Damselfish-assisted repair of wounded corals surprises scientists
Corals share a close bond with the fish dwelling among them and the algae living within them. According to a new study, that relationship could be even stronger than previously known, with fish aiding coral tissue repair and damage recovery, particularly in higher-stress environments. The study, published on July 8 in Biology Letters, concluded that […]
Damselfish-assisted repair of wounded corals has astonished scientists, according to a recent study. The research, published on July 8 in Biology Letters, revealed that the yellowtail dascyllus (Dascyllus flavicaudus), a type of damselfish, aids in healing injuries on Pocillopora spp., a genus of stony coral native to the Indo-Pacific Ocean. The study's lead author, Hayden Vega, a Ph.D. student at the University of California, Berkeley, stated that "the bigger the wound, the faster the recovery."
While previous research has shown that coral-dwelling fish assist in cleaning coral wounds and help corals withstand warming oceans, this new evidence of wound healing through tissue repair indicates that the relationship between these organisms could be more advantageous than previously believed, particularly in stressful situations. Vega told Mongabay, "These positive interactions between species under stress end up creating a network of resilience in ecosystems."
He believes this sort of supportive relationship could extend beyond yellowtail dascyllus and coral, hoping the findings will encourage researchers to investigate mutualistic benefits shared by other marine species, especially under the pressure of warming oceans. The research results may then be applied to conservation management plans.
Written by urgent.news from Mongabay's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
