Coral Larvae Move toward Reef Sounds

M J A Vermeij; K L Marhaver; Chantal M Huijbers; I Naglkerken; S D Simpson

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0010660

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Coral Larvae Move toward Reef Sounds

M J A Vermeij, K L Marhaver, Chantal M Huijbers, I Naglkerken and S D Simpson

PLoS One, Vol.5(5), e10660

2010

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0010660

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Abstract

Free-swimming larvae of tropical corals go through a critical life-phase when they return from the open ocean to select a suitable settlement substrate. During the planktonic phase of their life cycle, the behaviours of small coral larvae (less than 1 mm) that influence settlement success are difficult to observe in situ and are therefore largely unknown. Here, we show that coral larvae respond to acoustic cues that may facilitate detection of habitat from large distances and from upcurrent of preferred settlement locations. Using in situ choice chambers, we found that settling coral larvae were attracted to reef sounds, produced mainly by fish and crustaceans, which we broadcast underwater using loudspeakers. Our discovery that coral larvae can detect and respond to sound is the first description of an auditory response in the invertebrate phylum Cnidaria, which includes jellyfish, anemones, and hydroids as well as corals. If, like settlement-stage reef fish and crustaceans, coral larvae use reef noise as a cue for orientation, the alleviation of noise pollution in the marine environment may gain further urgency.

Details

Title: Coral Larvae Move toward Reef Sounds
Authors: M J A Vermeij (Author) - University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
K L Marhaver (Author) - University of California San Diego, United States
Chantal M Huijbers (Author) - Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands
I Naglkerken (Author) - Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands
S D Simpson (Author) - University of Bristol, United Kingdom
Publication details: PLoS One, Vol.5(5), e10660; 4
Publisher: Public Library of Science
Date published: 2010
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0010660
ISSN: 1932-6203
Copyright note: Copyright © 2010 Vermeij et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Organisation Unit: School of Science and Engineering - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99450367902621
Output Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Marine & Freshwater Biology

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