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<P>Hi Coral Listers</P>
<P>I am responding to Gustaf Mamangkey’s query about whether it is
possible to distinguish between <I>Drupella</I> and <I>Acanthaster</I> feeding
scars. I have put an article on this topic, with comparative photos, in the next
issue of Reef Encounter, out in July. </P>
<P>The answer is yes, it is often possible. The algal cover is <U>uniform</U> on
<I>Acanthaster</I> scars, because they are inflicted at one point in time (i.e.
result from one feeding event), and <U>graded</U> on <I>Drupella</I> scars,
because they are inflicted over a period of time, ranging from days to months
(while a group of <I>Drupella</I> occupies the colony).</P>
<P>Regarding Forde (1992) – this was a paper published in the proceedings
of a workshop on <I>Drupella</I> in 1991. Forde found that <I>Drupella</I>
<I>cornus</I> were attracted to experimentally broken coral fragments, i.e.
higher <U>density</U> on damaged than undamaged corals in the experiment. These
corals were not devoid of live flesh, the damage was skeletal breakage. </P>
<P>Robyn</FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000
size=2>********************************************************************<BR>Robyn
Cumming<BR>Lecturer in Biology<BR>School of Pure and Applied Sciences<BR>The
University of the South Pacific<BR>PO Box 1168<BR>Suva<BR>Fiji</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>ph: + 679 21
2455<BR>fax: + 679 31 5601 or 30 2548</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>email: <A
href="mailto:robyn.cumming@usp.ac.fj">robyn.cumming@usp.ac.fj</A><BR>web:
<A
href="http://www.usp.ac.fj/biology/staff/robyn.html">http://www.usp.ac.fj/biology/staff/robyn.html</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Visit the Biology web page at:<BR><A
href="http://www.usp.ac.fj/biology">http://www.usp.ac.fj/biology</A><BR>********************************************************************<BR>
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