Abstract
The feeding and defecation behaviour of the surgeonfish Ctenochaetus striatus was investigated at Ras Mohammed National Park (South Sinai, Red Sea). The fish feed on coral rock mainly by sweeping loose sediment with their flexible broom like teeth into their mouths. Feeding occurred exclusively on coral rock, but defecation took place only outside the grazing area above sand in small, precisely defined areas.
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Acknowledgements
The research was financed by the German Research Foundation (DFG). We thank M. Fouda, head of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, and his staff, H. Fricke, the Sharm El Naga Resort team, and E. Philipp. R. Bshary holds a grant from the Swiss Science Foundation.
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Communicated by Geology Editor Dr Bernhard Riegl.
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Krone, R., Bshary, R., Paster, M. et al. Defecation behaviour of the Lined Bristletooth Surgeonfish Ctenochaetus striatus (Acanthuridae). Coral Reefs 27, 619–622 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-008-0365-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-008-0365-8