Exposure to moderately elevated temperatures changes food preferences in the tropical marine herbivore Haliotis squamata

Abstract Ocean warming is affecting marine ectothermic herbivores as well the macroalgal species they consume and this has potential to alter their trophic interaction. However, it currently still unknown how these two important components of benthic food webs will react a environment. Consumption rates grazers change with increasing temperatures, but unclear whether also true for feeding preferences. In study, multiple-choice assays tropical abalone Haliotis squamata from Western Indonesia were conducted in August 2018. After brief acclimation either grazer or macroalgae moderately elevated water temperatures (maximum 2 °C above long-term average) laboratory, three living simultaneously offered assays. H. lower under while its preference switched: At 27 (2 below average), preferred non-acclimated Gracilaria salicornia , switched Amphiroa spp. at 31 °C. Interestingly, no such switch occurred when macroalgae, not acclimated. This indicates that presumably be driver interactions between food. may result changes structure communities, mediated by behaviour herbivorous invertebrates.