TY - JOUR
T1 - Coral fluorescence
T2 - a prey-lure in deep habitats
AU - Ben-Zvi, Or
AU - Lindemann, Yoav
AU - Eyal, Gal
AU - Loya, Yossi
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s).
PY - 2022/12
Y1 - 2022/12
N2 - Fluorescence is highly prevalent in reef-building corals, nevertheless its biological role is still under ongoing debate. This feature of corals was previously suggested to primarily screen harmful radiation or facilitate coral photosynthesis. In mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs; 30-150 m depth) corals experience a limited, blue-shifted light environment. Consequently, in contrast to their shallow conspecifics, they might not be able to rely on photosynthates from their photosymbionts as their main energy source. Here, we experimentally test an alternative hypothesis for coral fluorescence: a prey-lure mechanism for plankton. We show that plankton exhibit preferential swimming towards green fluorescent cues and that compared to other morphs, higher predation rates are recorded in a green fluorescing morph of the mesophotic coral Euphyllia paradivisa. The evidence provided here - that plankton are actively attracted to fluorescent signals - indicates the significant role of fluorescence in amplifying the nutritional sink adjacent to coral reefs.
AB - Fluorescence is highly prevalent in reef-building corals, nevertheless its biological role is still under ongoing debate. This feature of corals was previously suggested to primarily screen harmful radiation or facilitate coral photosynthesis. In mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs; 30-150 m depth) corals experience a limited, blue-shifted light environment. Consequently, in contrast to their shallow conspecifics, they might not be able to rely on photosynthates from their photosymbionts as their main energy source. Here, we experimentally test an alternative hypothesis for coral fluorescence: a prey-lure mechanism for plankton. We show that plankton exhibit preferential swimming towards green fluorescent cues and that compared to other morphs, higher predation rates are recorded in a green fluorescing morph of the mesophotic coral Euphyllia paradivisa. The evidence provided here - that plankton are actively attracted to fluorescent signals - indicates the significant role of fluorescence in amplifying the nutritional sink adjacent to coral reefs.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85131122594&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s42003-022-03460-3
DO - 10.1038/s42003-022-03460-3
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C2 - 35654953
AN - SCOPUS:85131122594
SN - 2399-3642
VL - 5
JO - Communications Biology
JF - Communications Biology
IS - 1
M1 - 537
ER -