Alimentación natural de Aulacomya ater (Molina, 1782) en Punta Paloma, Arica (Mollusca, Bivalvia, Mytilidae)

Abstract

Gastric content of A ater from Arica (Chile) is analized between february to december 1973. The diversity and the abundance fluctuations of the microorganisms which constitute this mytilid's diet, are established. Its trophic spectrum is ample, it uses indiscriminately and independently from size or sex, the material inmediately available, there is no selection of the size of the suspended food particles, up to 725 um. Phytoplancton is dominant in the stomach content; 41,7°/o annual average. A. ater is an euriphagous, filtering, planctophagous and detritivorous organism. Its location on the trophic scale is similar to that of Mytilus chilensis and Choromytilus chorus, differing in the maximun size of the ingested particles.