TY - JOUR
T1 - Chemical defence of the soft coral Parerythropodium fulvum (Forskal) in the Red Sea against generalist reef fish
AU - Kelman, D.
AU - Benayahu, Y.
AU - Kashman, Y.
N1 - Funding Information:
We acknowledge the insightful critiques on the manuscript by M. Ilan and by the anonymous reviewers. We would like to thank A. Meroz and D. Goulet for their assistance with the fish collection and advice. We thank the staff of the Interuniversity Institute of Marine Biology at Eilat for their hospitality and facilities. We thank D. Wool for statistical advice, and N. Paz and C. Shapiro for editorial assistance. This paper is part of a thesis presented as partial fulfilment of the M.Sc. dissertation submitted by D.K. to Tel-Aviv University. This research was supported in part by a grant to Y.B. from the Israel Science Foundation.
PY - 1999/5/1
Y1 - 1999/5/1
N2 - Laboratory feeding assays comparing chemical and sclerite deterrence capabilities of Parerythropodium fulvum revealed that the organic extract deterred feeding by the generalist reef fish Thalassoma klunzingeri (Fowler and Steinitz) and T. lunare (Linnaeus), whereas the sclerites were palatable. The mean number of pellets, containing natural extract concentration as in the living coral, eaten by the test fish was 0.25 ± 0.43, while the mean number of sclerite pellets was 7.0 ± 1.58 out of 10 pellets offered. Extracts of the two colour morphs of the studied species taken from colonies from both shallow and deep reefs deterred feeding by the wrasses even at concentrations as low as 12.5% of the natural concentration present in the coral. Feeding experiments using extracts of embryos of the P. f. fulvum yellow morph revealed that they are chemically protected against predation. A higher level of deterrence was found with extracts of embryos combined with the mucus in which they are embedded. The present study shows that effective defence against predation in the surface-brooded embryos of P. fulvum is accomplished by the aggregation of chemically defended embryos, embedded within mucus possessing predator repellent properties; and by the close proximity of the brood to the chemically defended parent colony.
AB - Laboratory feeding assays comparing chemical and sclerite deterrence capabilities of Parerythropodium fulvum revealed that the organic extract deterred feeding by the generalist reef fish Thalassoma klunzingeri (Fowler and Steinitz) and T. lunare (Linnaeus), whereas the sclerites were palatable. The mean number of pellets, containing natural extract concentration as in the living coral, eaten by the test fish was 0.25 ± 0.43, while the mean number of sclerite pellets was 7.0 ± 1.58 out of 10 pellets offered. Extracts of the two colour morphs of the studied species taken from colonies from both shallow and deep reefs deterred feeding by the wrasses even at concentrations as low as 12.5% of the natural concentration present in the coral. Feeding experiments using extracts of embryos of the P. f. fulvum yellow morph revealed that they are chemically protected against predation. A higher level of deterrence was found with extracts of embryos combined with the mucus in which they are embedded. The present study shows that effective defence against predation in the surface-brooded embryos of P. fulvum is accomplished by the aggregation of chemically defended embryos, embedded within mucus possessing predator repellent properties; and by the close proximity of the brood to the chemically defended parent colony.
KW - Chemical defence
KW - Embryos
KW - Feeding deterrence
KW - Octocorallia
KW - Parerythropodium f fulvum
KW - Red Sea
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0033135467&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0022-0981(99)00016-7
DO - 10.1016/S0022-0981(99)00016-7
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AN - SCOPUS:0033135467
VL - 238
SP - 127
EP - 137
JO - Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology
JF - Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology
SN - 0022-0981
IS - 1
ER -