Cyanobacteria of the genus Trichodesmium form extensive blooms that supply new N to nutrient-poor marine ecosystems. Yet little is known about what eats Trichodesmium . In this laboratory study, we show that one of the greatest threats to coral reefs, predatory crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS), Acanthaster sp., completes their larval phase feeding solely on Trichodesmium . We observed Trichodesmium erythraeum CMP1985 in the stomachs of larvae using florescence microscopy and traced the assimilation of nitrogen from labeled trichomes into larval tissues using stable isotopes. Some larvae fed T. erythraeum were morphologically ready to become benthic juveniles after 19 days. Given that Trichodesmium can be food for CoTS, reported increases in Trichodesmium could be a driving factor in the heightened frequency of CoTS population irruptions that have devastated coral reefs in past decades. Future studies could test this through investigating the diets of wild larvae and incorporating Trichodesmium abundance into models of CoTS population dynamics.

中文翻译：

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荆棘冠海星仅吃固氮蓝细菌Trichodesmium bluebacteria来完成其幼虫阶段


蓝藻属木藻属形成广泛的水华，为营养贫乏的海洋生态系统提供新的氮。然而人们对于吃什么却知之甚少木藻属。在这项实验室研究中，我们表明对珊瑚礁最大的威胁之一是掠食性棘冠海星（CoTS），棘蝽sp.，仅以食物为食来完成其幼虫阶段木藻属。我们观察到红毛藻使用荧光显微镜观察幼虫胃中的 CMP1985，并使用稳定同位素追踪标记毛状体中的氮同化到幼虫组织中的情况。一些幼虫进食红毛霉19天后，它们在形态上已准备好成为底栖幼体。鉴于木藻属可以作为 CoTS 的食物，据报告增加木藻属可能是过去几十年来 CoTS 种群数量激增导致珊瑚礁遭到破坏的一个驱动因素。未来的研究可以通过调查野生幼虫的饮食并结合木藻属将丰度纳入 CoTS 种群动态模型。