Ledesma, Edgar T.

Surtida, Augusto P.

English

Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, Aquaculture Department Institutional Repository (SEAFDEC/AQD Institutional Repository )

Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture DepartmentSEAFDEC/AQD Institutional Repository http://repository.seafdec.org.phJournals/Magazines SEAFDEC Asian Aquaculture1999Attack of the coral eatersSurtida, Augusto P.Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development CenterSurtida, A. P., & Ledesma, E. T. (1999). Attack of the coral eaters. SEAFDEC AsianAquaculture, 21(5), 35-36.http://hdl.handle.net/10862/2851Downloaded from http://repository.seafdec.org.ph, SEAFDEC/AQD's Institutional Repositoryby a.p. surtida & e.t. ledesmaLATELY, A  SPINY-SPINY SKINNED SEA CREATURE BELONGING TO THE MARINE GROUP OF ANIMALS CALLED ECHIN O D E R M S  HAS BEEN CAUSING G R E A T  CONCERN A M O N G  MA R I N E  SCIENTISTS AND ENVIRONMENTALISTS, THE CULPRIT- T H E  C R O W N - O F-THORNS (COT) STARFISH (ACANTHASTER PLANCI). O U TBREAKS O F  COT POPULATION CAN INFLICT SERIOUS DAMAGE ON BROAD AREAS OF  C O R A L  REEFS.C O T  IS A PREDATOR. IT E A T S  SMALL REEF BUILD­ING ANIMALS CALLED CORAL POLYPS.CO R A L  POLYPS USUALLY CONSTRUCT COMMUNAL LIMESTONE HOMES WHICH ARE BUILT UP INTO A MULTITUDE OF SHAPES AND SIZES THAT EVENTUALLY GIVE RISE TO W H A T  IS K N O W N  AS "CORAL REEF."O NE ADULT STARFISH CAN DEVOUR AS MUCH AS 13 SQUARE METERS OF CORAL A  YEAR...A F T E R  FINDING A  SUITABLE PREY, T H E  COT PULLS ITS STOMACH OUT THROUGH ITS MOUTH (A PROCESS KNOWN AS "STOMACH EVERSION") OVER THE CORAL POLYPS AND RELEASES DIGESTIVE JUICES ONTO THE CORAL, BREAKING DOWN THE POLYP'S TISSUE INTO A  READILY ABSORBED "POLYP SOUP".IT LEAVES ONLY A BLEACHED- WHITE CORAL SKELETON WHICH IS SOON INVADED BY ALGAE, WORMS BORING MOLLUSCS OR REEF SETTLING ORGANISMS...W H EN PRESENT IN LARGE NUMBERS, THE COT OFTEN EAT TOGETHER IN A  GROUP CALLED "AGGREGATIONS." RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT CHEMICALS RELEASED DURING THE DIGESTION OF CORALS CAN ACTUALLY ATTRACT OTHER STARFISH TO A  FEEDING SITE...M A R I N E  S C I E N C E  I L L U S T R A T E DMarine cot researcher thinks that cot outbreaks are not unique. O utbreaks are being recorded in the INDO-PACIFIC A R E A  WHICH ARE AFFECTED BY SUCH OUTBREAKS...M A RINE SCIENTISTS CLASSIFY REEFS INTO FOUR CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO A  NUMBER OF COTS FOUND IN A  CERTAIN A R E A :*  NON-OUTBREAK - THERE ARE LESS THAN 30 COTS PER HECTARE OF REEF*  INCIPIENT OUTBREAK - PRESENCE OF HIGH DENSITIES OF COT JUVENILE*  SPOT-OUTBREAK - HIGH DENSITY POPULATION OF COTS IN PARTS OF A  REEF*  ACTIVE OUTBREAK - THERE'S MORE THAN 30 MATURE COTS PER HECTARE OF REEF.C OTS RESEARCHERS ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN OTHER COUNTRIES...... SHARING RESEARCH RESULTS AND ADDING TO THE POOL OF KNOWLEDGE SO THAT THEY MAY BE ABLE TO OBSERVE THE WHOLE CYCLE AND CONTROL SPECIFIC AREASAmong the n e w  Developments: INJECTING COTS WITH DRY ACID, (SODIUM B ISULPHATE) LETHAL, YET ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY...D R Y  acid is limited to small- scale CLEARING OF COTS IN AREAS IMPORTANT TO TOURISM OR research...O THER DEVELOPMENTS:◉  N E W  SURVEILLANCE TECHNIQUES ALLOWING EARLY DETECTION OF ANY INCREASE IN COT JUVENILE population WHICH LEADS T O ...◉  PINPOINTING FACTORS THAT LEAD TO COT OUTBREAKS, AND...◉  CONTINGENCY PLAN TO BE ACTIVATED IN DEALING WITH OUTBREAKS INCLUDING LOCALIZED CONTROL M E A SURES AND EXPANDED OBSERV­ATION NETWORK A N D  N E W  RESEARCH INITIATIVES...FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUTCS:THE COTS COORDINATOR G B R M P A  P.O. BOX 1379 TOWNSVILLE, QUEENSLAND AUSTRALIA FAX (077) 726093

Attack of the coral eaters

https://repository.seafdec.org.ph/bitstream/10862/2851/1/SurtidaAP1999-attack-of-the-coral-eaters.pdf

Attack of the coral eaters

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