Temporal settlement patterns of larvae of the broadcast spawning reef coral Favites chinensis and the broadcast spawning and brooding reef coral Goniastrea aspera from Okinawa, Japan

The faviid corals, Favites chinensis and Goniastrea aspera are widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific region. Both corals are hermaphroditic broadcast spawners, but G. aspera is also known to brood planula larvae in Okinawa. This study investigated the temporal settlement patterns of planula larvae of the scleractinian corals F. chinensis and G. aspera that developed from spawned gametes, and planula release and settlement of brooded larvae of G. aspera from Okinawa, Japan. Some of the broadcast-spawned larvae of F. chinensis and G. aspera had very short pre-competency periods of 1–2 and 2–3 days after spawning, and relatively long maximum settlement-competency periods of 56–63 and 63–70 days after spawning, respectively. These pre-competency periods are among the shortest reported for larvae of broadcast spawning coral species, and appear to be negatively correlated with seawater temperature. F. chinensis larvae tended to settle rapidly with 34–39% of larvae settling in the first week after spawning, while broadcast-spawned G. aspera larvae had a slower settlement pattern with 11–15% of larvae settling in the first week after spawning. Brooded larvae of G. aspera settled more rapidly, with settlement rates of 27–31% within the first 24 h and 45–65% within the first week after the start of the experiment. The production of planula larvae with rapid settlement capabilities may enable F. chinensis and G. aspera to establish and maintain populations in shallow reef sites at Okinawa. The release of the brooded planulae for up to 2 months may explain why G. aspera is locally more dominant on shallow reefs in Okinawa than F. chinensis. On a broader scale, the longer settlement competency periods of some of the broadcast-spawned larvae of these species increase their potential for longer-distance dispersal and may partly explain the wide biogeographic distribution of these species in the Indo-Pacific region.     

Hydrodynamic characteristics of a fringing coral reef on the east coast of Ishigaki Island,southwest Japan

To investigate the characteristics of currents on a fringing coral reef, a field survey was conducted, mostly under weak wind conditions in summer, on the east coast of Ishigaki Island, southwest Japan, which is encompassed by well-developed fringing reefs. For the same study period, numerical simulations of the current were also performed using a shallow water turbulent flow model with high accuracy reef bathymetry data, which were estimated from high-resolution imagery obtained from satellite remote sensing. The numerical simulation results showed good agreement with the observed data and revealed that the currents have an appreciable magnitude of tide-averaged velocities, even during neap tides, which are governed mostly by wave set-up effects. The results also indicated that temporal variations in velocity and water surface elevation during a tide cycle in the reef exhibit highly asymmetrical patterns; in spring tides especially, the velocities around channels indicate rapid transitions over a short period from peak ebb flow to peak flood flow. The simulations also indicated that a big channel penetrating deeply into the reef attracts the tide-averaged mean flow, even from distant areas of the reef.     

Size-fractionated phytoplankton biomass in coral reef waters off Sesoko Island, Okinawa, Japan

The seasonal dynamics of size-fractionated phytoplankton biomassin a coral reef area were investigated off Sesoko Island, Okinawa,Japan. Chlorophyll (Chl) a and nutrient concentrations werelow almost all year round, showing no clear seasonal variabilitywith values similar to those in some other coral reef areas.Picoplankton dominated the phytoplankton community; averagecontributions of pico-, nano- and microplankton to the totalChl a biomass were 52, 34 and 11%, respectively. However, in1998, when the seawater temperature was extremely high and coralbleaching occurred due to the ENSO event, low Chl a coupledwith high nutrient concentrations were observed. This was associatedwith a decrease in the picoplankton size fraction. We suggestthat the high seawater temperature in 1998 decreased the growthrate of the picoplankton; however, the micro- and nanoplanktonmay also be limited by other factors such as low nutrient concentrations.     

Spatial patterns in the distribution of damselfishes on a fringing coral reef

Damselfishes are an important element of the fauna of coral reefs. This study describes spatial patterns in the distribution of 15 species of damselfishes at Lizard Island, northern Great Barrier Reef (GBR). The aim of the work was to identify the spatial scales at which major changes in the composition and abundance of the fauna occurred. These patterns were then compared with previous studies in an attempt to determine if distributions followed general patterns at a range of localities. The assemblage found at Lizard Island was similar to that of reefs in the central GBR. The most important changes in the composition of the fauna occurred among reef zones. Shallow zones (the reef flat and crest) were dominated by herbivorous species while planktivorous and omnivorous species were most abundant in deeper zones (the reef slope). Densities of herbivorous damselfishes in shallow reef zones at Lizard Island averaged 45.5 individuals per 80 m², a value comparable to densities found in similar zones on reefs in the central and southern GBR and at one locality in the Caribbean. Comparisons of relative distributions suggested that abundant species tend to be widely distributed among zones and habitats, while rare species have restricted distributions at Lizard Island. However, computer simulation of the sampling program suggested that the ability of our study to describe the distribution patterns of rare species was limited, despite intensive sampling. Correlations between breadth of distribution and abundance may have occurred simply because rare species were less likely to be recorded within a transect. Our results suggest that it will be difficult to compare the distribution patterns of species among studies. Furthermore, the interpretation of relative patterns of distribution at a single locality in terms of ecological specialization or partitioning may first require an assessment of the ability of the sampling program to accurately record spatial patterns.     

Two new species of Asellota (Crustacea,Isopoda) from coral reefs on Iriomote Island,Okinawa, Japan

Pleurocope iriomotensis sp. n. and Prethura tuberculata sp. n. are described from Iriomote Island, Ryukyu Archipelago, southern Japan. These are the first records of Pleurocope from the Pacific and of Prethura from the Asian Pacific coast. Pleurocope iriomotensis differs from its congeners in having lateral spine-like processes on pereonite 4 and coxal plates of pereonite 7. Prethura tuberculata can be distinguished from its single congener in having a lateral short projection of protopod of pleopod 2.     

Bleaching, coral mortality and subsequent survivorship on a West Australian fringing reef

The spring and summer of 2010/11 saw an exceptionally strong La Niña push warm waters from Indonesia down the Western Australian coastline, resulting in a host of extraordinary biological oddities including significant bleaching of Western Australian corals. Here, we report a 79–92 % decline in coral cover for a location in the Ningaloo Marine Park where sustained high water temperatures over an 8-month period left just 1–6 % of corals alive. The severity of bleaching provided an opportunity to investigate the resilience of different taxonomic groups and colony size classes to an acute but protracted episode of thermal stress. While the sub-dominant community of massive growth forms fared reasonably well, the dominant Acropora and Montipora assemblages all died, with the exception of the <10 cm size class, which seemed immune to bleaching.     

Spatial and temporal variation in coral predation by parrotfishes on the GBR: evidence from an inshore reef

There have been few studies of coral predation by fishes on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). However, these studies have indicated that it is an important factor that may shape coral demographics. Here, for the first time, we document the spatial and temporal variation in coral predation by parrotfishes on an inshore reef on the GBR. The densities of parrotfish feeding scars on massive Porites spp. were compared within core and non-core areas of three Chlorurus microrhinos home ranges. The density of parrotfish feeding scars on massive Porites is among the highest recorded on the GBR and elsewhere with a higher abundance of excavating feeding scars within core areas, reflecting the higher occupancy of these areas by C. microrhinos. Furthermore, excavating scars were more abundant in October than in April. This may be related to the higher nutritional quality of coral colonies in October, as coral spawning usually occurs in November at this study location. No spatial or temporal variation was noted in the abundance of feeding scars from scraping parrotfishes. The lack of temporal differences may be a result of the shallow scraping scars which would not be able to reach the gonads within coral polyps. The frequency of parrotfish predation on Porites and the spatial and temporal variation recorded herein highlight the potential importance of parrotfish corallivory on the GBR.     

Estimation of photosynthesis and calcification rates at a fringing reef by accounting for diurnal variations and the zonation of coral reef communities on reef flat and slope: a case study for the Shiraho reef, Ishigaki Island, southwest Japan

Seven coral reef communities were defined on Shiraho fringing reef, Ishigaki Island, Japan. Net photosynthesis and calcification rates were measured by in situ incubations at 10 sites that included six of the defined communities, and which occupied most of the area on the reef flat and slope. Net photosynthesis on the reef flat was positive overall, but the reef flat acts as a source for atmospheric CO₂, because the measured calcification/photosynthesis ratio of 2.5 is greater than the critical ratio of 1.67. Net photosynthesis on the reef slope was negative. Almost all excess organic production from the reef flat is expected to be effused to the outer reef and consumed by the communities there. Therefore, the total net organic production of the whole reef system is probably almost zero and the whole reef system also acts as a source for atmospheric CO₂. Net calcification rates of the reef slope corals were much lower than those of the branching corals. The accumulation rate of the former was approximately 0.5 m kyr⁻¹ and of the latter was ~0.7–5 m kyr⁻¹. Consequently, reef slope corals could not grow fast enough to keep up with or catch up to rising sea levels during the Holocene. On the other hand, the branching corals grow fast enough to keep up with this rising sea level. Therefore, a transition between early Holocene and present-day reef communities is expected. Branching coral communities would have dominated while reef growth kept pace with sea level rise, and the reef was constructed with a branching coral framework. Then, the outside of this framework was covered and built up by reef slope corals and present-day reefs were constructed.     

Effects of sediment deposition on the seaweed Sargassum on a fringing coral reef

 Coral reef degradation may involve shifts from coral to algal dominance and may be caused in part by increased sediment loads. Inshore fringing reef flats in the central Great Barrier Reef region are often subjected to periods of high sedimentation and are often dominated by macroalgae such as Sargassum. Experiments reported here examine the impacts of sediments on the recruitment, growth, survival, degeneration and vegetative regeneration of Sargassum microphyllum on a fringing coral reef flat in the central Great Barrier Reef. Comparison of three levels of sediment deposition (experimental addition, control (ambient condition) and experimental removal) showed that increased amounts of sediment significantly decreased rates of recruitment, growth, survival and vegetative regeneration, but not degeneration of S. microphyllum. In addition, the regenerative ability of S. microphyllum thalli with short, persistent erect branches (untreated) was compared with that of thalli experimentally cut back to the holdfast. This experimental damage significantly reduced regeneration. Accepted: 6 October 1997     

Mass spawning of corals on a high latitude coral reef

Evidence is presented that at least 60% of the 184 species of scleractinian corals found on reefs surrounding the Houtman Abrolhos Islands (Western Australia) participate in a late summer mass spawning. These populations are thus reproductively active, despite most species being at the extreme southern limit of their latitudinal range (28° 29°S). In the present study, coral mass spawning occurred in the same month on both temperate (Houtman-Abrolhos) and tropical (Ningaloo) reefs of Western Australia, despite more than two months difference in the timing of seasonal temperture minima between the two regions. This concurrence in the month of spawning suggests that temperature does not operate as a simple direct proximate cue for seasonal spawning synchrony in these populations. Seasonal variation in photoperiod may provide a similar and more reliable signal in the two regions, and thus might be more likely to synchronize the seasonal reproductive rhythms of these corals. Also there is overlap in the nights of mass spawning on the Houtman Abrolhos and tropical reefs of Western Australia, despite significant differences in tidal phase and amplitude between the two regions. This indicates that tidal cycle does not synchronize with the night(s) of spawning on these reefs. Spawning is more likely to be synchronised by lunar cycles. The co-occurrence of the mass spawning with spring tides in Houtman Abrolhos coral populations may be evidence of a genetic legacy inherited from northern, tropical ancestors. Micro-tidal regimes in the Houtman Abrolhos region may have exerted insufficient selective pressure to counteract this legacy.     

Life-history traits of a widely distributed coral reef fish,Mulloidichthys flavolineatus (Mullidae), Okinawa Island,southern Japan

Environmental Biology of Fishes - Yellowstripe goatfish, Mulloidichthys flavolineatus, is a widely distributed commercial fish in the Indo-Pacific. However, there have been few comprehensive...     

Long-term variation in light intensity on a coral reef

Coral Reefs - An important goal of coral reef science is to understand the roles played by environmental conditions in determining benthic community structure. Pursuit of this goal typically...     

Evolution of mating systems in coral reef gobies and constraints on mating system plasticity

Social and mating systems can be influenced by the distribution, abundance, and economic defendability of breeding partners and essential resources. Polygyny is predicted where males can economically defend multiple females or essential resources used by females. In contrast, monogamy is predicted where neither sex can monopolise multiple partners, either directly or through resource control, but where one mate is economically defendable. The mating system and reproductive behaviour of five species of coral reef goby were investigated and contrasted with population density and individual mobility. The two most abundant species (Asterropteryx semipunctatus and Istigobius goldmanni) were polygynous. In contrast, the less populous and more widely dispersed epibenthic species (Amblygobius bynoensis, Amblygobius phalaena and Valenciennea muralis) were pair forming and monogamous. All five species had low mobility, mostly remaining within metres (3 epibenthic species) or centimetres (2 cryptobenthic species) of a permanent shelter site. Interspecific differences in the mating system may have been shaped by differences in population density and the ability of reproductive individuals to economically defend breeding partners/sites. However, in a test of mating system plasticity, males of the three monogamous species did not mate polygynously when given the opportunity to do so in experimental manipulations of density and sex ratio. Mate guarding and complex spawning characteristics, which have likely co-evolved with the monogamous mating system, could contribute to mating system inflexibility by making polygynous mating unprofitable for individuals of the pair forming species, even when presented with current-day ecological conditions that usually favour polygyny.     

Patterns of migration between feeding and spawning sites in a coral reef surgeonfish

Many coral reef fishes exhibit regular localised migrations between feeding and spawning areas, but the factors affecting these migration patterns, such as the distance, frequency and spawning site fidelity are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the patterns of migration to spawning sites of the surgeonfish, Ctenochaetus striatus (Acanthuridae). We explored relationships amongst an individual’s size and sex, the distance and frequency it migrated from its feeding area to spawning sites, fidelity to particular spawning sites and the number of individuals that aggregated to spawn. In order to achieve this, 406 C. striatus were captured and tagged on inshore reefs in Kimbe Bay (5°30′S 150°6′E), New Britain, Papua New Guinea. Tagged individuals were consistently observed within spatially discrete but overlapping feeding areas (maximum diameter averaging <13 m). The mean distance migrated was 58 m (ranging from 2 to 291 m). No tagged individuals were witnessed spawning at more than one site. Whilst most individuals (n = 88) migrated to the spawning site that was closest to their feeding areas, those that migrated to sites further away (n = 9) always spawned at sites where the number of conspecifics aggregating was larger. Neither the size nor the sex of individuals limited migration distance. However, males migrated significantly more frequently than females (on average once every 2 days vs. once every 3 days), and migration frequency was positively correlated with size in females. Migration distance did not affect the frequency with which individuals spawned. Whether patterns of migration are determined by cost-benefit optimisation, tradition, or an alternative mechanism is unknown.     

Spawning behavior and haremic mating system in the corallivorous butterflyfish,Chaetodon trifascialis, at Kuroshima Island, Okinawa

Territorial and spawning behavior ofChaetodon trifascialis were investigated on a small patch of reef at Kuroshima Island, Okinawa, Japan. Three males and 8 females inhabited the reef, each individual defending a territory against conspecifics of the same sex. Each male territory included 2 or 3 female territories. In the daytime, each male frequently visited the females living in its territory. At dusk in the full or new moon periods, courtship began within the female territories, pair spawning subsequently occurring within or near those territories. When a male actively courted a female in the territory of a second male, the latter male immediately chased off the intruder. Thus, mating occurred only between a male and females living in former's territory. This is the first report of a haremic mating system among butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae).     

Growth rates and longevity of some gastropod mollusks on the coral reef at Heron Island

Summary Information on growth, gained from individually marked animals, is provided for at least one species of each of the families Trochidae, Neritidae, Strombidae, Cypraeidae, Thaisidae, Fasciolariidae, Vasidae and Conidae. Except in the cowries and strombs, which have determinate growth, shell growth is adequately described by a von Bertalanffy curve only to a certain point. Beyond this, growth continues slowly and at a rate that is independent of size. Size frequency distributions are characteristically negatively skew, mainly because early growth is fast relative to the total life span. Longevities seem to indicate that turnover rates are comparable to those of Prosobranch mollusks from colder seas.