Microhabitat use and prey selection of the coral-feeding snail Drupella cornus in the northern Red Sea.
- Author(s)
- Verena Schöpf, Juergen Herler, Martin Zuschin
- Abstract
Corallivorous gastropods of the genus Drupella are known for population outbreaks throughout the Indo-Pacific region. Despite their potential to destroy wide areas of coral reef, prey preferences have never been analyzed with respect to prey availability, and juvenile ecology and food selectivity remain largely unknown. Here, the influence of water depth, coral abundance, colony shape, prey species, and intraspecific attraction among snails on distribution patterns, prey selection, and microhabitat use of D. cornus was studied in the northern Red Sea. Special emphasis was put on ontogenetic differences. The snails were most abundant in the shallowest reef zone (1m depth). Adults were associated with several substrates and coral growth forms, whereas juveniles were highly cryptic and resticted to luve branching corals. The genus Acropora was significantly preferred over other acroporid and pocilloporid corals.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Palaeontology
- Journal
- Hydrobiologia: the international journal on limnology and marine sciences
- Volume
- 641
- Pages
- 45-57
- No. of pages
- 13
- ISSN
- 0018-8158
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-009-0053-x
- Publication date
- 2010
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 105118 Palaeontology
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/e77c21a1-1867-4ce1-a443-595daf330222