Effects of coral bleaching on the obligate coral-dwelling crab Trapezia cymodoce

Stella, Jessica; Munday, Philip L.; Jones, Geoffrey P.

doi:10.1007/s00338-011-0748-0

Cited by 47 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…Most obligate coral-dwelling invertebrates also exhibit very specific host coral preferences and are generally associated with either Acropora or Pocillopora corals (e.g., Bruce 1998;Pratchett 2001;Stella et al 2011a). Meanwhile, facultative coraldwelling invertebrates opportunistically inhabit live coral colonies as one of the predominant structural microhabitats available within reef systems, but are not considered to be fundamentally dependent upon abundant live coral for their local persistence (Castro 1976;Stella et al 2011a). Stella et al (2011a) reported that 56 % of coral-dwelling invertebrates appeared to have an obligate reliance on live corals, largely because these species had not been recorded outside of live coral habitats.…”

Section: Communicated By Ecology Editor Dr Alastair Harbornementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Coral-dwelling invertebrates are generally divided into those that have obligate versus facultative associations with live coral hosts (Castro 1976;Stella et al 2011a). Obligate coral-dwelling invertebrates are defined as those that are almost universally found on live coral colonies (Stella et al 2011a), inferring that they have strong reliance on live corals for food, habitat, and/or recruitment.…”

Section: Communicated By Ecology Editor Dr Alastair Harbornementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Communicated By Ecology Editor Dr Alastair Harbornementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Obligate coral-dwelling invertebrates are defined as those that are almost universally found on live coral colonies (Stella et al 2011a), inferring that they have strong reliance on live corals for food, habitat, and/or recruitment. Most obligate coral-dwelling invertebrates also exhibit very specific host coral preferences and are generally associated with either Acropora or Pocillopora corals (e.g., Bruce 1998;Pratchett 2001;Stella et al 2011a). Meanwhile, facultative coraldwelling invertebrates opportunistically inhabit live coral colonies as one of the predominant structural microhabitats available within reef systems, but are not considered to be fundamentally dependent upon abundant live coral for their local persistence (Castro 1976;Stella et al 2011a).…”

Section: Communicated By Ecology Editor Dr Alastair Harbornementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Rather, the vast majority of species living on coral reefs are small, cryptic invertebrate species that live within the interstices of coral reef habitats (Reaka-Kudla 1997). Many of these invertebrates have evolved to form close symbiotic associations with corals, particularly branching Scleractinia, which provide food (mostly, in the form of coral mucus and associated detritus), as well as a physical refuge from predators (Castro 1988;Stella et al 2011a). In return,…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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High prevalence of obligate coral-dwelling decapods on dead corals in the Chagos Archipelago, central Indian Ocean

et al. 2015

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Small and cryptic organisms that live within the interstices of reef habitats contribute greatly to coral reef biodiversity, but are poorly studied. Many species of cryptofauna have seemingly obligate associations with live coral and are therefore considered to be very vulnerable to coral mortality. Here we report the unanticipated prevalence of obligate coral-dwelling decapod crustaceans on dead colonies of branching corals in the Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory) in the central Indian Ocean. A total of 205 obligate coral-dwelling decapods, including Trapezia crabs, were recorded from 43 (out of 54) dead coral colonies of Acropora and Pocillopora collected across five different atolls. Trapezia individuals found on dead corals were mainly juveniles, and the few adults were almost exclusively male. Among the shrimps (Pontoniinae), however, it was predominantly adult females found on dead corals. Obligate coral-dwelling species that typically occur only on live Pocillopora hosts (e.g., Trapezia spp.) were recorded on dead Acropora. These findings suggests that these obligate coral-dwelling decapods are not simply persisting on coral hosts that have died, but may be explicitly recruiting to or moving to dead coral hosts at certain stages in their life cycle. Variation in the abundance of live coral among sites had no affect on the presence or abundance of obligate coral-dwelling decapods on dead corals. This study shows that habitat associations of obligate coral-dwelling organisms, and their reliance on different habitat types, are complex and further work is required to establish their vulnerability to widespread habitat degradation on coral reefs.

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