By Eddy Soekendarsi & Slamet Santosa
The stomach contents of 66 individuals of Trochus niloticus were examined, revealing the presence of 42 potential food taxa. Analysis of the composition indicated that the snails primarily grazed on the surface of deceased corals. The ingested material comprised a mixture of Chrysophyta, Chlorophyta, Rhodophyta, Foraminifera, Cyanophyta, along with settled pelagic organisms, alongside a substantial amount of detritus and sand.
The measured parameters of the snails were as follows: shell length ranged from 2.3 to 11.9 cm, shell width ranged from 2.6 to 12.3 cm, and soft body wet weight ranged from 0.93 to 84.82 g. The weight of stomach contents varied between 0.03 and 10.09 g.
The correlation between shell length and the weight of stomach content was described by the equation y=0.0373 exp(0.5003x), with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.91. Similarly, the relationship between shell width and the weight of stomach content was represented by the equation y=0.0325 exp(0.4974x), with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.92. Additionally, the association between soft body wet weight and the weight of stomach content was expressed as s=:0.1793 + 0.0785x, with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.97.
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