SPS/LPS Chemical Warfare

[Acro-Phobia]

I'm trying to get a better understanding of what kind of chemical warfare goes on between/among the SPS and LPS corals in my system. I did a little rearranging and some corals crocked immediately. I'm thinking thier new neighbors may have had something to do with it.

Does anyone know where the good references or links on this subject might be?

[m2434]

Aren't we all? This is a topic that has virtually no data available. It has been suspected for a long time, but is almost impossible to study without vast resources and is not really a priority for funding, so it likely won't be any time soon. In the hobby we seem to take it as fact, but it is a very debatable topic. I think there is probably some truth to it, but really no one has studied it in any depth.

Typically, in the hobby, it seems to be the conclusion when no other explanation can be found. I think it sticks around because we like explanations. In reality, no one really knows anything about it.

If you want info, you might start here... Unfortunately, this may be the best refrence available.

BG Lages, BG Fleury, CEL Ferreira, RC Pereira
Chemical defense of an exotic coral as invasion strategy
Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology
Volume 328, Issue 1, 10 January 2006, Pages 127-135

[Acro-Phobia]

Thanks

[Mike O'Brien]

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/cw.htm

[m2434]

Just as a clarification, I'm not arguing that there is any question corals contain many very toxic chemicals. There is even a surprising amount of research on coral/fish interactions. The evidence for "chemical warfare" between corals is however mostly anecdotal...

[Mike O'Brien]

Some of those studys listed deal with coral against coral. For instance, Gunthorpe and Cameron 1990b.

[m2434]

I think you meant Gunthorpe L, Cameron AM (1990a)?

This is still quite circumstantial evidence IMO... Again, I suspect chemical warefare does exist, but I'm not sure how common or under what circumstances. I think the refrence I provided, by Lages et al. is still probably the most convincing and informative I've seen so far...

This is a very facsinating topic, and I'll certainly keep looking for info and continue to read through the refrences from the AA article. I've been researching this on and off for some time and still havn't found any definitive refrences on the subject. However, I'm thrilled to see any info regardless, so thanks Mike