Juvenile age and available coral species modulate transition probability from herbivory to corallivory in Acanthaster cf. solaris (Crown-of-Thorns Seastar)

Neil, Rachel C.; Cabrera, Maria Gomez; Uthicke, Sven

doi:10.1007/s00338-022-02255-6

Cited by 10 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 23 publications

(35 reference statements)

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“…Future research could explore how the predator-prey interactions described here may change or persist across the broader CoTS ontogeny and age-size classes, including juveniles that have made the switch to a corallivorous diet and adults. We expect vulnerability to predation to change across these size and diet transitions, which can occur as early as 140-190 d post-settlement (Neil et al 2022) but may be delayed when no coral is available (Deaker et al 2020). Indeed, even within the herbivorous juvenile period, predation pressure may decrease significantly as body size increases, as documented in both experimental and field studies (Keesing et al 2018;Balu et al 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Novel rubble-dwelling predators of herbivorous juvenile crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster sp.)

et al. 2023

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Crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS) are a pervasive coral predator prone to population outbreaks that have damaged coral reefs across Australia and the wider Indo-Pacific. CoTS population control through predation has been suggested as a primary mechanism that suppresses their outbreaks. However, the nature and rates of predation on CoTS are poorly resolved, especially for early life-history stages where they are expected to be most vulnerable. Here, we provide results from the first investigation of predators of CoTS during their rubble-dwelling, herbivorous, juvenile phase. We assessed the capacity of 104 common species of the rubble cryptofauna found across Heron Reef, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, to consume early-stage juvenile CoTS (0.8–3.8 mm) using controlled feeding experiments with laboratory-raised juveniles. We identified 26 novel CoTS predators, but only 10 species that regularly consumed juvenile CoTS in their entirety. Most cases of predation resulted in severed bodies and missing arms (i.e. sublethal predation) but not total consumption. We highlight one crustacean predator, Schizophrys aspera, the red decorator crab, which consumed whole juvenile CoTS in 89% of feeding trials and in excess of 5 CoTS d−1 in natural rubble mesocosms with alternative prey. This work emphasises the importance of predators at the critical juvenile stage that may control the build-up of CoTS populations prior to being detectable as an outbreak population.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Novel rubble-dwelling predators of herbivorous juvenile crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster sp.)

et al. 2023

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“…We also need a means to age juveniles found in nature to understand the extent of the ‘Peter Pan’ phenomenon in COTS. Finally, we do not know the threshold of live coral abundance required and the coral species available (see Neil et al, 2022) for juveniles to make the diet switch.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Juvenile waiting stage crown‐of‐thorns sea stars are resilient in heatwave conditions that bleach and kill corals

Byrne,

Deaker,

Gibbs

et al. 2023

Global Change Biology

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The juveniles of predatory sea stars can remain in their recruitment–nursery habitat for some time before their ontogenetic shift to the adult habitat and diet. These small juveniles are vulnerable to a range of factors with their sensitivity amplified by climate change‐driven ocean warming. We investigate the thermal tolerance of the waiting stage herbivorous juveniles of the keystone coral predator, the crown‐of‐thorns sea star (COTS, Acanthaster sp.), in context with the degree heating weeks (DHW) model that predicts coral bleaching and mass mortality. In temperature treatments ranging from +1 to 3°C in prolonged heatwave acclimation conditions, the juveniles exhibited ~100% survival in DHW scenarios that trigger coral bleaching (4 DHW), resulting in mass mortality of corals (8 DHW) and extreme conditions well beyond those that kill corals (12 DHW). This indicates that herbivorous juvenile COTS are far more resistant to heatwave conditions than the coral prey of the adults. The juveniles exhibited higher activity (righting) and metabolic rate after weeks in increased temperature. In separate acute temperature experiments, the upper thermal limit of the juveniles was 34–36°C. In a warming world, juvenile COTS residing in their coral rubble nursery habitat will benefit from an increase in the extent of this habitat due to coral mortality. The juveniles have potential for long‐term persistence as herbivores as they wait for live coral to recover before becoming coral predators, thereby serving as a proximate source of COTS outbreaks on reefs already in a tenuous state due to climate change.

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The crown-of-thorns seastar species complex: knowledge on the biology and ecology of five corallivorous Acanthaster species

Uthicke,

Pratchett,

Bronstein

et al. 2023

Mar Biol

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Coral-eating crown-of-thorns seastars (CoTS, Acanthaster spp.) are major contributors to the coral reef crises across the Indo-Pacific region. Until recently, CoTS throughout the Indo-Pacific were regarded to be a single species, Acanthaster planci. However, genetic and morphological analyses demonstrated that there are at least four distinct species: Acanthaster benziei in the Red Sea, Acanthaster mauritiensis and A. planci in the Indian Ocean, and Acanthaster cf. solaris in the western Pacific. Acanthaster cf. ellisii in the eastern Pacific needs more taxonomic attention. Here, we review the biological knowledge for each species adapting a pragmatic geographical species definition and using a systematic literature review complemented with more focused searches for individual species. The vast majority of CoTS research (88%) was conducted on A. cf. solaris, with much of this research undertaken on the Great Barrier Reef or in Japan. Many studies of A. cf. solaris are focused on monitoring or documenting incidences of outbreaks, though there is a solid base of knowledge on larval, juvenile and adult ecology derived from field and laboratory experiments. By contrast, most of the published studies on the four remaining species simply document cases of population outbreaks. The major taxonomic bias in CoTS research constitutes a significant limitation for understanding and managing these species for two reasons. First, even for A. cf. solaris, which is the most studied species, limited fundamental knowledge of their biology and ecology constrains understanding of the drivers of outbreaks and hinders corresponding management actions for prevention and control of these events. Second, understanding and management of other species are predicated on the assumption that all CoTS species have similar biology and behaviour, an unsatisfying assumption for ecosystem management.

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Juvenile age and available coral species modulate transition probability from herbivory to corallivory in Acanthaster cf. solaris (Crown-of-Thorns Seastar)

Cited by 10 publications

References 23 publications

Novel rubble-dwelling predators of herbivorous juvenile crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster sp.)

Novel rubble-dwelling predators of herbivorous juvenile crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster sp.)

Juvenile waiting stage crown‐of‐thorns sea stars are resilient in heatwave conditions that bleach and kill corals

The crown-of-thorns seastar species complex: knowledge on the biology and ecology of five corallivorous Acanthaster species

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