Habitat type and schooling interactively determine refuge-seeking behavior in a coral reef fish throughout ontogeny

Huijbers, Chantal M.; Nagelkerken, Ivan; Govers, Laura L.; Kerk, Madelon van de; Oldenburger, Jeffrey J.; Brouwer, Jan H.F. de

doi:10.3354/meps09264

Cited by 16 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…However, our data show that mangroves were also frequently used by large individuals, suggesting that this habitat also provides some benefit to older, adult fish. This benefit can be related to the structural complexity of mangroves (Huijbers et al 2011), yet in our study, mangroves at Mbegani had higher food abundance than the adjacent seagrass beds, and growth rates were higher in mangroves than the seagrass beds for all size classes of L. fulviflamma. Thus, overlap in mangrove habitat use by juvenile and adults in our study area might also be facilitated by high food abundances that enhanced somatic growth.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 68%

Demography of fish populations reveals new challenges in appraising juvenile habitat values

Kimirei¹,

Nagelkerken

Slooter³

et al. 2015

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Understanding the 'value' of nursery habitats is increasingly perceived as essential to conservation management of marine ecosystems globally. Yet, most work on this topic has assumed that population dynamics are temporally and spatially static, which clearly oversimplifies some highly complex and integral ecological processes. We used size-frequency data of fish species from mangrove and seagrass habitats collected at various locations over a > 2 yr period to explore demographic structure and variability along with potential factors (such as growth, food abundance, and relative predation risk) that might encourage such variability. While demographics were skewed predominantly towards juveniles, older fish (up to 13 yr) were regularly observed in some mangroves or seagrass beds, indicating relatively complex population demographics. Juvenile habitats varied substantially in both prey abundance and relative predation risk -an effect that appeared to give rise to habitat-specific differences in somatic growth rates and fish densities. Fish population size structure was further related to position within the seascape, suggesting complex spatial dynamics in the production of fish biomass. Our results demonstrate that effectively appraising juvenile habitats will be a more convoluted process than previously thought, as greater integration is needed between basic ecological processes (e.g. predation risk and food availability) and population demography. Whereas current approaches often identify and manage single, complete nursery habitats based on those that contribute most individuals to adult populations, our study shows that a more dynamic and spatially-explicit management approach is needed, as nurseries have divergent benefits for separate life stages, species, and locations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 68%

Demography of fish populations reveals new challenges in appraising juvenile habitat values

Kimirei¹,

Nagelkerken

Slooter³

et al. 2015

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…6). Other studies have similarly found that species with a propensity for shoaling are more likely to seek shelter or structurally complex habitats when there are few or no conspecifics nearby (Huijbers et al, 2011;Magurran andPitcher, 1983, 1987). Both sheltering and group living can reduce predation risk (Almany, 2004;Magurran, 1990;Pavlov and Kasumyan, 2000;Pitcher and Parrish, 1993;Shulman, 1985), and numerous predators are found in Lwamunda Swamp, including piscivorous birds, fish, snakes, and aquatic insects (Chapman et al, 1996;Randle and Chapman, 2004).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Differences in electrosensory anatomy and social behavior in an area of sympatry between two species of mormyrid electric fishes

Carlson

2015

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Sensory systems play a key role in social behavior by mediating the detection and analysis of communication signals. In mormyrid fishes, electric signals are processed within a dedicated sensory pathway, providing a unique opportunity to relate sensory biology to social behavior. Evolutionary changes within this pathway led to new perceptual abilities that have been linked to increased rates of signal evolution and species diversification in a lineage called 'clade A'. Previous field observations suggest that clade-A species tend to be solitary and territorial, whereas non-clade-A species tend to be clustered in high densities suggestive of schooling or shoaling. To explore behavioral differences between species in these lineages in greater detail, I studied population densities, social interactions, and electric signaling in two mormyrid species, Gnathonemus victoriae (clade A) and Petrocephalus degeni (non-clade A), from Lwamunda Swamp, Uganda. Petrocephalus degeni was found at higher population densities, but intraspecific diversity in electric signal waveform was greater in G. victoriae. In the laboratory, G. victoriae exhibited strong shelter-seeking behavior and competition for shelter, whereas P. degeni were more likely to abandon shelter in the presence of conspecifics as well as electric mimics of signaling conspecifics. In other words, P. degeni exhibited social affiliation whereas G. victoriae exhibited social competition. Further, P. degeni showed correlated electric signaling behavior whereas G. victoriae showed anti-correlated signaling behavior. These findings extend previous reports of social spacing, territoriality, and habitat preference among mormyrid species, suggesting that evolutionary divergence in electrosensory processing relates to differences in social behavior.

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“…While sound and chemical cues can produce gradients on large spatial scales (kilometers), visual cues are useful only at small distances (a few meters) (Kingsford et al 2002, Leis andMcCormick 2002). Besides cues emitted by habitats, conspecifics and heterospecifics also provide cues to which animals can respond (Gebauer et al 2002, Lecchini et al 2005Huijbers et al 2011). Since different cues operate over different spatial scales and habitat requirements change with ontogeny, sensory preferences of animals may adapt according to their life stage and local sensory environments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A test of the senses: Fish select novel habitats by responding to multiple cues

Huijbers

Nagelkerken

Lössbroek

et al. 2012

Ecology

113

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Abstract. Habitat-specific cues play an important role in orientation for animals that move through a mosaic of habitats. Environmental cues can be imprinted upon during early life stages to guide later return to adult habitats, yet many species must orient toward suitable habitats without previous experience of the habitat. It is hypothesized that multiple sensory cues may enable animals to differentiate between habitats in a sequential order relevant to the spatial scales over which the different types of information are conveyed, but previous research, especially for marine organisms, has mainly focused on the use of single cues in isolation. In this study, we investigated novel habitat selection through the use of three different sensory modalities (hearing, vision, and olfaction). Our model species, the French grunt, Haemulon flavolineatum, is a mangrove/seagrass-associated reef fish species that makes several habitat transitions during early life. Using several in situ and ex situ experiments, we tested the response of fish toward auditory, olfactory, and visual cues from four different habitats (seagrass beds, mangroves, rubble, and coral reef ). We identified receptivity to multiple sensory cues during the same life phase, and found that different cues induced different reactions toward the same habitat. For example, early-juvenile fish only responded to sound from coral reefs and to chemical cues from mangroves/seagrass beds, while visual cues of conspecifics overruled olfactory cues from mangrove/seagrass water. Mapping these preferences to the ecology of ontogenetic movements, our results suggest sequential cue use would indeed aid successful orientation to novel key habitats in early life.

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Habitat type and schooling interactively determine refuge-seeking behavior in a coral reef fish throughout ontogeny

Cited by 16 publications

References 64 publications

Demography of fish populations reveals new challenges in appraising juvenile habitat values

Demography of fish populations reveals new challenges in appraising juvenile habitat values

Differences in electrosensory anatomy and social behavior in an area of sympatry between two species of mormyrid electric fishes

A test of the senses: Fish select novel habitats by responding to multiple cues

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