Journal
BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN
Volume 229, Issue 2, Pages 129-133Publisher
UNIV CHICAGO PRESS
DOI: 10.1086/BBLv229n2p129
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Funding
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
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Coral reefs in the Florida Keys have become highly degraded in recent decades, prompting efforts to reestablish populations of vital reef-accreting corals to restore reef structure and ecological function. However, predation on these corals by the corallivorous gastropod Coralliophila abbreviata has been a substantial and chronic impediment to these restoration efforts. We conducted laboratory experiments to determine whether Thais deltoidea, a carnivorous gastropod that commonly occurs with C. abbreviata, is a predator of C. abbreviata. We demonstrated that T. deltoidea readily preys upon C. abbreviata and preferentially targets smaller individuals, a foraging behavior that may optimize the energy gained due to reduced handling and consumption times. If this trophic relationship proves ecologically relevant, understanding the predator-prey dynamics between these species could ultimately aid in the development of a comprehensive coral reef restoration strategy for Florida.
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