Foraging activity and resource use by three parrotfish species at Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, tropical West Atlantic

Bonaldo, Roberta M.; Krajewski, João Paulo; Sazima, Cristina; Sazima, Iván

doi:10.1007/s00227-005-0233-9

Cited by 74 publications

(64 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Similarity in resource use among the different life phases of S. ferrugineus is in agreement with similar reports on other parrotfishes (Bruggemann et al 1994b;Bonaldo et al 2006). However, post-settlement scarids are omnivorous including a large proportion of crustaceans and foraminifera in their diet (Bellwood 1988).…”

Section: Choice Of Biotasupporting

confidence: 89%

Limited flexibility in resource use in a coral reef grazer foraging on seasonally changing algal communities

2010

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Feeding ecology of three life phases of the parrotfish Scarus ferrugineus was studied on a southern Red Sea fringing reef by comparing availability and consumption of benthic algae during the monsoon hot and cool seasons. Dominant biota covering dead carbonate substrates were in decreasing order of importance: turfs on endoliths, turfs on crustose corallines, and crustose corallines. On the reef crest and shallow fore reef, composition of the biota changed seasonally. Cover of turfs on endoliths and turfs on crustose corallines was higher during the hot season, while crustose corallines and macroalgae (only on reef crest) increased during the cool season. Biota in the deep fore reef did not show seasonal variation. All life phases used similar resources and showed selective feeding in all zones. Turfs on endoliths, followed by turfs on crustose corallines, was the primary feeding substrate. These two sources represented over 92% of bites during both seasons. Crustose corallines, macroalgae, and living corals were negligible components being strongly avoided at all zones and seasons. Resource use varied seasonally on the reef crest and shallow fore reef, while it remained unchanged on the deep fore reef. Turfs on endoliths were consistently preferred in both seasons but their contribution increased from 45% in the cool to 70% of bites in the hot season. Electivity for turfs on crustose corallines shifted from random feeding in the hot (27% of bites) to selection in the cool season (47% of bites). Feeding pattern changed diurnally with more bites taken from crustose corallines and turfs on crustose corallines during morning. During the rest of the day, bites from turfs on endoliths predominate. S. ferrugineus shows limited capacity to exploit seasonal increases in the biomass of foliose and canopy forming macroalgae, despite indications of energetic limitation during the cool season.

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Section: Choice Of Biotasupporting

confidence: 89%

Limited flexibility in resource use in a coral reef grazer foraging on seasonally changing algal communities

2010

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“…amplum in the present study were relatively higher (7.0 ± 0.7 and 6.1 ± 0.9 bites.min -1 for IP and TP individuals respectively), IP individuals also tended to feed at higher rates than TP ones. Differences in magnitude between the bite rate estimates from Bonaldo et al (2005) and this study may be related to differences in the methodology used or to habitat mediated effects on the foraging activity of parrotfishes. Bonaldo et al (2005) used 3-5 min observation periods, and stated that the lower feeding rates obtained for TP individuals were due to the time spent by these fishes in other activities than feeding.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 76%

“…Differences in magnitude between the bite rate estimates from Bonaldo et al (2005) and this study may be related to differences in the methodology used or to habitat mediated effects on the foraging activity of parrotfishes. Bonaldo et al (2005) used 3-5 min observation periods, and stated that the lower feeding rates obtained for TP individuals were due to the time spent by these fishes in other activities than feeding. In the present study shorter observation periods (1 min) were used, thus avoiding the interference of behaviors unrelated to feeding.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 76%

“…Similar findings were obtained for S. viride in the Caribbean . Bonaldo et al (2005) present data on bite rates and feeding selectivity for Sp. amplum, Sp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Two recent studies on Brazilian rocky reefs provide information on the foraging activity and diet of Brazilian parrotfishes (see Bonaldo et al, 2005;Ferreira & Gonçalves, 2006 for further details), but there is no previous evidence of live coral predation. Here we report on live coral predation by Scarus trispinosus and Sparisoma amplum in the Abrolhos Bank, eastern Brazil, and comment on their classification into functional groups, based on direct behavioral observations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Live coral predation by parrotfishes (Perciformes: Scaridae) in the Abrolhos Bank, eastern Brazil, with comments on the classification of species into functional groups

Francini‐Filho

Moura²,

Ferreira³

et al. 2008

Neotrop. ichthyol.

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Parrotfishes (Perciformes: Scaridae) represent a critical functional group on coral reefs because their intense herbivory activity helps in avoiding coral overgrowth by algae. Although feeding preferentially on algae and detritus, some parrotfish species also consume live corals, leading to detrimental effects that may offset the benefits of removing competitive seaweeds. Parrotfish species differ markedly in terms of jaw morphology, foraging activity and extent of substratum excavation, and are typically divided into three functional groups: browsers, scrapers and excavators. The recognition of species within each functional group helps to understand their relative effects in terms of bioerosion, coral fitness and survival, habitat alteration and ecosystem dynamics. Here we report on live coral predation by the Brazilian endemic parrotfishes Scarus trispinosus and Sparisoma amplum in the largest coral reefs of the South Atlantic (Abrolhos Bank, eastern Brazil) and comment on their classification into functional groups based on direct behavioral observations. Scarus trispinosus and Sp. amplum allocated 0.8% and 8.1% of their bites to live corals respectively. Sparisoma amplum fed at lower rates, took shorter feeding forays and larger bites than Sc. trispinosus. Bite rates and foray size were negatively correlated to body size for Sc. trispinosus, but not for Sp. amplum. Our results indicate that Sp. amplum may be primarily recognized as an excavating species, as well as the most specialized parrotfish coral predator in Brazil, while Sc. trispinosus may be recognized as a scraper or excavator depending on its body size. This functional classification corresponds to the classification used for the putative sister taxa of Sc. trispinosus (Sc. coeruleus) and the sister taxa of Sp. amplum (Sp. viride) in the Caribbean, indicating that these two congeneric species pairs play similar ecological roles in different geographic regions.Os budiões (Perciformes: Scaridae) representam um grupo funcional crítico em recifes de corais uma vez que a intensa atividade de herbivoria que desempenham ajuda a evitar a exclusão de corais por algas. Apesar de alimentarem-se preferencialmente de algas e detrito, algumas espécies de budiões também consomem corais vivos, causando efeitos negativos aos corais, os quais podem superar os benefícios decorrentes da remoção de algas. As espécies de budiões diferem acentuadamente em sua morfologia bucal, atividade de forrageio e potencial de escavação do substrato, sendo tipicamente divididas em três grupos funcionais: podadores, raspadores e escavadores. O reconhecimento das espécies nesses grupos funcionais ajuda a entender seus efeitos relativos em termos de bioerosão, condição e sobrevivência de corais, alteração do hábitat e dinâmica do ecossistema. No presente estudo nós registramos a predação de corais vivos pelos budiões endêmicos do Brasil Scarus trispinosus e Sparisoma amplum no maior complexo coralíneo do Atlântico Sul (Banco dos Abrolhos, leste do Brasil) e comentamos sobre a classifi...

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Abundance, diversity, and feeding behavior of coral reef butterflyfishes at Lord Howe Island

Pratchett

Hoey

Cvitanovic

et al. 2014

Ecology and Evolution

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Endemic species are assumed to have a high risk of extinction because their restricted geographic range is often associated with low abundance and high ecological specialization. This study examines the abundance of Chaetodon butterflyfishes at Lord Howe Island in the south-west Pacific, and compares interspecific differences in local abundance to the feeding behavior and geographic range of these species. Contrary to expected correlations between abundance and geographic range, the single most abundant species of butterflyfish was Chaetodon tricinctus, which is endemic to Lord Howe Island and adjacent reefs; densities of C. tricinctus (14.1 ± 2.1 SE fish per 200m2) were >3 times higher than the next most abundant butterflyfish (Chaetodon melannotus), and even more abundant than many other geographically widespread species. Dietary breadth for the five dominant butterflyfishes at Lord Howe Island was weakly and generally negative correlated with abundance. The endemic C. tricinctus was a distinct outlier in this relationship, though our extensive feeding observations suggest some issues with the measurements of dietary breadth for this species. Field observations revealed that all bites taken on benthic substrates by C. tricinctus were from scleractinian corals, but adults rarely, if ever, took bites from the benthos, suggesting that they may be feeding nocturnally and/or using mid-water prey, such as plankton. Alternatively, the energetic demands of C. tricinctus may be fundamentally different to other coral-feeding butterflyfishes. Neither dietary specialization nor geographic range accounts for interspecific variation in abundance of coral reef butterflyfishes at Lord Howe Island, while much more work on the foraging behavior and population dynamics of C. tricinctus will be required to understand its’ abundance at this location.

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Foraging activity and resource use by three parrotfish species at Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, tropical West Atlantic

Cited by 74 publications

References 36 publications

Limited flexibility in resource use in a coral reef grazer foraging on seasonally changing algal communities

Limited flexibility in resource use in a coral reef grazer foraging on seasonally changing algal communities

Live coral predation by parrotfishes (Perciformes: Scaridae) in the Abrolhos Bank, eastern Brazil, with comments on the classification of species into functional groups

Abundance, diversity, and feeding behavior of coral reef butterflyfishes at Lord Howe Island

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