Highly repetitive space-use dynamics in parrotfishes

Pickholtz, Renanel; Kiflawi, Moshe; Crossin, Glenn T.; Pickholtz, Eliezer; Zamsky, Revital; Kahan, Inbal; Gavriel, Tal; Belmaker, Jonathan

doi:10.1007/s00338-022-02258-3

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…This territorial behavior is costly for parrotfishes (i.e., reduced body condition), but may increase access to mates, mating sites, and/or food resources (Bruggemann, van Oppen, & Breeman, 1994 ; van Rooij et al, 1995 , 1996 ). Parrotfishes often show strong site fidelity to their diurnal home ranges/territories (hereafter, just home ranges), returning daily after nocturnal migrations to and from sleeping sites (Ogden & Buckman, 1973 ; Pickholtz et al, 2022 ; van Rooij et al, 1996 ). However, we still know relatively little about the exclusivity and spatial stability of parrotfish home ranges, despite the potential importance of herbivore space use in driving patterns of benthic community assembly (Sandin & McNamara, 2012 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Territoriality drives patterns of fixed space use in Caribbean parrotfishes

Manning

McCoy

2023

Ecology and Evolution

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Animals often occupy home ranges where they conduct daily activities. In many parrotfishes, large terminal phase (TP) males defend their diurnal (i.e., daytime) home ranges as intraspecific territories occupied by harems of initial phase (IP) females. However, we know relatively little about the exclusivity and spatial stability of these territories. We investigated diurnal home range behavior in several TPs and IPs of five common Caribbean parrotfish species on the fringing coral reefs of Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands. We computed parrotfish home ranges to investigate differences in space use and then quantified spatial overlap of home ranges between spatially co‐occurring TPs to investigate exclusivity. We also quantified the spatial overlap of home ranges estimated from repeat tracks of a few TPs to investigate their spatial stability. We then discussed these results in the context of parrotfish social behavior. Home range sizes differed significantly among species. Spatial overlap between home ranges was lower for intraspecific than interspecific pairs of TPs. Focal TPs frequently engaged in agonistic interactions with intraspecific parrotfish and interacted longest with intraspecific TP parrotfish. This behavior suggests that exclusionary agonistic interactions may contribute to the observed patterns of low spatial overlap between home ranges. The spatial overlap of home ranges estimated from repeated tracks of several TPs of three study species was high, suggesting that home ranges were spatially stable for at least 1 month. Taken together, our results provide strong evidence that daytime parrotfish space use is constrained within fixed intraspecific territories in which territory holders have nearly exclusive access to resources. Grazing by parrotfishes maintains benthic reef substrates in early successional states that are conducive to coral larval settlement and recruitment. Behavioral constraints on parrotfish space use may drive spatial heterogeneity in grazing pressure and affect local patterns of benthic community assembly. A thorough understanding of the spatial ecology of parrotfishes is, therefore, necessary to elucidate their functional roles on coral reefs.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Territoriality drives patterns of fixed space use in Caribbean parrotfishes

Manning

McCoy

2023

Ecology and Evolution

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“…We verified that our tracking duration was sufficient to capture diurnal (i.e., daytime) home range behavior by conducting visual assessments of stationarity (Figure S1; [44]). Individual parrotfishes are known to use these diurnal home ranges for extended periods of time [33,35,36].…”

Section: Space Use Static Interaction and Activity In Shared Spacementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Adult male (terminal phase; TP) parrotfishes of many species defend stable, exclusive territories containing harems of intraspecific females (initial phase; IP) against intraspecific TPs, increasing their spawning success and access to high quality foods [33][34][35][36]. Territoriality may contribute to population regulation [12], and could impose spatial constraints on parrotfish foraging (i.e., focused grazing within core areas; [37]) that mediate spatial patterns of benthic community assembly [38].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial interactions between parrotfishes and implications for species coexistence

Manning

McCoy

Benhamou

2022

Preprint

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Home range behavior is common in animals and mediates species interactions and distributions. We investigated home range behavior and spatial interactions in four common parrotfishes on coral reefs in Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands, to determine the contributions of spatial interactions to their coexistence. We computed home ranges for females and males of each species and quantified spatial overlap (i.e., static interaction) of co-occurring home range pairs to estimate interaction potential for pairs of individuals. We then analyzed dynamic interactions in simultaneously tracked, spatially co-occurring inter- and intraspecific pairs of parrotfishes to investigate how they interact in shared space. Individuals in inter- and intraspecific pairs of fishes moved mostly independently of each other in shared areas, but we found evidence of avoidance in interspecific pairs sharing the most space. We discuss our findings within the context of parrotfish social behavior to further elucidate the spatial ecology of these functionally important reef fishes.

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“…Several previous studies have shown high site fidelity by parrotfishes ( Welsh & Bellwood, 2012 ; Pickholtz et al, 2022 ), surgeonfishes ( Meyer & Holland, 2005 ; Marshell et al, 2011 ), groupers ( Zeller, 1997 ; Matley, Heupel & Simpfendorfer, 2015 ; Nanami et al, 2018 ) and butterflyfishes ( Yabuta & Berumen, 2013 ). For instance, Pickholtz et al (2022) revealed that three parrotfish species repetitively used specific spaces during nocturnal periods in the Red Sea. Marshell et al (2011) showed high site fidelity during nocturnal periods by two surgeonfish species in Guam.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Nocturnal substrate association of four coral reef fish groups (parrotfishes, surgeonfishes, groupers and butterflyfishes) in relation to substrate architectural characteristics

Nanami

2024

PeerJ

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Although numerous coral reef fish species utilize substrates with high structural complexities as habitats and refuge spaces, quantitative analysis of nocturnal fish substrate associations has not been sufficiently examined yet. The aims of the present study were to clarify the nocturnal substrate associations of 17 coral reef fish species (nine parrotfish, two surgeonfish, two grouper and four butterflyfish) in relation to substrate architectural characteristics. Substrate architectural characteristics were categorized into seven types: (1) eave-like space, (2) large inter-branch space, (3) overhang by protrusion of fine branching structure, (4) overhang by coarse structure, (5) uneven structure without large space or overhang, (6) flat and (7) macroalgae. Overall, fishes were primarily associated with three architectural characteristics (eave-like space, large inter-branch space and overhang by coarse structure). The main providers of these three architectural characteristics were tabular and corymbose Acropora, staghorn Acropora, and rock. Species-specific significant positive associations with particular architectural characteristics were found as follows. For the nine parrotfish species, Chlorurus microrhinos with large inter-branch space and overhang by coarse structure; Ch. spilurus with eave-like space and large inter-branch space; Hipposcarus longiceps with large inter-branch space; Scarus ghobban with overhang by coarse structure; five species (Scarus forsteni, S. niger, S. oviceps, S. rivulatus and S. schlegeli) with eave-like space. For the two surgeonfish species, Naso unicornis with overhang by coarse structure; N. lituratus with eave-like space. For the two grouper species, Plectropomus leopardus with eave-like space; Epinephelus ongus with overhang by coarse structure. For the four butterflyfish species, Chaetodon trifascialis with eave-like space and large inter-branch space; C. lunulatus and C. ephippium with large inter-branch space; C. auriga showed no significant associations with any architectural characteristics. Four species (Ch. microrhinos, H. longiceps, S. niger and N. unicornis) also showed clear variations in substrate associations among the different fish size classes. Since parrotfishes, surgeonfishes and groupers are main fisheries targets in coral reefs, conservation and restoration of coral species that provide eave-like space (tabular and corymbose Acropora) and large inter-branch space (staghorn Acropora) as well as hard substrates with coarse structure that provide overhang (rock) should be considered for effective fisheries management in coral reefs. For butterflyfishes, coral species that provide eave-like space (tabular Acropora) and large inter-branch space (staghorn Acropora) should also be conserved and restored for provision of sleeping sites.

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Highly repetitive space-use dynamics in parrotfishes

Cited by 8 publications

References 93 publications

Territoriality drives patterns of fixed space use in Caribbean parrotfishes

Territoriality drives patterns of fixed space use in Caribbean parrotfishes

Spatial interactions between parrotfishes and implications for species coexistence

Nocturnal substrate association of four coral reef fish groups (parrotfishes, surgeonfishes, groupers and butterflyfishes) in relation to substrate architectural characteristics

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