Mobility and attachment type
The terms used to describe mobility traits are listed below
| Trait | Definition |
|---|---|
| Sessile, permanent attachment | Non-motile; permanently attached at the base (Lincoln et al., 1998) (e.g. cup corals). |
| Mobile | Capable of movement from one location to another. |
| Sedentary, temporary attachment | Temporary or sporadic attachment. Attached to a substratum but capable of movement across (or through) it (i.e. sedentary) (e.g. sea anemones). |
| Swimmer | An organism that moves through the water column via movements of its cilia, flagella, fins, legs or appendages, via undulatory movements of the body or via jet propulsion (e.g. fish, squid). |
| Swimmer (cilia or flagella) | Swimming by beating of cilia or flagella (includes the fused cilia of Ctenophores). |
| Swimmer (muscular contraction along body) | Swimming by muscular contractions along the length of the body, which may be aided by body protrusions or structures (e.g. parapodia, fins). |
| Swimmer (appendages, paddles) | Swimming using one or more pairs of appendages (legs or paddles) e.g. the pleiopods of Isopods, Amphipods or Decapod crustaceans, or the legs of amphibians and vertebrates. |
| Swimmer (jet propulsion) | Swimming by contraction of the body or body cavity to produce a 'jet' of water, e.g. medusae and cephalopods (from Barnes et al., 2006). |
| Glider | An organism that is able to glide through the air (e.g., using some form of membrane or airfoil) but cannot propel itself through the air (e.g., flying fish). |
| Drifter | An organism whose movement is dependent on wind or water currents (e.g. by-the-wind sailors, jellyfish). |
| Passive drifter | Movement dependent on wind or water currents |
| Bysso-pelagic drifter | Use of a length of byssus thread (e.g., micro-molluscs, juvenile molluscs) or mucus (e.g. Nemertesia planulae) to be carried by water flow. |
| Ballooning or kiting | Use of a length of silk to be carried by the wind (e.g. spiders). |
| Jumper or hopper | Organisms able to undertake a rapid jump or hop several times their own body length, using specialized limbs or appendages (e.g. sand hoppers, spring tails, grass hoppers etc). |
| Creeper | An organism that slowly moves or 'creeps' along the surface of the substratum, e.g. snails and slugs. |
| Crawler or Walker | An organism that moves along or across the substratum via movements of its legs, appendages or muscles (e.g. crabs). |
| Burrower | An organism that moves through the substratum by burrowing (e.g. earthworms, polychaetes). |
References
- Barnes R.S.K., Calow P., Olive P.J.W., Golding, D.W, and Spicer, J.I., 2006. The invertebrates: a new synthesis, 3rd edn. Oxford: Blackwell Science Ltd.
- Lincoln, R., Boxshall, G. & Clark, P., 1998. A dictionary of ecology, evolution and systematics. Cambridge: Cambridge University of Press.
