The roles of endolithic fungi in bioerosion and disease in marine ecosystems. I. General concepts

Figures & data

Table 1. Interactions between components of the bottom part of a generalised coral reef food web.

Partners	Site	Trophic type	Trophic level	Direction of energy flow
1) Interconnected polyps	Inside Skeleton	Heterotrophic	Primary consumer	From external food, Zooxanthellae and Endolithic Algae to coral tissues
2) Zooxanthellae	Endoderm Polyp Tissue	Autotrophic	Producer	Provides carbon nutrients for polyp tissues
3) Endolithic algae	Within skeleton	Autotrophic	Producer	Provides carbon nutrients for polyp tissues and Endolithic fungi
4) Endolithic fungi	Within skeleton	Heterotrophic	Primary consumer	From endolithic algae and proteins inside the skeleton
5) Fungi and bacteria in coral mucus	Outside skeleton	Heterotrophic	Primary consumers	From secreted nutrients or from coral tissue when parasitic
6) Zooxanthellae	Free-living in water	Autotrophic	Producers	Provides nutrients for parasites and predators when released
7) Parasitic dinoflagellates	Free-living in water	Heterotrophic	Primary consumers	From living and atrophied zooxanthellae when released from coral tissues
8) Zooplankton protists and small animal predators	Free-living in water	Heterotrophic	Primary or secondary consumers	From all dinoflagellates, other phytoplankton and fungi
9) Endolithic algae In environmentoutside corals	Calcareous sediments /substrates	Autotrophic	Producers	Provides nutrients for Parasites and Predators
10) Endolithic fungiin coral reefenvironment	Calcareous sediments/ substrates	Heterotrophic	Primary consumer	From endolithic algae and proteins inside calcareous structures