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Biology and ecology of the vulnerable holothuroid, Stichopus herrmanni, on a high-latitude coral reef on the Great Barrier Reef

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Abstract

Tropical aspidochirotid holothuroids are among the largest coral reef invertebrates, but gaps remain in our understanding of their ecological roles in lagoon sediment habitats, a vast component of coral-reef ecosystems. Stichopus herrmanni, listed as vulnerable (IUCN), is currently a major fishery species on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and throughout the Indo-Pacific. It is critical to characterise how this species interacts with its environment to understand how its removal may impact ecosystem functionality. We investigated seasonal variation in movement, bioturbation, feeding and gonad development of S. herrmanni over 3 yr at One Tree Reef, which has been a no-take area for decades. We determined the direct influence of the deposit-feeding activity of S. herrmanni on sediment turnover and granulometry, and on the abundance of infauna and benthic productivity in a comprehensive in situ analysis of tropical holothuroid feeding ecology. This species is highly mobile with identifiable individuals exhibiting site fidelity over 3 yr. With the potential to turn over an estimated 64–250 kg individual−1 yr−1, S. herrmanni is a major bioturbator. Stichopus herrmanni is a generalist feeder and influences trophic interactions by altering the abundance of infauna and microalgae. Stichopus herrmanni exhibited decreased feeding activity and gonad development in winter, the first documentation of a seasonal disparity in the bioturbation activity of a tropical holothuroid. Sediment digestion and dissolution by S. herrmanni has the potential to influence seawater chemistry, a particularly important feature in a changing ocean. Our results provide essential baseline data on the functional roles of this ecologically important species to inform development of ecosystem-based bêche-de-mer fisheries management on the GBR.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by a Ph.D. scholarship from the University of Sydney and grants from the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, the Paddy Palin Foundation and the Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment. We thank Dr. Hampus Eriksson, Alexia Graba-Landry, Camila Ayroza, Steve Doo, Dione Deaker, Milly Raven, Ben Thorne and the staff of One Tree Island Research Station, a facility of the University of Sydney. This project operated under the GBRMPA Permit No. G13/36027.1. We thank the reviewers for comments that improved this manuscript. This is Sydney Institute of Marine Science Contribution No. 210.

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  1. School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia

    Kennedy Wolfe & Maria Byrne

  2. School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia

    Maria Byrne

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  1. Kennedy Wolfe
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Wolfe, K., Byrne, M. Biology and ecology of the vulnerable holothuroid, Stichopus herrmanni, on a high-latitude coral reef on the Great Barrier Reef. Coral Reefs 36, 1143–1156 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-017-1606-5

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