Energy flow through an amphiura filiformis (Ophiuroidea:Echinodermata) population in galway bay, west coast of ireland:A preliminary investigation

The burrowing ophiuroid Amphiura filiformis (O.F. Müller) forms a stable, high density population in Galway Bay which is composed of one functional adult group containing many year classes. Recruitment rates are very low and annual somatic growth is almost entirely restricted to arm regeneration. The energy input to arm regeneration and to gonad production is estimated and respiration calculated from laboratory assays. Estimates of energy flow show that 77.4% of energy is respired, 16% goes to arm regeneration and 6.6% to gonad output. A P:B ratio of 1.97 is obtained for the Amphiura population and this is compared with values obtained in the literature for other echinoderms.