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Non-bleached colonies of massive Porites may attract fishes for selective grazing during mass bleaching events.

ABSTRACT: In this study we investigated the variation in grazing scar densities between bleached and non-bleached colonies of massive Porites species in Sekisei Lagoon (Okinawa, southwestern Japan) during a mass bleaching event in 2016. The grazing scar densities and bleaching susceptibility varied among neighboring colonies of massive Porites spp. However, non-bleached colonies had significantly more surface scars than bleached colonies. One explanation for these variations is that corallivorous fishes may selectively graze on non-bleached, thermally tolerant colonies. This is the first report of a relationship between grazing scars and the bleaching status of massive Porites spp. colonies during a mass bleaching event.

SUBMITTER: Ikeuchi E

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5494163 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Non-bleached colonies of massive Porites may attract fishes for selective grazing during mass bleaching events.

Ikeuchi Eri E Ohno Yoshikazu Y Iguchi Akira A Nakamura Takashi T

PeerJ 20170630

In this study we investigated the variation in grazing scar densities between bleached and non-bleached colonies of massive Porites species in Sekisei Lagoon (Okinawa, southwestern Japan) during a mass bleaching event in 2016. The grazing scar densities and bleaching susceptibility varied among neighboring colonies of massive Porites spp. However, non-bleached colonies had significantly more surface scars than bleached colonies. One explanation for these variations is that coralliv ...[more]

PMID: 28674649

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