Jensen, Karl, Doll, Peter C., Gomez Cabrera, Maria C., Diaz-Pulido, Guillermo, Logan, Murray, and Uthicke, Sven (2025) Feeding preferences and growth in herbivorous juvenile crown-of-thorns sea stars (Acanthaster cf. solaris). Marine Biology, 172. 86.

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Abstract

Crown-of-thorns sea stars (CoTS; Acanthaster spp.) are among the most prominent corallivorous invertebrates, contributing greatly to the plight of tropical coral reefs in the Anthropocene. Much of the success of CoTS, and their propensity to undergo major population irruptions, are likely tied to inherent biological traits. Juvenile CoTS feed on coralline algae prior to their ontogenetic switch to corallivory, but their feeding preferences for specific algae and the implications thereof remain unresolved. Here, we conducted 48-hour multiple-choice and 28-day no-choice experiments to compare the selection and consumption of different crustose coralline algae (CCA) diets by juvenile western Pacific CoTS (Acanthaster cf. solaris), and test for concomitant differences in growth rates. In the multiple-choice experiment, juvenile CoTS preferentially consumed the alga Melyvonnea cf. madagascariensis, whilst avoiding Sporolithon sp., Lithophyllum cf. kotschyanum, and Adeylithon cf. bosencei. Daily consumption rates during the no-choice experiment varied substantially among CCA species, ranging from 15.31 mm2 ind−1 d−1 (± 2.68) (mean ± SE) for M. cf. madagascariensis to 1.38 mm2 ind−1 d−1 (± 0.24) for Sporolithon sp. This preferential consumption of different CCA corresponded well with large differences observed in the surface area growth rate of CoTS, ranging from 3.01% d−1 (± 0.30) to 0.08% d−1 (± 0.33) for juveniles feeding on M. cf. madagascariensis and Sporolithon sp., respectively. Organic carbon and nitrogen content of different CCA species did not influence CCA consumption rates or CoTS growth rates. However, CoTS growth rates were positively correlated with daily consumption rates of both organic carbon and nitrogen due to preferential feeding. Our results suggest that the prevalence and consumption of some CCA species, particularly M. cf. madagascariensis, a species that is common on mid-shelf reefs of the Great Barrier Reef, may boost early post-settlement growth and survival of herbivorous juveniles, and thereby contribute to the population build-up of CoTS.

Item ID:	85618
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1432-1793
Keywords:	Crustose coralline algae; Echinoderm; Selectivity; Optimised growth; Nutrition; Population dynamics
Copyright Information:	© The Author(s) 2025. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Date Deposited:	26 May 2025 23:36
FoR Codes:	31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3103 Ecology > 310305 Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) @ 50% 31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3103 Ecology > 310301 Behavioural ecology @ 50%
SEO Codes:	28 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 2801 Expanding knowledge > 280102 Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences @ 80% 18 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT > 1805 Marine systems and management > 180599 Marine systems and management not elsewhere classified @ 20%
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