Feeding by coral reef mesograzers : algae or cyanobacteria?

Marine studies on herbivory have addressed the role of algae as food and shelter for small consumers, but the potential of benthic cyanobacteria to play similar roles is largely unknown. Here, feeding preferences were measured for eight invertebrate consumers from Guam, offered four common macroalga...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Coral reefs 2006-11, Vol.25 (4), p.617-627
Main Authors: CRUZ-RIVERA, Edwin, PAUL, Valerie J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acanthophora spicifera
Algae
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Associated species
Bacteria
Biodiversity
Biological and medical sciences
Bryopsis pennata
Coral reefs
Cyanobacteria
Cyanophyta
Decapoda
Elysia rufescens
Food resources
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gastropoda
Haminoea
Haminoea cymbalum
Herbivory
Invertebrates
Marine
Marine biology
Parhyale hawaiensis
Sea water ecosystems
Shellfish
Stylocheilus striatus
Synecology
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Summary:Marine studies on herbivory have addressed the role of algae as food and shelter for small consumers, but the potential of benthic cyanobacteria to play similar roles is largely unknown. Here, feeding preferences were measured for eight invertebrate consumers from Guam, offered four common macroalgae and two cyanobacteria. The survivorship of another consumer raised on either macroalgae or cyanobacteria was also assessed. From the choices offered, the sacoglossans Elysia rufescens and E. ornata consumed the green macroalga Bryopsis pennata. The crab Menaethius monoceros preferred the red alga Acanthophora spicifera. The amphipods Parhyale hawaiensis and Cymadusa imbroglio consumed macroalgae and cyanobacteria in equivalent amounts, with C. imbroglio showing less selectivity among diets. In contrast to these patterns, in these assays the gastropods Stylocheilus striatus, Haminoea cymbalum, H. ovalis, and Haminoea sp. fed exclusively, or survived only, on cyanobacteria. Preferences for different cyanobacteria varied. Field surveys of cyanobacteria-associated species yielded 34 different invertebrate taxa and suggested different degrees of specificity in these associations. Tropical mesograzers exploit considerably different food resources, with some species adapted to consume cyanobacterial mats. Benthic cyanobacteria may play important roles as food and shelter for marine consumers and may indirectly influence local biodiversity through their associated fauna.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:0722-4028
1432-0975
DOI:10.1007/s00338-006-0134-5