ECB-ART-48711
Biol Lett
2020 Apr 01;164:20190849. doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0849.
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The hidden army: corallivorous crown-of-thorns seastars can spend years as herbivorous juveniles.
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Crown-of-thorns seastar (COTS) outbreaks are a major threat to coral reefs. Although the herbivorous juveniles and their switch to corallivory are key to seeding outbreaks, they remain a black box in our understanding of COTS. We investigated the impact of a delay in diet transition due to coral scarcity in cohorts reared on crustose coralline algae for 10 months and 6.5 years before being offered coral. Both cohorts achieved an asymptotic size (16-18 mm diameter) on algae and had similar exponential growth on coral. After 6.5 years of herbivory, COTS were competent coral predators. This trophic and growth plasticity results in a marked age-size disconnect adding unappreciated complexity to COTS boom-bust dynamics. The potential that herbivorous juveniles accumulate in the reef infrastructure to seed outbreaks when favourable conditions arise has implications for management of COTS populations.
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Genes referenced: impact
References [+] :
Adjeroud,
Recovery of coral assemblages despite acute and recurrent disturbances on a South Central Pacific reef.
2018, Pubmed