Why fate of the Great Barrier Reef could rest with this tiny crab
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Loading... - Lucy Thomas
- 12 Apr 2023
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A small crab native to Queensland has been identified as having a huge appetite for crown-of-thorns starfish, a discovery that holds hope for protecting large coral areas of the Great Barrier Reef.
University of Queensland scientists say the red decorator crab – or Schizophrys aspera – could be our best weapon yet in the fight to stop the coral-eating pest.
It turns out that red decorator crabs have a voracious appetite for the juvenile starfish, when their lack of fully formed toxic defensive barbs leave them vulnerable to predators.
PhD candidate Amelia Desbiens from UQ’s School of Biological Sciences tested more than 100 species of crabs, shrimps, worms, snails, and small fish and found one species was a standout at eating juvenile crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS).
“The red decorator crab-was by far the most consistent predator consuming COTS in 89 per cent of the feeding trials,” Desbiens said.
“We were surprised by its voracity – each red decorator crab devoured more than five COTS per day while most other species barely ate a single one.
“It’s one of the best predators of COTS we’ve seen and could be a natural buffer against future outbreaks on the reef.”
Coral rubble or dead coral is the preferred home of juvenile crown-of-thorns starfish, which due to warming ocean waters has proliferated in big numbers, feasting on the area’s vibrant coral and leaving large tracts of the reef lifeless and bleached of colour. Read More..
