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Aggregation and cnidae development as early defensive strategies in Favia fragum and Porites astreoides

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Abstract

To survive, corals possess a variety of active and passive defenses. This study examined the effectiveness of aggregation and cnidae development as defensive strategies in enhancing post-settlement survival and growth of two brooding corals, Favia fragum and Porites astreoides, in Bermuda. Growth and survival of solitary and aggregated spat were monitored over seven weeks; cnidae were extracted from surviving spat. F. fragum aggregated spat had higher mortality, slower growth, and more cnidae than solitary spat. On the other hand, aggregation proved beneficial for P. astreoides spat, which had significantly lower mortality, faster growth, and fewer cnidae. Aggregated and solitary F. fragum spat displayed negative correlations between cnidae density and growth, suggesting a trade-off between defense and growth; however, P. astreoides spat did not demonstrate such a trade-off. These differing responses suggest that early patterns of survivorship and defensive strategies are highly species specific and complex.

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Acknowledgments

This research is Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences contribution number 2035. We thank Dr. Samantha de Putron for the use of equipment; Dr. Robert Woollacott for helpful feedback on experimental design and manuscript preparation; and Kelly Speare for assistance in sample processing. We also thank three anonymous reviewers whose comments greatly improved this manuscript. This work was funded by a BIOS Grant-In-Aid.

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Correspondence to H. E. Rivera.

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Communicated by Biology Editor Dr. Mark Vermeij

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Rivera, H.E., Goodbody-Gringley, G. Aggregation and cnidae development as early defensive strategies in Favia fragum and Porites astreoides . Coral Reefs 33, 1079–1084 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-014-1180-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-014-1180-z

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