Chemistry of the consumption and excretion of the bumphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum), a coral reef mega-consumer
Bolbometopon muricatum are ecologically unique mega-consumers in coral reef ecosystems. They primarily divide their dietary intake between living scleractinian corals and coral rock, a substrate richly colonized by non-coral biota. Here we examine how the chemical, structural, and energetic content...
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Published in | Coral reefs Vol. 38; no. 2; pp. 347 - 357 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Berlin/Heidelberg
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
01.04.2019
Springer Nature B.V Springer Nature |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Bolbometopon muricatum
are ecologically unique mega-consumers in coral reef ecosystems. They primarily divide their dietary intake between living scleractinian corals and coral rock, a substrate richly colonized by non-coral biota. Here we examine how the chemical, structural, and energetic content of these two main classes of forage material may influence
B. muricatum
feeding behavior and selectivity. We then also examine nutrient content, pH, and alkalinity of the carbonate-rich feces of
B. muricatum
as a step toward understanding how
B. muricatum
defecation could affect reef nutrient dynamics and localized seawater chemistry. Our results suggest that by most measures, coral rock constitutes a richer food source than living corals, exhibiting higher levels of eight biologically relevant elements, and containing approximately three times greater caloric value than living corals. Additionally, the two forage types also presented distinct mineralogy, with the coral rock resembling a Mg-enriched carbonate phase in contrast to the primarily aragonitic live corals. Despite the fact that individual
B. muricatum
excrete tons of macerated coral annually, the low measured concentrations of
N
and
P
in feces suggest that this excretion may have relatively minor effects of reef macronutrient budgets. We also observed negligible local-scale impacts of
B. muricatum
feces on seawater pH and alkalinity. The approaches applied here integrate perspectives from marine biogeochemistry, materials science, and ecology. Collectively, these results provide preliminary insight into how reef chemistry could shape foraging of this dominant and vulnerable coral reef consumer and how it, in turn, might affect the chemistry of these reefs. |
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Bibliography: | USDOE AC02-76SF00515 |
ISSN: | 0722-4028 1432-0975 |
DOI: | 10.1007/s00338-019-01781-0 |