期刊
CORAL REEFS
卷 32, 期 1, 页码 227-231出版社
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s00338-012-0969-x
关键词
Agaricia humilis; Corallivory; Coral recruitment; Hermodice carunculata; Montastraea faveolata; Predation
资金
- Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology
Coral predation by the fireworm Hermodice carunculata was investigated by presenting settlers (< 3-week-old) and adults of two species of Caribbean corals, Montastraea faveolata and Agaricia humilis, to three different size classes of fireworms under laboratory conditions. For both coral species, survival rates of settlers were low (< 2 % after 4 days), intermediate (42-54 %) and high (> 90 %) in the presence of small-, mid- and large-sized fireworms, respectively. In contrast, fireworms hardly preyed on adult corals, irrespective of their sizes. Our results suggest an ontogenic shift in the diet of H. carunculata and in the susceptibility of corals to predation by fireworms. H. carunculata, in particular small-sized individuals, could be an important cause for early post-settlement mortality in corals. The corallivore could reinforce recruitment bottlenecks and reduce coral recovery after disturbances.
作者
我是这篇论文的作者
点击您的名字以认领此论文并将其添加到您的个人资料中。
推荐
暂无数据