Dietary preference of key microhabitat Diadema setosum: a step towards holistic Banggai cardinalfish conservation

The sea urchins Diadema setosum and D. savignyi are key symbionts of the Banggai cardinalfish Pterapogon kauderni, a species of global and national conservation concern. There is growing interest in Diadema propagation for conservation and human consumption; however little is known about the dietary...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:IOP conference series. Earth and environmental science 2019-02, Vol.235 (1), p.12054
Main Authors: Moore, A, Ndobe, S, Ambo-Rappe, R, Jompa, J, Yasir, I
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algae
Conservation
Consumption
Decarthron setosum
Diadema
Diadema setosum
Diet
Echinoidea
Habitats
Microenvironments
Microhabitats
Preferences
Propagation
Rehabilitation
Sea urchins
Seagrasses
Seaweeds
Symbionts
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The sea urchins Diadema setosum and D. savignyi are key symbionts of the Banggai cardinalfish Pterapogon kauderni, a species of global and national conservation concern. There is growing interest in Diadema propagation for conservation and human consumption; however little is known about the dietary preferences of Indo Pacific Diadema species. This study explored the feeding preference of Diadema setosum offered a choice of two macroalgae (Ulva reticulata, Gracilaria sp.) and two seagrasses (Thalassia hemprichii, Enhalus acoroides). Portions (5g) of the four feeds were attached to the corners of rectangular plastic cages and one D. setosum released in the centre of each cage. Uneaten feed was weighed after 24 hours. This procedure was repeated for 5 days with 8 replicates. Mean daily feed consumption/urchin was 4.31g,. All urchins ate a varied diet comprising all four feed types, with a significant preference (p < 0.01) for macroalgae (on average 80%). Our results point to an important role of D. setosum in macroalgal control; however this urchin might graze on cultivated seaweeds. Further research avenues include the use of macroalgae in prepared feeds for Diadema culture, including in the context of P. kauderni microhabitat rehabilitation.
ISSN:1755-1307
1755-1315
1755-1315
DOI:10.1088/1755-1315/235/1/012054