Journal article
Responses of Dendronephthya australis to predation by Dermatobranchus sp. nudibranchs
Marine & Freshwater Research, Vol.69(1), pp.186-190
2018
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Source: InCites
Abstract
The soft coral Dendronephthya australis occurs only in large abundance within the tidal-dominated Port Stephens estuary in eastern Australia. In recent years, substantial declines in the spatial extent of D. australis within Port Stephens has led to calls for the species to be listed as ‘threatened’. The causes for these declines are likely to include a range of anthropogenic impacts, as well as natural effects such as predation by the nudibranch Dermatobranchus sp., which can be abundant in winter and spring. The responses of D. australis to the presence of Dermatobranchus sp. were studied at two sites in Port Stephens, using time-lapse and still photography combined with visual surveys. Dermatobranchus sp. was observed consuming D. australis polyps, and colony inflation and polyp expansion were both reduced when Dermatobranchus sp. was present. Although predation by Dermatobranchus sp. is a natural impact, our observations suggest that interactions with additional anthropogenic stressors may exacerbate its overall impact on the spatial extent and survival of the geographically restricted soft coral D. australis.
Details
- Title
- Responses of Dendronephthya australis to predation by Dermatobranchus sp. nudibranchs
- Creators
- Tom R Davis - Southern Cross UniversityDavid Harasti - Southern Cross UniversityStephen D. A Smith - Southern Cross University
- Publication Details
- Marine & Freshwater Research, Vol.69(1), pp.186-190
- Publisher
- CSIRO Publishing
- Grant note
- This project was made possible by support from the Marine Ecology Research Centre, Southern Cross University, and the NSW Department of Primary Industries.
- Identifiers
- 991012926965602368
- Copyright
- Journal compilation © CSIRO 2018
- Academic Unit
- Science; National Marine Science Centre; Faculty of Science and Engineering; Marine Ecology Research Centre
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article