Interspecific competition between Palythoa caribaeorum and other sessile invertebrates on St Croix reefs, US Virgin Islands
Suchanek TH and Green DJ. 1981. Interspecific competition between Palythoa caribaeorum and other sessile invertebrates on St Croix reefs, US Virgin Islands. Proceedings of the Fourth International Coral Reef Symposium, Manila. 2:679-684
The effect of competitive interactions on abundance was studied in corals. Field observations and laboratory experiments were used to determine how interspecific competitive interactions may influence the abundance and distribution of the common zoanthid Palythoa caribaeorum in several reef habitats. Forereef, reefcrest, backreef and patchreef sites and Buck Island Reef National Monument and Tague Bay reef, St. Croix were examined to determine Palythoa abundance, colony growth rates and the nature of interspecific interactions between Palythoa and other benthic invertebrates. Laboratory experiments were used to determine how fast Palythoa could overgrow other selected invertebrates. Palythoa caribaeorum was by far the most abundant on the reef crest site at Buck Island Reef National Monument (36% average) and the backreef at Buck Island Reef (10%), with 0-1% average cover at all other sites examined. Growth rate of Palythoa colonies were determined on 7 colonies in a range of environments; the range in growth rates was 2.5-4.0 mm/day. Palythoa was observed to be capable of overgrowing almost every other invertebrate it encountered; the mechanisms of overgrowth are discussed. In the laboratory experiment, Palythoa was found to grow faster over scleractinian coral species which are considered "less aggressive" in the coral aggressive hierarchy, than those species which are "more aggressive".
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Suchanek, Thomas; Green, D
- Units
- BUIS
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, Buck Island Reef National Monument St. Croix US Virgin Islands, Competition (Species), Growth, Habitats, Population, Reefs, white encrusting zoanthid (Palythoa caribaeorum)