Adaptations of Coral Reef Organisms

Predators

1. Capturing Prey Chemical sensors to detect prey Probing tentacles nudibranch Probing tentacles octopus Spear prey cuttlefish Lethal spines to poison or crush Mantis shrimp

2. Senses Detect electrical signals to find prey sharks Use electrical charges to stun prey Electric eel

Senses Camouflaged with the reef Ambush predators are highly camouflaged hide by staying still and patient Scorpionfish, crocodile fish Use high striking speed to catch unsuspecting prey Ex. frogfish have the fastest known feeding action in the animal kingdom

Feeding Action frogfish have the fastest known feeding action in the animal kingdom

3. Reef Eaters Crown of Thorns Starfish Bumphead Parrotfish Pushes its stomach out of its body onto coral polyps Can take over and cause a lot of damage if there is an imbalance Bumphead Parrotfish Digest coral skeletons and excrete remains as sand This sand makes up much of island beaches

Arms and Armor

1. Escape Bursts of high speed (through adapted body shape) Other defenses are used if they lack speed (toxins)

Mimicry Some organisms model their behavior, or have physical similarities, to other organisms

Toxic Neighbors Some organisms use other organisms for their own protection Zebra crabs and cardinal fish use sea urchins for protection.

Boxer crabs hold poisonous sea anemones in their claws to ward off other animals

Body Armor Seahorses have bony armor plates Lionfish have poisonous spines

Chemical Warfare

Toxins vs. Venom Toxins – poisonous or distasteful chemicals in the tissues of an animal’s body. Purpose is to discourage attack Most toxic animals advertise with colorful markings

Toxins Some toxins taste bad and are secreted in the mucus covering the skin Some are located in the tissues throughout the body (pufferfish contain one of the strongest toxins in the animal kingdom) Several people die in Japan each year from badly prepared pufferfish

Venoms Different from toxins because they are actively injected into another animal Have to rely on teeth and spines to break the surface of the skin Poisonous chemicals are then pumped in Mostly a defensive measure Examples: stonefish, scorpionfish, lionfish, sea snakes, blue-ringed octopus, stingrays

Blue-ringed octopus has one of the world’s strongest venoms Can suffocate a human as the poison shuts down the muscles

Shock Tactics Electricity under water can be used in one of two ways: To detect electrical fields for hunting For navigation To generate electric shocks to stun prey

Deception

Deception Bury themselves in the sand Stingrays stargazers Eyespots trick predators into thinking the animal is larger than it really is

Mimic Octopus As a sea star As a sea snake