Comparative palatability among eggs of mass-spawning corals

Abstract

The eggs and larvae of mass-spawning reef corals are seasonally abundant and highly nutritious and are therefore a potentially important food source for planktivorous fishes. While there arc several reports of fish feeding on coral propagules, it is not known whether propagules of different coral species are equally palatable. Here we report that the planktivorous fish Pomacentrus moluccensis readily consumed, and did not distinguish between, food pellets made from eggs of Acropora millepora and A. humilis. In contrast, pellets made from eggs of Pachyseris speciosa were often tasted but then rejected. Pomacemrus moluccensis consistently selected pellets made from eggs of the Acropora species over pellets made from eggs of P. speciosa. These preliminary findings suggest that not all coral propagules are equally palatable. Consequently rates of larval mortality resulting from fish predation may vary greatly among different coral species.