Wednesday March 12, 2025
PhysOrg —
Small, hidden crabs may be the missing link influencing coral-eating starfish populations, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
While we know crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) outbreaks can decimate coral reefs across the Indo-Pacific, the boom-and-bust population cycles of these naturally occurring corallivores are debated among scientists.
Senior author AIMS Researcher Dr. Sven Uthicke said the research team found small, hidden decapod crabs were a significant, previously unrecognized COTS predator, in addition to reef fish and triton shells.
“Using our newly developed eDNA techniques to detect COTS, we found COTS DNA in the guts of seven species of decapod caught across more than 1,000 km of the Great Barrier Reef,” he said. “And we found fewer crabs in areas prone to COTS outbreaks.”