ABSTRACT
Two populations of Asterias rubens on the north Kent coast are being monitored by marking studies over a 12-month period. Complementary laboratory studies are investigating the importance of interactions between individual starfishes effected by the effluent from feeding activities. Experiments with a Y-maze have shown that prey being consumed by a starfish exerts a greater chemical stimulation than unattacked prey, but the response is flexible. The Hampton starfish were also less likely to respond to a current-borne chemical stimulus, and appeared to detect prey primarily by contact chemoreception. The authors are currently investigating the possible influence of environmental factors such as prey availability (ingestive conditioning), temperature and photo-period on the transition between the two types of response to effluent from feeding activities.
