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Microhabitat selection and functional morphology in the heterogeneous environment of the cushion starfish Culcita novaeguineae on Mo’orea
Tennenbaum, S.R. (2018). Microhabitat selection and functional morphology in the heterogeneous environment of the cushion starfish Culcita novaeguineae on Mo’orea. Student Papers 2018: 14 + appendices
In: Student Papers. UCB: Moorea
|  |
| Trefwoorden |
Culcita Agassiz, 1836 [WoRMS]; Culcita novaeguineae Müller & Troschel, 1842 [WoRMS]
Marien/Kust |
| Author keywords |
starfish; Culcita; phenotypic plasticity; camouflage; color; variation; French Polynesia |
| Abstract |
The colonization and dispersal of organisms on volcanic islands is reliant on various traits driven by natural selection. Phenotypic plasticity is a survival mechanism known to aid organisms in colonizing novel habitats, especially when these habitats are highly heterogeneous and organisms might benefit from occupying a distinct ecological niche. Microhabitat is one of the theoretical drivers behind organismal plasticity, particularly in a reef ecosystem with a variety of available substrates. Culcita novaeguineae is a common tropical reef starfish widespread in the Pacific that exhibits a range of phenotypic variation in its colors and patterning. Factors related to the morphological variation in this species have not been examined, and little is known about the ecology and life history of this species in general. The color diversity of thirty-one C. novaeguineae individuals was quantified using digital photography and an HSB color space, and these values were assessed for correlation to reef substrates that stars selected. Substrate preference by individuals was investigated and found to be non-random among substrate types present on the fringing reef. Additional analysis showed that the coloration of a star can serve as a predictor of which substrate it may select. The findings of this study reveal a relationship between color variation and the microhabitat selection of C. novaeguineae. These results further the understanding of phenotypic plasticity as a mechanism for survival and increased ecological fitness, shedding light on island ecology and species colonization and dispersal, as well as the natural history of this understudied species. |
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