Maximal species richness in Conus: diversity, diet and habitat on reefs of northeast Papua New Guinea

The gastropod genus Conus is shown to be among many marine taxa that attain maximal known diversity along the northeast coast of Papua New Guinea. Thirty-six species co-occurred on the reef platform fringing Laing Island in Hansa Bay, 33% more than previously documented on any single reef. Near Mada...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Coral reefs 2001-08, Vol.20 (1), p.25-38
Main Author: KOHN, A. J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Biological and medical sciences
Carnivores
Congeners
Conus
Density
Diet
Ecological distribution
Fish
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gastropoda
Habitat utilization
Herbivores
Marine
Marine molluscs
Microenvironments
Microhabitat
Microhabitats
Predators
Prey
Reefs
Sea water ecosystems
Species diversity
Species richness
Substrates
Synecology
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Summary:The gastropod genus Conus is shown to be among many marine taxa that attain maximal known diversity along the northeast coast of Papua New Guinea. Thirty-six species co-occurred on the reef platform fringing Laing Island in Hansa Bay, 33% more than previously documented on any single reef. Near Madang, 32 species occurred on four small reefs. Maximal density at both sites was 3 /m super(2), with overall density 0.1-0.2/m super(2). Species richness, diversity, and general patterns of microhabitat use were similar at both, but composition differed markedly. Only 23 species were found at both sites, and proportional similarity was 44%. The most common species at each site were uncommon at the other. The diets of 34 species were determined; 26, including the most abundant, preyed exclusively on polychaetes. As on other Indo-Pacific reefs species partitioned prey types more finely than substrate types. Among vermivores, a different polychaete dominated the diet of each predator. Other species specialized on an enteropneust, other gastropods, and fishes. Most prey were herbivores or deposit feeders, indicating that the major trophic role of Conus species in the reef community is as primary carnivores. The results suggest that species are not more specialized than where fewer congeners co-occur, but rather overlap somewhat more in resource use.
ISSN:0722-4028
1432-0975
DOI:10.1007/s003380100141