HABITAT SELECTION IN THE TROPICAL POLYCHAETE SPIROBRANCHUS-GIGANTEUS .2. LARVAL PREFERENCES FOR CORALS

Preferences of presettlement larvae of Spirobranchus giganteus (Pallas) for corals were investigated and compared with the distribution of adult worms on corals in the field. Ripe adult S. giganteus were collected from three reef locations along the west coast of Barbados between January and July 1986. Ova were fertilized in the laboratory, and larvae tested for preferences for and between four species of coral, Diploria strigosa, Montastrea annularis, M. cavernosa and Porites porites. Each experiment offered a choice of two corals and a control, and a total of 288 experiments were conducted. Data were analysed as coral vs control and coral vs coral. Presettlement larvae preferred D. strigosa and M. annularis, corals on which adult worms are common, over a control. They showed no preference for M. cavernosa or P. porites, corals on which adult worms are rare, over the control. Larvae preferred both D. strigosa and M. annularis over M. cavernosa, and preferred M. annularis over P. porites. A comparison of preference behaviour between 1 to 4 d larvae and 5 to 12 d larvae indicated little tendency for preference to change with age. © 1990 Springer-Verlag.