Underreported in-water behaviours of the loggerhead sea turtle: Foraging on sea cucumbers

Abstract

In this article, we report on four observations of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) foraging on sea cucumbers (Holothuria spp.), on Zakynthos Island, Greece. Direct observations of this behaviour are underreported in the literature. Foraging on such prey was in general a challenging process as the turtles used their flippers and their beak to cut the sea cucumbers albeit without success. They ended up shallowing the sea cucumbers most likely in one intact piece. Even though this behaviour is rare in this site, two out of four observations involved the same male sea turtle, indicating potentially specific dietary preferences for this individual.