Do predatory fish of benthic crustaceans vary between kelp and barren reef habitats in northeastern New Zealand?

Hesse, Jan; Stanley, J. P.; Jeffs, Andrew G.

doi:10.1080/00288330.2016.1146309

Cited by 6 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 61 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…For example, amphipods have been implicated as an agent facilitating kelp dieback [ 36 ], and the amphipod Orchomenella aahu has been observed to destroy beds of Ecklonia stressed by bleaching or storm events [ 37 ]. Investigation of control of mesograzer populations by snapper and other large invertebrate-feeding fishes is urgently needed to better understand the dynamics of reef ecosystems [ 38 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consistent multi-level trophic effects of marine reserve protection across northern New Zealand

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Through systematic Reef Life Survey censuses of rocky reef fishes, invertebrates and macroalgae at eight marine reserves across northern New Zealand and the Kermadec Islands, we investigated whether a system of no-take marine reserves generates consistent biodiversity outcomes. Ecological responses of reef assemblages to protection from fishing, including potential trophic cascades, were assessed using a control-impact design for the six marine reserves studied with associated reference sites, and also by comparing observations at reserve sites with predictions from random forest models that assume reserve locations are fished. Reserve sites were characterised by higher abundance and biomass of large fishes than fished sites, most notably for snapper Chrysophrys auratus, with forty-fold higher observed biomass inside relative to out. In agreement with conceptual models, significant reserve effects not only reflected direct interactions between fishing and targeted species (higher large fish biomass; higher snapper and lobster abundance), but also second order interactions (lower urchin abundance), third order interactions (higher kelp cover), and fourth order interactions (lower understory algal cover). Unexpectedly, we also found: (i) a consistent trend for higher (~20%) Ecklonia cover across reserves relative to nearby fished sites regardless of lobster and urchin density, (ii) an inconsistent response of crustose coralline algae to urchin density, (iii) low cover of other understory algae in marine reserves with few urchins, and (iv) more variable fish and benthic invertebrate communities at reserve relative to fished locations. Overall, reef food webs showed complex but consistent responses to protection from fishing in well-enforced temperate New Zealand marine reserves. The small proportion of the northeastern New Zealand coastal zone located within marine reserves (~0.2%) encompassed a disproportionately large representation of the full range of fish and benthic invertebrate biodiversity within this region.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consistent multi-level trophic effects of marine reserve protection across northern New Zealand

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…SR did not vary across locations and habitats, except for vertical videos where SR was higher on barren grounds. This is not totally unexpected, because although kelp forests usually have higher diversity than other types of communities (Levin & Hay, 1996; Graham, 2004), studies in eastern Australia (Curley, Kingsford & Gillanders, 2002) and New Zealand (Hesse, Stanley & Jeffs, 2016) observed higher SR, abundance and predation pressure by fish on barren grounds than in kelp forests. On the other hand, Angel & Ojeda (2001) observed similar values in coastal fish abundances and diversity in northern Chile, when comparing a site with kelp forest and a site without forest.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Coastal fish assemblages and predation pressure in northern-central Chilean Lessonia trabeculata kelp forests and barren grounds

Riquelme-Pérez

Musrri

Stotz

et al. 2019

PeerJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Kelp forests are declining in many parts of the globe, which can lead to the spreading of barren grounds. Increased abundances of grazers, mainly due to reduction of their predators, are among the causes of this development. Here, we compared the species richness (SR), frequency of occurrence (FO), and maximum abundance (MaxN) of predatory fish and their predation pressure between kelp forest and barren ground habitats of northern-central Chile. Sampling was done using baited underwater cameras with vertical and horizontal orientation. Two prey organisms were used as tethered baits, the black sea urchin Tetrapygus niger and the porcelanid crab Petrolisthes laevigatus. SR did not show major differences between habitats, while FO and MaxN were higher on barren grounds in vertical videos, with no major differences between habitats in horizontal videos. Predation pressure did not differ between habitats, but after 24 h consumption of porcelanid crabs was significantly higher than that of sea urchins. Scartichthys viridis/gigas was the main predator, accounting for 82% of the observed predation events on Petrolisthes laevigatus. Most of these attacks occurred on barren grounds. Scartichthys viridis/gigas was the only fish observed attacking (but not consuming) tethered sea urchins. High abundances of opportunistic predators (Scartichthys viridis/gigas) are probably related to low abundances of large predatory fishes. These results suggest that intense fishing activity on large predators, and their resulting low abundances, could result in low predation pressure on sea urchins, thereby contributing to the increase of T. niger abundances in subtidal rocky habitats.

show abstract

“…On temperate reefs, we know that complex macroalgal beds support more complex communities (Bruno andBertness 2001, Norderhaug et al 2007) through the provision of microhabitats and refuges (Anderson 2001, Kovalenko et al 2012. Studies so far show that the mechanism of a refuge in macroalgal habitats appears to be dependent on the presence and quantity of habitat structure (Anderson 2001, Hesse et al 2016, rather than the ratio between crevice and prey body size observed in tropical coral reef environments Beets 1993, Rogers et al 2014). Artificial plants have been used in various experiments in an attempt to standardise the effect of macroalgal habitat complexity (Gotceitas andColgan 1989, Hauser et al 2006) and they were successful in finding a positive relationship between complexity and abundance.…”

Section: Macroalgal Forests In Temperate Coastal Habitatsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Macroalgal habitats also support invertebrate fisheries such as kina (Evechinus chloroticus) and paua (Haliotis iris) (Schiel 1990, Ministry for Primary Industries 2017). In New Zealand, we know that a loss of kelp in temperate coastal reef environments can affect the assemblage of benthic predators, influencing the distribution and abundance of the associated prey species (Hesse et al 2016). When comparing fish assemblages within Ecklonia radiata and a barren habitat, prey are more susceptible to predation in barren habitats than within macroalgal habitats (Hesse et al 2016).…”

Section: New Zealand Macroalgae and Coastal Fisheriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Macroalgal habitats mediate predator prey interactions by providing a refuge for prey species much like coral reefs do (Anderson 2001, O'Brien et al 2018). However, studies so far show that refuge availability in macroalgal habitats is dependent on the presence and quantity of habitat structure (Anderson 2001, Hesse et al 2016, rather than the specific abundance and size of reef crevices as in tropical reef environments Beets 1993, Rogers et al 2014). Artificial plants have been used in various experiments in an attempt to standardise the effect of macroalgal habitat complexity (Gotceitas andColgan 1989, Hauser et al 2006) and they were successful in finding a positive relationship between complexity and abundance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The consequences of complex habitat loss for the New Zealand blue cod, Parapercis colias

Wade¹

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

<p>Climate driven threats are predicted to decrease the complexity of biogenic habitats. Within temperate coastal marine environments, we know that complex macroalgal beds support more complex communities through the provision of microhabitats and refuges. Macroalgal habitats have potential interacting benefits and costs for predators, as increased macroalgal biomass supports higher richness and diversity of prey species, but prey within these habitats might be more difficult to catch. An important New Zealand fishery species, the blue cod (Parapercis colias), is a large bodied temperate reef fish found exclusively throughout the coastal waters of New Zealand. Its dependence on subtidal coastal reef environments mean that it is important to understand how a loss of complex macroalgal habitats might alter the way that blue cod forage, and how the trade-off between prey abundance and availability will affect its abundance and productivity. This thesis aims to understand the influence of complex macroalgal habitats on P. colias prey availability and behaviour, on the foraging success of P. colias, and ultimately on P. colias population dynamics. Experiments were conducted using choice chambers to evaluate whether two alternate P. colias prey, Forsterygion lapillum and Heterozius rotundifrons, showed a preference for complex habitats with and without predation risk. Both species preferred complex habitats in the absence of predation cues, but F. lapillum showed a more consistent preference for complexity in response to predation risk. A mesocosm experiment was used to investigate whether the consumption rate and functional response of P. colias differs for these two prey types in the presence and absence of habitat complexity. Results indicated that the mobile fish prey, F. lapillum benefitted from the refuges provided by complexity and suffered lower consumption rates, whereas the sedentary crab, H. rotundifrons did not. Finally, using a simple population model, the trade-off between prey abundance and predation success on the population dynamics of P. colias with and without habitat complexity was explored. Models showed that scenarios with complex macroalgal habitats generally support more predators, and faster population growth rates than scenarios lacking habitat complexity. However, scenarios with complex habitats were predicted to be more sensitive to fishing pressure and have the potential to be more vulnerable to overexploitation. These results highlight the importance of understanding how habitat complexity mediates relationships between commercially important fishery species and their prey, in order to understand how habitat loss may alter their foraging success and population dynamics.</p>

show abstract

Do predatory fish of benthic crustaceans vary between kelp and barren reef habitats in northeastern New Zealand?

Cited by 6 publications

References 61 publications

Consistent multi-level trophic effects of marine reserve protection across northern New Zealand

Consistent multi-level trophic effects of marine reserve protection across northern New Zealand

Coastal fish assemblages and predation pressure in northern-central Chilean Lessonia trabeculata kelp forests and barren grounds

The consequences of complex habitat loss for the New Zealand blue cod, Parapercis colias

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About