Allies in the Reef WarThe crown of thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) is a prominent predator of c

Allies in the Reef WarThe crown of thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) is a prominent predator of corals and has exploded in population in recent decades. The starfish has few predators due to its armor of venomous spines, but Porites corals have formed a unique partnership with scallops in order to protect themselves from the onslaught. The iridescent scallop (Pedum spondyloideum) digs itself completely into the skeleton of the coral. Often, such “boring clams” are a pest and parasite to corals, but iridescent scallops have been shown to actively defend their hosts against crown of thorns attacks by expelling jets of water outward at the predator. The starfish moves to easier prey and the coral is safe for the day.The Porites coral provides the scallops with a stable and secure home to burrow into, and in exchange the scallops serve as a defensive squirt gun turret system to defend their partners. Such symbioses between distantly related organisms are common and crucial to the success of coral reefs worldwide.Picture by Julie Bedford, hosted at http://bit.ly/29XP97hPaper with more information: http://bit.ly/29T9lc5 -- source link

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