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Why do some coastal invertebrates enter the water column at night?
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Migration
A herd of common wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) migrating across a dusty savanna in Africa. The animal is a keystone species (i.e., a species with a disproportionately large effect on its biological community) in plains and acacia savanna ecosystems from southeastern Africa to central Kenya.
In coastal ecosystems, many larger invertebratesāsuch as mysids, amphipods, and polychaete wormsāleave the protection of algae and sediments to migrate into the water column at night.1
This behavior is primarily driven by the need to avoid visual predators that are active during the day. By emerging under the cover of darkness, these animals can safely disperse to different habitats or locate potential mates. Because these invertebrates are active when it is difficult for visual predators to detect them, they can navigate the water column with a reduced risk of being consumed. In some species, this nocturnal emergence is performed by only one sex, which may be morphologically better adapted for swimming.1