Nocturnal Predation of Christmas Tree Worms by a Batwing Coral Crab at Bonaire (Southern Caribbean)

Abstract

Christmas tree worms (Serpulidae: Spirobranchus) occur in shallow parts of coral reefs, where they live as associates of a large number of stony coral species [...]

Who is smashing the reef at night? A nocturnal mystery

“…to feed on either the boring bivalves, barnacles, or tube worms that live in symbiosis with corals, like the worm-snail. A similar behavior was also recently documented for the Atlantic species of the same genus, C. corallinus, which was observed breaking off parts of a massive coral (Porites astreoides) to feed on the Christmas tree worms that live within it (Muller et al 2020). The coral crabs we observed were using their claws to smash shells and skeletons, but also to grasp and transfer the soft parts of the prey toward their mouth (Fig.…”

“…1; Video S1). Moreover, they were commonly using their first pair of walking legs and occasionally also the second pair to carry and handle their prey objects (Video S1) as reported in many other crabs (Zipser and Vermeij 1978, Ng et al 2008, Muller et al 2020.…”

“…corallinus , which was observed breaking off parts of a massive coral ( Porites astreoides ) to feed on the Christmas tree worms that live within it (Muller et␣al. 2020). The coral crabs we observed were using their claws to smash shells and skeletons, but also to grasp and transfer the soft parts of the prey toward their mouth (Fig.…”

Host Range of the Coral-Associated Worm Snail Petaloconchus sp. (Gastropoda: Vermetidae), a Newly Discovered Cryptogenic Pest Species in the Southern Caribbean

“…A possible predator of Petaloconchus sp. would therefore be Carpilius corallinus Herbst, 1783, which has been observed to crush large tubes of serpulid worms and also parts of the host coral [39].…”