Abstract Corallivore animals play vital role in coral reef ecology. Predation on corals by other organisms has not been studied properly in the Indian waters. This study reports the first observation of predation by cushion star (Culcita schmideliana) on coral polyps in Gulf of Mannar (GoM), southeast India. During our regular underwater surveys in GoM, C. schmideliana was found preying on hard coral Acropora formosa and soft coral Sarcophyton sp. at a depth of 3 m in Vilanguchalli patch reef. Though C. schmideliana has been sighted often under water, it has not been observed to predate on corals in GoM before. The area where predation was observed has a major population of hard corals (50.21%) besides seagrasses (8.36%) and soft corals (6.11%). Temperature anomalies and the consequent coral bleaching could be the factors making C. schmideliana prefer coral polyps.

中文翻译：

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垫星（Culcita schmideliana）捕食印度东南部马纳尔湾的珊瑚虫

摘要 食珊瑚动物在珊瑚礁生态中扮演着重要的角色。其他生物对珊瑚的捕食在印度水域尚未得到适当研究。这项研究报告了印度东南部马纳尔湾 (GoM) 的垫状星 (Culcita schmideliana) 对珊瑚息肉的捕食的首次观察。在我们在 GoM 的定期水下调查中，发现 C. schmideliana 捕食硬珊瑚 Acropora formosa 和软珊瑚 Sarcophyton sp。在 3 m 深的 Vilanguchalli 斑块礁中。虽然 C. schmideliana 经常在水下被发现，但之前没有观察到它比 GoM 的珊瑚更早出现。除了海草 (8.36%) 和软珊瑚 (6.11%) 之外，观察到捕食的区域还有大量的硬珊瑚 (50.21%)。温度异常和随之而来的珊瑚白化可能是导致 C.