Symbiont genus determines the trophic strategy of corals: Implications for intraspecific competition for energy sources in coral reefs

• Published in: Ecological indicators Vol. 158; p. 111477
• Main Authors: Wang, Qifang, Zheng, Xinqing, Zhou, Xijie, Zhang, Han, Cai, Ling, Leung, Jonathan Y.S., Huang, Lingfeng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2024; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adaptation; autotrophs; biomass; carbon nitrogen ratio; chlorophyll; conspecificity; corals; ecological differentiation; energy; genus; intraspecific competition; maritime climate; Reef-building coral; species; Stable isotope analysis; stable isotopes; summer; symbionts; Symbiosis; Trophic niche; Trophic plasticity; winter; Reef-building coral; Stable isotope analysis; Symbiosis; Trophic niche; Trophic plasticity; Adaptation
• ISSN: 1470-160X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.111477

•Trophic flexibility of corals with different symbionts (PdC or PdD) was assessed.•PdC had a higher autotrophic capacity than PdD, despite lower symbiont density.•Trophic strategy of PdC was more flexible than that of PdD across seasons.•Corals relied more on autotrophy in summer, but heterotrophy in winter.•Symbiont genus can determine the nutritional strategy and adaptability of corals. Coral reefs are typically found in nutrient-limited waters, which may restrict the growth and expansion of corals. Nevertheless, corals are mixotrophs that may adjust to the variation in the availability of energy sources by switching their major nutritional mode between autotrophy (i.e., synthesizing their own food by symbionts) and heterotrophy (i.e., consuming external food sources). Such trophic plasticity may, however, be subject to symbiont genus and environmental conditions. Using a widespread coral species (Pocillopora damicornis), we examine how symbiont genus (Cladocopium vs. Durusdinium) affects the physiological traits (biomass, symbiont density, C:N ratio and chlorophyll content) of corals and their trophic strategy across seasons (summer and winter) based on stable isotope markers (δ13C and δ15N). We found that corals dominated by Cladocopium (PdC) had a lower symbiont density, but higher autotrophic capacity (higher cellular chlorophyll content and higher δ13C) than those by Durusdinium (PdD). Across seasons, the trophic strategy of PdC was flexible that the autotrophic capacity was reduced by 37.1 % from summer to winter, whereas the trophic strategy of PdD remained relatively unchanged. PdC had a greater heterotrophic capacity in winter, while PdD in summer. Our findings suggest that symbiont genus can determine the trophic flexibility of corals and drive trophic niche differentiation between conspecific corals. By adaptively changing trophic strategy, intraspecific competition of corals for energy sources can be reduced, possibly allowing them to persist in oligotrophic waters and adapt to the future oceanic climate.