Conditional use of mangrove habitats by fishes: Depth as a cue to avoid predators

Ellis, William L.; Bell, Susan S.

doi:10.1007/bf02803423

Cited by 53 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 85 publications

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“…The threat of multiple predators is a realistic scenario in a mangrove community; the combination of their shapes and the shade they cast means epibionts contribute to an excellent habitat where smaller fish may avoid multiple predators. At the depth where the experiment took place, shade conceals smaller species from predators (Cocheret de la Moriniere et al 2004;Ellis and Bell 2004).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Mangrove Prop-Root Epibionts on Juvenile Reef Fishes: A Field Experiment Using Artificial Roots and Epifauna

Macdonald

Glover

Weis

2008

Estuaries and Coasts

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A field experiment was established in Bocas Del Tom, Panama to examine the relationship between sessile organisms living on mangrove prop roots and fish communities. Artificial mangrove roots (AMR) with different sets of artificial (AE) or real epibionts were established in five different locations in two separate years. Fish species in each plot were identified, counted, and their size estimated by visual census for 15 days in each replicate. In the artificial mangrove plots, the treatments with the most heterogeneous structure had significantly greater abundance of most families and species richness of fish in both years of the experiment. AMR plots with AEs attracted a more abundant and diverse fish assemblage than those with live epibionts, which had lower three-dimensional structure. All of the AMR plots had significantly greater fish abundance than comparable plots of sea grass alone. The location of the replicate also made a significant difference to fish abundance. The data indicate that prop-root epibionts can enhance fish abundance and diversity in mangroves,

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Mangrove Prop-Root Epibionts on Juvenile Reef Fishes: A Field Experiment Using Artificial Roots and Epifauna

Macdonald

Glover

Weis

2008

Estuaries and Coasts

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“…The tethering technique we employed was modified from Ellis & Bell (2004). The gear consisted of (1) a 2 m long (11.34 kg test) monofilament center line with a 226.8 g lead weight attached at 1 end and a small, plastic float attached to the other; and (2) a 1 m long (11.34 kg test) monofilament tether line.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relative predation risk for fishes along a subtropical mangrove–seagrass ecotone

Hammerschlag¹,

Morgan²,

Serafy³

2010

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Many fishes shelter in mangrove habitats by day and forage mostly in seagrass beds by night. This pattern of diel habitat use has been attributed to a predator avoidance strategy, whereby predation risk is reduced by alternating between the cover afforded by prop-roots during the day and darkness at night. We employed a series of diel tethering experiments in Biscayne Bay (Florida, USA) to empirically examine whether relative predation pressure on fishes is lower at night than during the day and to compare relative predation pressure on fishes at different distances from the mangroveseagrass ecotone. Pinfish Lagodon rhomboides ranging from 10 to 17 cm in total length were tethered during day and night at 10, 50, and 110 m from the mangrove-seagrass ecotone. Pinfish removal rates at night were twice as high as during the day, which contradicts the idea that darkness provides 'cover' during nocturnal foraging in seagrass. Predation losses were highest nearest the mangrove edge and decreased with increasing distance from shore. Our results agree with those of other tethering studies that marine ecotones, or transition zones between refuges and feeding sites, can be areas of high predation pressure for fishes. KEY WORDS: Predators · Edge effects · Proximity gradient · Shark · Snapper · Porgy · Grunt Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherMar Ecol Prog Ser 401: [259][260][261][262][263][264][265][266][267] 2010 tor access (Shulman 1985, Blaber 2007, Rypel et al. 2007). Most previous studies, which have been primarily diurnal, have consistently reported fish densities to be higher nearest the mangroves compared to offshore (e.g. Jelbart et al. 2007, Newman et al. 2007, Unsworth et al. 2008. However, direct field-based evidence evaluating how predation risk varies spatially in seagrass beds in relation to mangrove proximity is lacking.Ecotones, or habitat transition zones, are recognized as hunting corridors for predators in a variety of systems (Decamps & Naiman 1988, Ries & Sisk 2004. Organisms are likely at highest risk from predation when crossing ecotones between sheltered and feeding patches, due to the high concentration of individuals in refuges and predictability of their foraging movements. For example, off the coast of South Africa, hunting white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) patrol fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus) refuge entry and exit points in attempts to ambush seals as they leave for, and return from, foraging (Martin et al. 2005, Hammerschlag et al. 2006, Martin et al. 2009). Although previous studies in a variety of habitats (e.g. reefs, Shulman 1985) have reported predation pressure to be high near ecotones, or habitat edges, this has not been previously reported in mangroveseagrass habitats and results of most published diurnal fish abundance surveys indicate highest fish densities nearest the mangroves (Jelbart et al. 2007, Newman et al. 2007, Unsworth et al. 2008.Recently, Hammerschlag & Serafy (in press) examined nocturnal abundance ...

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“…Most studies have been conducted in intertidal marshes or mangroves (e.g. Hampel et al 2003, Ellis & Bell 2004, Bretsch & Allen 2006, Kimball & Able 2007. These studies have used a range of sampling gears (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of tides on assemblages and behaviour of fishes associated with shallow seagrass edges and bare sand

Becker¹,

Coppinger²,

Whitfield³

2012

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Seagrass beds and associated fish assemblages have been the focus of a large number of past studies. However, the influence of small water depth changes due to tides on fish species along shallow seagrass bed edges is unknown. In this study an underwater video camera was deployed to examine the fish community at 3 seagrass edge (Zostera capensis) and 3 sand sites over incoming spring and neap tides in the Bushmans Estuary, South Africa. Small changes in tidally driven water depth had significant effects on the abundance of common fish taxa, with gobies decreasing and others, including mullets, increasing in abundance. These general patterns were consistent in both seagrass and sand sites, as well as during spring and neap tidal cycles. There were inconsistent differences in the abundance of common fish taxa between seagrass edges and bare sand. Importantly, when differences did occur, these were contingent on tidal stage or linked to different tidal cycles (neap or spring), highlighting that small changes in depth may influence edge effects. The behaviour of fish did not appear to be influenced by water depth, but for some taxa there were distinct differences in swimming behaviour between those individuals associated with seagrass beds and those situated over bare sand. These small temporal scale changes in water depth are a previously overlooked aspect of littoral seagrass landscapes that may be important in structuring associated fish communities. KEY WORDS: Underwater video · Water depth · Estuary · Fish movements · Zostera capensis · South AfricaResale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher Mar Ecol Prog Ser 456: 187-199, 2012 exception of a few studies from tidal marsh creeks (Bretsch & Allen 2006), collections are usually made at relatively low frequencies, normally 1 to 4 times over a tidal cycle (Thomas & Connolly 2001, Kimball & Able 2007.While the migration of fish into intertidal habitats has been the topic of previous research, the effect of tides and changing water depth along shallow patches of subtidal seagrass beds is still largely unknown. Some work has focused on the effects of depth on faunal assemblages associated with seagrass beds (Bell et al. 1992, Jackson et al. 2006. Results have been inconsistent, with most studies relying on spatially segregated 'deep' and 'shallow' sites, with depth ranges being relatively large (meters) and deeper sites often exposed to differing hydrological conditions or consisting of differing structure (Hovel et al. 2002).Similar to intertidal examples, studies that have examined seagrass sites at different tidal depths have been based on a relatively low frequency of repeat sampling (Sogard et al. 1989, Unsworth et al. 2007). Consequently these results may reflect coarse changes in the fish community and do not relate to the effects of smaller changes in depths which shallow littoral beds experience during tidal cycles.High temporal frequency sampling represents the best approach to studying sites that are subjected ...

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Conditional use of mangrove habitats by fishes: Depth as a cue to avoid predators

Cited by 53 publications

References 85 publications

The Impact of Mangrove Prop-Root Epibionts on Juvenile Reef Fishes: A Field Experiment Using Artificial Roots and Epifauna

The Impact of Mangrove Prop-Root Epibionts on Juvenile Reef Fishes: A Field Experiment Using Artificial Roots and Epifauna

Relative predation risk for fishes along a subtropical mangrove–seagrass ecotone

Influence of tides on assemblages and behaviour of fishes associated with shallow seagrass edges and bare sand

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