The knowledges of trophic status (i.e., autotrophy/heterotrophy) of corals are helpful for understanding the mechanisms driving their environmental stress tolerance and bleaching resilience. We conducted this study to elucidate the differences in trophic status among corals of different genera and then explore the implication of trophic status for their different environmental stress tolerance. In this study, 117 coral samples including five genera (i.e., relatively stress‐tolerant massive genera Porites, Favites, and Favia and relatively vulnerable plating genus Pavona and branching genus Acropora) were collected from Weizhou Island, northern South China Sea. The symbiotic zooxanthellae density, δ¹³C of host tissues (δ¹³C_h), and symbiotic zooxanthellae (δ¹³C_z) were measured. Besides, the difference in values between δ¹³C_h and δ¹³C_z (i.e., △^{h‐z 13}C) was analyzed. Our results indicated that both zooxanthellae density and δ¹³C_z values of Porites, Favites, and Favia are higher than that of Pavona and Acropora and indicate that autotrophic photosynthesis intensity of symbiotic zooxanthellae of Porites, Favites, and Favia is higher than that of Pavona and Acropora. Besides, both δ¹³C_h and △^{h‐z 13}C of Porites, Favites, and Favia are lower than that of Pavona and Acropora and indicate a higher contribution of heterotrophic predation to the coral host of Porites, Favites, and Favia. These comparisons suggest that trophic status of relatively stress‐tolerant Porites, Favites, and Favia is more plasticity than vulnerable Pavona and Acropora, which is conducive to maintain a positive energy budget. This is one of important factors leading to different environmental stress tolerance and bleaching resilience among corals of different genera.

中文翻译：

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南海北部Wei洲岛巩膜珊瑚营养状态的种间差异：对不同环境耐受性的暗示

珊瑚的营养状态（即自养/异养）知识有助于理解驱动其环境承受力和漂白弹性的机制。我们进行了这项研究，以阐明不同属珊瑚之间营养状态的差异，然后探讨营养状态对它们不同的环境胁迫耐性的影响。在这项研究中，从南海北部的zhou洲岛收集了117个珊瑚样品，包括5个属（即相对耐胁迫的大型属Porites，Favites和Favia以及相对较弱的平板属Pavona和分支属Acropora属）。共生虫黄藻的密度，δ¹³宿主组织（δ的Ç ¹³ Ç _ħ）和共生虫黄藻（δ ¹³ C ^ _Ž测定）。此外，在δ之间值的差¹³ Ç _ħ和δ ¹³ Ç _Ž（即，△ ^{H-Z 13} C）进行了分析。我们的结果表明，这两种虫黄密度和δ ¹³ C ^ _ž的值滨，角蜂巢和Favia都比较高牡丹珊瑚和鹿角和指示的共生虫黄藻的该自养光合作用强度孔隙，Favites和Favia高于Pavona和Acropora。此外，无论是δ ¹³ C ^ _ħ和△ ^{H-Z 13}的Ç滨，角蜂巢和Favia都比较低牡丹珊瑚和鹿角和表示异捕食到的珊瑚主机更高的贡献滨，角蜂巢，和Favia。这些比较表明，相对耐压的Porites，Favites和Favia比易受伤害的Pavona和Acropora更具可塑性，这有利于维持积极的能源预算。这是导致不同属珊瑚之间不同的环境压力耐受性和漂白弹性的重要因素之一。