1. Adaptations of Coral Reef Organisms

2. Predators

3. 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

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

5. 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

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

7. 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

8. Arms and Armor

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

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

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

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

13. Body Armor Seahorses have bony armor plates
Lionfish have poisonous spines

14. Chemical Warfare

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

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

19. 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

20. Deception

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

22. Mimic Octopus
As a sea star
As a sea snake