeding time within a 24-h cycle. Defecation occurred during the feeding period in proportion to the amount of food consumed and faecal production during the night was significantly higher than during the daylight hours. The total daily faecal output was 1.26 mg dry weight abalone^–1. The experiments showed that H. asinina (mean shell length ± SD = 3.55 ± 0.02 cm) consumed more food when food density increased in linear proportion to food abundance. However, food consumption levelled off at a food density equivalent to 35% of body weight.