Volumen 44 - Número 1: 89-92 | 2009
Article 

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Experimental displacement trials of the red sea urchin Strongylocentrotus franciscanus (Aggassiz, 1863) (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) at different current velocities

Chita Guisado A.^1*, Luis F. Bückle R.², Mónica Hernández R.² and Daniela Díaz-Guisado^3,4 

¹Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y de Recursos Naturales, Universidad de Valparaíso, Casilla 5080, Reñaca, Viña del Mar, Chile

²Laboratorio de Ecofisiología, Departamento de Acuicultura, Centro de Investigación Científica y Educación Superior de Ensenada (C.I.C.E.S.E.), Km 107 Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada, Ensenada, Baja California, México

³Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Arturo Prat, Ejercito 443, Puerto Montt, Chile

⁴Present address: School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600 Wellington 6140, New Zealand

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Displacement of marine animals is affected by diverse environmental factors, including hydrodynamics performance. We evaluated the effect of current velocity on the displacement of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus franciscanus in an experimental flume, in both light and dark conditions. We observed that movement of S. franciscanus was directly proportional to the current speed. Our results differ from previous studies in the amount and the direction of displacement of other strongylocentrotids, because sea urchins displacements were similar in the current direction and countercurrent irrespective of current velocity and our results showed displacements of circa 7 m per day, smaller to that reported for experiments in the same urchin species in British Columbia. The differences may be due to the absence of predators or food, or the trials in day and night conditions. Day and night differences in the displacement of S. franciscanus were not observed.

Key words: Current speed, day and night movement, experimental flume

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