What eats a cauliflower coral? An assessment of predation on the endangered temperate soft coral, Dendronepthya australis

H. Finlay-Jones; V. Raoult; D. Harasti; T. F. Gaston

doi:10.1071/MF21155

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What eats a cauliflower coral? An assessment of predation on the endangered temperate soft coral, Dendronepthya australis

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What eats a cauliflower coral? An assessment of predation on the endangered temperate soft coral, Dendronepthya australis

H. Finlay-Jones, V. Raoult, D. Harasti and T. F. Gaston

Marine and freshwater research, Vol.73(3), pp.307-318

16/11/2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/MF21155

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Abstract

Fisheries

Life Sciences & Biomedicine

Limnology

Marine & Freshwater Biology

Oceanography

Physical Sciences

Science & Technology

Soft coral

Functional ecology

Estuary

Habitat

Trophic ecology

Stable isotopes

Temperate soft corals are found in many estuaries around the world and often form large habitats in these environments, yet the functional ecology of soft corals is poorly understood. To understand the functional role of a soft coral in temperate ecosystems, we examined the role of the endangered Dendronepthya australis cauliflower coral as habitat for fishes and invertebrates, and whether associated species used the soft coral as a food source. Using Bayesian stable isotope mixing models of delta C-13 and delta N-15 values of soft corals and a suite of potential invertebrate consumers, we found that five of eight soft-coral-associated invertebrates were all likely to be feeding almost exclusively on the soft corals. In situ feeding experiments conducted using baited remote underwater video systems (BRUVS) with soft coral cuttings as 'bait' did not identify any larger species as consumers. Fish assemblages studied using remote underwater video systems (RUVS) were diverse in the soft coral habitat and overlapped with assemblages of both sediment and seagrass environments. These results highlighted that these soft corals have a valuable trophic role in estuarine food webs through trophic transfer of nutrients via invertebrate consumers, and that soft coral habitats are used by commercially and recreationally important fishes.

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Title: What eats a cauliflower coral? An assessment of predation on the endangered temperate soft coral, Dendronepthya australis
Creators: H. Finlay-Jones - University of Newcastle Australia
V. Raoult - University of Newcastle
D. Harasti - New South Wales Department of Primary Industries
T. F. Gaston - University of Newcastle Australia
Publication Details: Marine and freshwater research, Vol.73(3), pp.307-318
Publisher: Csiro Publishing
Number of pages: 12
Grant note: Central Coast Council Protection of the Environment Trust
Identifiers: 991013125988502368
Academic Unit: Faculty of Science and Engineering
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

What eats a cauliflower coral? An assessment of predation on the endangered temperate soft coral, Dendronepthya australis

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