Mollusk Species Associated with the Scleractinian Coral Alveopora japonica Eguchi, 1968 Forming a Coral Carpet in Northwestern Jeju Island SCOPUS KCI

Title
Mollusk Species Associated with the Scleractinian Coral Alveopora japonica Eguchi, 1968 Forming a Coral Carpet in Northwestern Jeju Island
Alternative Title
Mollusk Species Associated with the Scleractinian Coral Alveopora japonica Eguchi, 1968 Forming a Coral Carpet in Northwestern Jeju Island
Author(s)
Noseworthy, Ronald G.; Hong, Hyun-Ki; Ju, Se Jong; Yang, Hyun Sung; Choi, Kwang-Sik
KIOST Author(s)
Ju, Se Jong(주세종)Yang, Hyun Sung(양현성)
Alternative Author(s)
주세종; 양현성
Publication Year
2022-12
Abstract
The high latitude scleractinian coral Alveopora japonica Eguchi, 1965 occurs in high density in the shallow rocky subtidal in Jeju Island, forming coral carpets. Despite its ecological role providing a unique habitat for other benthic organisms, the benthic fauna associated with the A. japonica coral carpet is poorly known. To identify fauna associated with the coral carpet, we explored three sites dominated by A. japonica and one control site on northwestern Jeju Island in May 2013. Using SCUBA, we collected A. japonica and the epibenthic mega-fauna associated with the colonies in 1×1 m2 and identified them to the species level. At a depth of 10 to 15 m, A. japonica colonies heavily covered the seafloor, forming a layer called a coral carpet, with a density of 94 (Keumneung-ri), 133 (Biyangdo), and 155 (Gwidok-ri) colonies/m2. Thirty-four molluscan species were identified from the four sites, including 20 bivalves and 14 gastropods. The coral carpets were enriched with sessile bivalves compared to the control site, as we identified twenty bivalve and eight gastropod species from the coral carpets. Most bivalve species associated with the coral carpets had tropical-subtropical affinities, while gastropods were mainly subtropical and subtropical-low boreal species. Leiosolenus lischkei M. Huber, 2010, in the family Mytilidae and Barbatia steamsi (Pilsbry, 1895), in the family Arcidae, were the two most abundant bivalve species in the coral carpet, L. lischkei being a borer, and B. stearnsi a nestler. The tropical to subtropical Pacific star shell Astralium haematragum (Menke, 1829)was the most abundant gastropod at the study sites. The bivalves and gastropods associated with the coral carpet were small-sized juveniles or sub-adults, suggesting that the coral carpet provides a micro-habitat for the bivalves and gastropods.
ISSN
1598-141X
URI
https://sciwatch.kiost.ac.kr/handle/2020.kiost/43662
DOI
10.4217/OPR.2022025
Bibliographic Citation
Ocean and Polar Research, v.44, no.4, pp.331 - 338, 2022
Publisher
한국해양과학기술원
Keywords
Alveopora japonica; coral carpet; molluscan assemblage; micro-habitat; Jeju Island
Type
Article
Language
English
Document Type
Article
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