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Brand Marks on the Starfish, Asterina Pectinifera

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2009

Takeo Kurihara
Takeo Kurihara
Affiliation:
Marine Ecology Section, Resources Management Division, Seikai National Fisheries Research Institute, Kokubu-Machi 49, Nagasaki 850, Japan
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Extract

Various marking techniques have been used in ecological studies of starfish as well as other benthic animals (Nielsen, 1992). They include the attachment of tags (Feder, 1955), staining with dye (Hancock, 1958), inscription with sharp pencil (Scheibling, 1980), and branding (T.K, unpublished data). These methods have been used in mark-recapture surveys over durations of several days in order to study the diurnal activity rhythmn (Burla et al., 1972), movement after displacement (Pabst & Vicentini, 1978), and feeding and movement rates (Keesing & Lucas, 1992). However, these marking techniques on starfish have never been quantitatively evaluated for their durability and detrimental effects on the starfish.

Accordingly, in the present study, brand marks on Asterina pectinifera (Müller & Troschel) were examined in the laboratory in terms of their durability and impact on mortality and growth. For Echinodermata, branding has been used mainly on Holothuroidea like Stichopus japonicus (Arakawa, 1990). However, it can also be used for starfish to identify individuals by marking patterns on the body (T.K., unpublished data). The present study tested the effects on the growth and mortality of A. pectinifera. It also examined the durability of brands for distinguishing individuals of a branded group from individuals of an unbranded group, and the durability for identifying individuals with specific coded brand marks.

Two hundred starfish were collected in Maizuru Bay (35°29′N 135°22′E) in September 1995, and the size was measured. The five arms of each individual were measured from the centre of the disc to the arm tip (mm) to determine the mean radius (R0).

Type
Short Communications
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 78 , Issue 2 , May 1998 , pp. 677 - 680
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 1998

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