Contrasting defensive strategies underlie differential susceptibility of corals to crown-of-thorns sea star (CoTS; Acanthaster cf. solaris ) predation
Abstract
Crown-of-thorns sea star (CoTS), Acanthaster cf. solaris , outbreaks are a major cause of hard coral cover decline across the west Pacific, threatening coral reefs. Coral taxa vary in susceptibility to CoTS predation from preferred ( Acropora spp.) to non-preferred ( Porites spp.), yet the mechanisms underlying these differences are poorly understood. We investigated coral defenses during an ongoing CoTS outbreak in Mo’orea, French Polynesia by examining gene expression (including putative toxin genes) in healthy and actively predated colonies of a preferred ( Acropora hyacinthus ) and a non-preferred ( Porites sp.) coral prey species. During predation, A. hyacinthus exhibited molecular signatures of cellular stress responses involving oxidative stress signalling, inflammation, and tissue proteolysis. In contrast, Porites sp. showed enrichment of genes involved in mitochondrial metabolic adjustment and aerobic metabolism, suggesting metabolic compensation to maintain cellular function. Furthermore, A. hyacinthus demonstrated a reactive defense behaviour by differentially expressing toxins (e.g., kunitz-type neurotoxins) while Porites sp. employed constitutive expression of all putative toxins regardless of active predation, suggesting a proactive defense strategy. Together, these findings suggest that preferred and non-preferred coral prey exhibit fundamentally different molecular and defensive strategies during CoTS predation, shedding light on the evolutionary arms race between corals and their predators.
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BibTeX
@misc{gorman2026contrasting,
title = {{Contrasting defensive strategies underlie differential susceptibility of corals to crown-of-thorns sea star (CoTS; Acanthaster cf. solaris ) predation}},
author = {Lucy Gorman and Stella Caon and Ariana Huffmyer and Maria Byrne and Sébastien Dutertre and Hollie Putnam and Suzanne Mills},
howpublished = {HAL},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.64898/2026.07.08.737165},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05829509v1},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Contrasting defensive strategies underlie differential susceptibility of corals to crown-of-thorns sea star (CoTS; Acanthaster cf. solaris ) predation
AU - Lucy Gorman
AU - Stella Caon
AU - Ariana Huffmyer
AU - Maria Byrne
AU - Sébastien Dutertre
AU - Hollie Putnam
AU - Suzanne Mills
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/08
PB - HAL
DO - 10.64898/2026.07.08.737165
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05829509v1
AB - Crown-of-thorns sea star (CoTS), Acanthaster cf. solaris , outbreaks are a major cause of hard coral cover decline across the west Pacific, threatening coral reefs. Coral taxa vary in susceptibility to CoTS predation from preferred ( Acropora spp.) to non-preferred ( Porites spp.), yet the mechanisms underlying these differences are poorly understood. We investigated coral defenses during an ongoing CoTS outbreak in Mo’orea, French Polynesia by examining gene expression (including putative toxin genes) in healthy and actively predated colonies of a preferred ( Acropora hyacinthus ) and a non-preferred ( Porites sp.) coral prey species. During predation, A. hyacinthus exhibited molecular signatures of cellular stress responses involving oxidative stress signalling, inflammation, and tissue proteolysis. In contrast, Porites sp. showed enrichment of genes involved in mitochondrial metabolic adjustment and aerobic metabolism, suggesting metabolic compensation to maintain cellular function. Furthermore, A. hyacinthus demonstrated a reactive defense behaviour by differentially expressing toxins (e.g., kunitz-type neurotoxins) while Porites sp. employed constitutive expression of all putative toxins regardless of active predation, suggesting a proactive defense strategy. Together, these findings suggest that preferred and non-preferred coral prey exhibit fundamentally different molecular and defensive strategies during CoTS predation, shedding light on the evolutionary arms race between corals and their predators.
ER -