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Interspecific variation in potential importance of planktivorous damselfishes as predators of Acanthaster sp. eggs

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-19, 02:36 authored by Cowan, Z-L, Scott LingScott Ling, Dworjanyn, SA, Caballes, CF, Pratchett, MS
Coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster sp.) often exhibit dramatic population outbreaks, suggesting that their local abundance may be relatively unchecked by predators. This may be due to high concentrations of anti-predator chemicals (saponins and plancitoxins), but the effectiveness of chemical deterrents in protecting Acanthaster sp., especially spawned eggs, from predation remains controversial. We show that planktivorous damselfishes will readily consume food pellets with low proportions (≤80%) of eggs of crown-of-thorns starfish. However, all fishes exhibited increasing rejection of food pellets with higher proportions of starfish eggs, suggesting that chemicals in eggs of crown-of-thorns starfish do deter potential predators. Interestingly, palatability thresholds varied greatly among the nine species of planktivorous fish tested. Most notably, Amblyglyphidodon curacao consumed food pellets comprising 100% starfish eggs 1.5 times more than any other fish species, and appeared largely insensitive to increases in the concentration of starfish eggs. After standardising for size, smaller fish species consumed a disproportionate amount of pellets comprising high proportions of starfish eggs, indicating that abundant small-bodied fishes could be particularly important in regulating larval abundance and settlement success of crown-of-thorns starfish. Collectively, this study shows that reef fishes vary in their tolerance to anti-predator chemicals in crown-of-thorns starfish and may represent important predators on early life-history stages.

History

Publication title

Coral Reefs

Volume

36

Pagination

653-661

ISSN

0722-4028

Department/School

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies

Publisher

Springer-Verlag

Place of publication

175 Fifth Ave, New York, USA, Ny, 10010

Rights statement

Copyright 2017 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Control of pests, diseases and exotic species in coastal and estuarine environments

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