Conservation Consequences of Corallivore Gastropod Predation on Plexaurella grandiflora (Cnidaria: Octocorallia) Populations in Tropical Reefs

Visualizações: 446

Authors

  • Camile Dias Avelino Universidade Estadual da Paraíba
  • Ellori Laíse Silva Mota Biology Department, State University of Paraíba, Avenida das Baraúnas, 351, Bodocongó, Campina Grande, PB, 58430-335, Brazil
  • Anne Isabelley Gondim
  • Rômulo Romeu Nóbrega Alves
  • Thelma Lúcia Pereira Dias

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15451/ec2024-07-13.21-1-15

Abstract

Octocorals are extremely important animals for forming coral reefs and maintaining life in the marine environment and are widely distributed. The focus species Plexaurella grandiflora is an endemic species from Brazil. It is subject to the most varied external stressors, from ocean surface warming, pollution, damage caused by tourism, and predation by other animals. In this sense, the present study aimed to survey the population characteristics of P. grandiflora in a shallow tropical reef where it occurs in the Northeast of Brazil. Furthermore, we evaluated the stress and damage caused by coral-eating gastropods of the Muricidae family, found associated with colony structure. Through free dives between the years 2016 and 2017, 143 colonies of P. grandiflora were marked and observed, and they were analyzed in their size, supporting substrate, distribution, presence of damage, and impact by coral-eating gastropods. The cataloged colonies were larger than those recognized in the literature and were distributed in aggregate. A total of 85 gastropods of two species (Coralliophila aberrans and Coralliophila salebrosa) were recorded preying on gorgonians. The damage ranged from light to deep, from polyp removal to exposure of the protein axis. Predation occurred predominantly at the base of the colonies. As it is an endemic species and in need of studies, this study warns of the need for studies focused on the ecology and conservation of this gorgonian and its critical habitats.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Alemu IJB, Clement Y (2014) Mass Coral Bleaching in 2010 in the Southern Caribbean. PLoS One 9:e83829. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0083829

Ballesteros E (2006) Mediterranean coralligenous assemblages: a synthesis of present knowledge. Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review 44:123-195. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781420006391.ch4

Baums IB, Miller MW, Szmant AM (2003) Ecology of a corallivorous gastropod, Coralliophila abbreviata, on two scleractinian hosts. I: Population structure of snails and corals. Marine Biology 142:1083-1091. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-003-1024-9

Bayer FM (1961) The Shallow-water Octocorallia of the West Indian Region: a Manual for Marine Biologists. Studies on the Fauna of Curaçao and other Caribbean Islands 1:1-175.

Brawley S, Adey W (1982) Coralliophila abbreviata: a significant corallivore! Bulletin of Marine Science 32:595-599.

Bruckner AW, Coward G, Bimson K, Rattanawongwan T (2017) Predation by feeding aggregations of Drupella spp. inhibits the recovery of reefs damaged by a mass bleaching event. Coral Reefs 36:1181-1187. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-017-1609-2

Castro CB, Pires DO, Medeiros MS, Loiola LL, Arantes RCM, Thiago CM, Berman E (2006) Filo Cnidaria - Corais. In Lavrado HP, Ignacio BL (Org.) Biodiversidade bentônica da região central da Zona Econômica Exclusiva brasileira. Museu Nacional 18:147-192.

Castro CB, Medeiros MS, Loiola LL (2010) Octocorallia (Cnidaria: Anthozoa) from Brazilian reefs. Journal of Natural History 44:763-796. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00222930903441160

Chimienti G, Maiorca M, Digenis M, Poursanidis D (2023) Conservation status of upper-mesophotic octocoral habitats at Sporades Archipelago (Aegean Sea). Marine Pollution Bulletin 190:114868. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114868

Cordeiro RTS, Mcfadden CS, Sanchez JA, Pérez CD (2021) Revision of the genus Plexaurella Kölliker, 1865 (Anthozoa: Octocorallia) and resurrection of Plexaurellidae Verrill, 1912 new rank. Invertebrate Systematics 35:892-921. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/IS21003

Daly M, Brugler MR, Cartwright P, Collins AG, Dawson MN, Fautin DG, France SC, McFadden CS, Opresko DM, Rodriguez E, Romano SL, Stake JL (2007) The phylum Cnidaria: A review of phylogenetic patterns and diversity 300 years after Linnaeus. Zootaxa 1668:127-182. DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.1668.1.11

Del Mónaco C, Villamizar E, Narciso S (2010) Selectividad de presas de Coralliophila abbreviata y C. caribaea en arrecifes coralinos del Parque Nacional Morrocoy, Venezuela: una aproximación experimental. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research 38:57-70. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3856/vol38-issue1-fulltext-6

Dias TLP, Gondim AI (2016) Bleaching in scleractinians, hydrocorals, and octocorals during thermal stress in a northeastern Brazilian reef. Marine Biodiversity 46:303-307. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-015-0342-8

Dias TLP, Mota EL, Duarte RC, Alves RRN (2017) What do we know about Cassis tuberosa (Mollusca: Cassidae), a heavily exploited marine gastropod. Ethnobiology and Conservation 16. doi: 10.15451/ec2017-08-6.16-1-13 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15451/ec2017-08-6.16-1-13

Goh NKC, Ng PKL, Chou LM (1999) Notes on the shallow water gorgonian-associated fauna on coral reefs in Singapore. Bulletin of Marine Science 65:259-282.

Hamman EA (2018) Aggregation patterns of two corallivorous snails and consequences for coral dynamics. Coral Reefs 37:851-860. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-018-1712-z

Harvell CD, Suchanek TH (1987) Partial predation on tropical gorgonians by Cyphoma gibbosum (Gastropoda). Marine Ecology Progress Series 38:37-44. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps038037

Hetzel B, Castro CB (1994) Corais do Sul da Bahia. Nova Fronteira, Rio de Janeiro.

Kaullysing D, Taleb-Hossenkhan N, Kulkarni B, Bhagooli R (2019) Variations in the density of two ectoparasitic gastropods (Coralliophila spp.) on scleractinian corals on a coast-reef scale. Symbiosis 78:65-71. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13199-019-00608-4

Kipson S, Linares C, Cizmek H, Cebrián E, Ballesteros E, Bakran-Petricioli T, Garrabou J (2014) Population structure and conservation status of the red gorgonian Paramuricea clavata (Risso, 1826) in the Eastern Adriatic Sea. Marine Ecology 4:982-993. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.12195

Lasagna R, Gnone G, Taruffi M, Morri C, Bianchi CN, Parravicini V, Lavorano S (2014) A new synthetic index to evaluate reef coral condition. Ecological Indicators 40:1-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2013.12.020

Lau, Y W.; Poliseno, A; Kushida, Y; Quéré, G; Reimer, JD (2020). The classification, diversity and ecology of shallow water Octocorals, in: Goldstein, M.I. et al. Encyclopedia of the world's biomes. pp. 597-611. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.12109-8

Liconti A, Pittman SJ, Rees SE, Mieszkowska N (2022) Identifying conservation priorities for gorgonian forests in Italian coastal waters with multiple methods including citizen science and social media content analysis. Diversity and Distributions 28:1430– 1444. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.13553

Martínez AS, Mendes LF, Leite TS (2012) Spatial distribution of epibenthic molluscs on a sandstone reef in the Northeast of Brazil. Brazilian Journal of Biology 72:287-298. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/S1519-69842012000200009

Melode RS, Crispim MC, Lima ERV, Nishida, AK (2006) Estimativa da capacidade de carga recreativa dos ambientes recifais da Praia do Seixas (Paraíba - Brasil). Turismo - Visão e Ação 8:411-422.

Miller AC (1981) Cnidarian prey of the snails Coralliophila abbreviata and C. caribaea (Gastropoda: Muricidae) in Discovery Bay, Jamaica. Bulletin of Marine Science 31:932-934.

Miller MW (2001) Corallivorous snail removal: evaluation of impact on Acropora palmata. Coral Reefs 19:293-295. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00006963

Mortensen PB, Buhl-Mortensen L (2005) Morphology and growth of the deep-water gorgonians Primnoa resedaeformis and Paragorgia arborea. Marine Biology 147:775-788. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-005-1604-y

Nicolet KJ, Chong-Seng KM, Pratchett MS, Willis BL, Hoogenboom MO (2018) Predation scars may influence host susceptibility to pathogens: evaluating the role of corallivores as vectors of coral disease. Scientific Reports 8:1-10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-23361-y

Nicolet KJ, Hoogenboom MO, Gardiner NM, Pratchett MS, Pratchett MS, Willis BL (2013) The corallivorous invertebrate Drupella aids in transmission of brown band disease on the Great Barrier Reef. Coral Reefs 32:585-595. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-013-1010-8

Patton WK (1972) Studies on the animal symbionts of the gorgonian coral, Leptogorgia virgulata (Lamarck). Bulletin of Marine Science 22:419-431.

Pérez CD, Neves BM, Cordeiro RT, Williams GC, Cairns SD (2016) Diversity and Distribution of Octocorallia. In Goffredo S, Dubinsky Z (eds.). The Cnidaria, Past, Present and Future, p.109-123. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31305-4_8

Pinto TK, Benevides LJ, Sampaio CLS (2017) Cyphoma macumba Petuch 1979 (Gastropoda: Ovulidae): a versatile predator of the Brazilian Octocorallia. Marine Biodiversity 47:165-166. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-016-0470-9

Ponti M, Grech D, Mori M, Perlini RA, Ventra V, Panzalis PA, Cerrano C (2016) The role of gorgonians on the diversity of vagile benthic fauna in Mediterranean rocky habitats. Marine Biology 163:120-134. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-016-2897-8

Potkamp G, Vermeij MJA, Hoeksema BW (2017) Host-dependent variation in density of corallivorous snails (Coralliophila spp.) at Curaçao, southern Caribbean. Marine Biodiversity 47:91-99. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-016-0596-9

Preston EM, Preston JL (1975) Ecological structure in a West Indian gorgonian fauna. Bulletin of Marine Science 25:248-258.

Reijnen BT, Hoeksema BW, Gittenberger E (2010) Host specificity and phylogenetic relationships among Atlantic Ovulidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda). Contributions to Zoology 79:69-78. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/18759866-07902002

Rossi, S, Schubert, N, Brown, D et al. (2018) Linking host morphology and symbiont performance in octocorals. Scientific Reports 8, 12823. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-31262-3

Ruesink JL, Harvell CD (1990) Specialist predation on the Caribbean gorgonian Plexaurella spp. by Cyphoma signatum (Gastropoda). Marine Ecology Progress Series 65:265-272. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps065265

Sánchez JA (2016) Diversity and Evolution of Octocoral Animal Forests at Both Sides of Tropical America. In Rossi S, Bramanti L, Gori A, Orejas Saco del Valle C. (eds) Marine Animal Forests. Springer, p. 1-33. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17001-5_39-1

Shaver EC, Burkepile DE, Silliman BR (2018) Local management actions can increase coral resilience to thermally-induced bleaching. Nature Ecology and Evolution 2:1075-1079. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-018-0589-0

Souza GBG, Cruz ICS, Santos FP, Meirelles PM (2011) New record of a corallivorous gastropod in South Atlantic coral reefs. Coral Reefs 30:1061. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-011-0803-x

Sutherland KP, Shaban S, Joyner JL, Porter JW, Lipp EK (2011) Human pathogen shown to cause disease in the threatened elkhorn coral Acropora palmata. PloS One 6:e23468. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0023468

Verdura J, Linares C, Ballesteros E, Coma R, Uriz MJ, Bensoussan N, Cebrian E (2019) Biodiversity loss in a Mediterranean ecosystem due to an extreme warming event unveils the role of an engineering gorgonian species. Scientific Reports 9:5911. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-41929-0

Whalen K (2008) Biochemical warfare on coral reefs: In a coevolutionary struggle, invertebrate adversaries develop weapons and counter weapons. Oceanus Magazine 47:13-15.

Williams GC, Cairns SD (2019) Systematic List of Valid Octocoral Genera. 2015. http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/izg/OCTOCLASS.htm. Accessed 10 april 2019.

Downloads

Published

07/29/2024

How to Cite

Dias Avelino, C., Mota, E. L. S. ., Gondim, A. I. ., Alves, R. R. N., & Dias, T. L. P. . (2024). Conservation Consequences of Corallivore Gastropod Predation on Plexaurella grandiflora (Cnidaria: Octocorallia) Populations in Tropical Reefs. Ethnobiology and Conservation, 13. https://doi.org/10.15451/ec2024-07-13.21-1-15

Issue

Section

Original research article

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 > >>