Damselfishes alleviate the impacts of sediments on host corals.

Autor:	Chase TJ; Marine Biology and Aquaculture Group, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia.; ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia., Pratchett MS; ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia., McWilliam MJ; ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia.; Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Kaneohe, HI, 96744, USA., Hein MY; Marine Biology and Aquaculture Group, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia.; ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia., Tebbett SB; Marine Biology and Aquaculture Group, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia.; ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia., Hoogenboom MO; Marine Biology and Aquaculture Group, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia.; ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Royal Society open science [R Soc Open Sci] 2020 Apr 29; Vol. 7 (4), pp. 192074. Date of Electronic Publication: 2020 Apr 29 (Print Publication: 2020).
DOI:	10.1098/rsos.192074
Abstrakt:	Mutualisms play a critical role in ecological communities; however, the importance and prevalence of mutualistic associations can be modified by external stressors. On coral reefs, elevated sediment deposition can be a major stressor reducing the health of corals and reef resilience. Here, we investigated the influence of severe sedimentation on the mutualistic relationship between small damselfishes ( Pomacentrus moluccensis and Dascyllus aruanus ) and their coral host ( Pocillopora damicornis ). In an aquarium experiment, corals were exposed to sedimentation rates of approximately 100 mg cm -2 d -1 , with and without fishes present, to test whether: (i) fishes influence the accumulation of sediments on coral hosts, and (ii) fishes moderate partial colony mortality and/or coral tissue condition. Colonies with fishes accumulated much less sediment compared with colonies without fishes, and this effect was strongest for colonies with D. aruanus (fivefold less sediment than controls) as opposed to P. moluccensis (twofold less sediment than controls). Colonies with symbiont fishes also had up to 10-fold less sediment-induced partial mortality, as well as higher chlorophyll and protein concentrations. These results demonstrate that fish mutualisms vary in the strength of their benefits, and indicate that some mutualistic or facilitative interactions might become more important for species health and resilience at high-stress levels. Competing Interests: We declare we have no competing interests. (© 2020 The Authors.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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