Herbivory in the soft coral Sinularia flexibilis (Alcyoniidae)

Our work provides strong support for the hypothesis that Sinularia flexibilis ingests diatoms such as Thalassiosira pseudonana. We assessed algal ingestion by S. flexibilis through estimates of algal removal, histological analyses, scanning electron microscopy observations and gene expression determination (18S and silicon transporter 1) by real time PCR. Cell counts are strongly suggestive of algal removal by the coral; light and scanning microscopy provide qualitative evidence for the ingestion of T. pseudonana by S. flexibilis, while molecular markers did not prove to be sufficiently selective/specific to give clear results. We thus propose that previous instances of inability of corals to ingest algae are reconsidered using different technical approach, before concluding that coral herbivory is not a general feature.

• Publication year

  2016

• Venue

  Scientific Reports

• Publication date

  2016-03-08

• Fields of study

  Biology, Medicine, Environmental Science

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1038/srep22679PMID 26951778PMCID 4782107
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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