corallivore en · NOUN
Etymology
Etymology tree English coral Proto-Indo-European *gʷerh₃- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *gʷorh₃éh₂ Proto-Italic *worā Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin vorōder. English -vore English corallivore From coral + -vore.
Meanings
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Any animal that eats coral.
Acanthaster is potentially the most important corallivore in the eastern Pacific, due to its large size and high rate of consumption (about 0.5 m” of coral tissue per month). This corallivore is especially interesting ecologically because of its preferential feeding behavior; it tends to prey on massive, encrusting and nodular coral species, often avoiding branching corals such as Pocillopora spp.
2013, U. Seeliger, Coastal Marine Ecosystems of Latin America, page 293:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| corallivores | Number=Plur | lexicographic |