How wave exposure, group size and habitat complexity influence foraging and population densities in fishes of the genus Halichoeres (Perciformes: Labridae) on tropical rocky shores

Nunes, José de Anchieta C. C.; Sampaio, Cláudio L. S.; Barros, Francisco

doi:10.1007/s00227-013-2233-5

Cited by 38 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…While microhabitat diversity has not been assessed in this study it is believed that the four rocky shores studied present differences in the frequency not only of natural disturbance (e.g. wave exposure) but also of anthropogenic disturbance (NUNES et al, 2013). Additionally, the differences in the number of species present could also be attributed to this.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…First of all, the Haemulidae genus showed the highest abundance (40%), possibly due to their characteristic behavior of forming large and typical schools of up to hundreds of individuals when they are recruits and juveniles (PEREIRA et al, 2011;. In addition, some of the sites have an elevated water flow which favors fish species with good swimming skills, such as the members of the Labridae family, which was the second in their contribution to the observed patterns of MIF (FULTON et al, 2001;NUNES et al, 2013). Furthermore, the density of macroinvertebrates inside the S. fuscus territory is higher than that outside it, suggesting that the density of MIFs and S. fuscus might be directly associated (FERREIRA et al, 1998).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…rocky and coral reefs) are considered "hotspots" of biodiversity due to the high occurrence of endemic and threatened species, particularly coral and fish fauna (LEÃO et al, 2003;MOURA, 2003). However, the majority of reef fish community structure studies have been performed on coral reef systems (FERREIRA et al, 2001;NUNES et al, 2013). Knowledge about rocky shores in tropical regions of Brazil is insufficient, especially considering their fauna and flora in the northern and northeastern regions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Community structure of shallow rocky shore fish in a tropical bay of the southwestern Atlantic

et al. 2015

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Southwestern Atlantic Ocean rocky shores sustain important reef fish communities. However, those communities in tropical regions are not well understood, especially in Brazil. In this present article we assess community parameters of reef fishes such as composition, trophic organization and their relationships with physical and biological factors on four tropical rocky shores in Todos os Santos Bay, southwestern Atlantic. During six months, a total of 80 visual censuses were performed, in which 3,582 fish belonging to 76 species were recorded. Territorial herbivorous fish and turf algae were dominant at all the sites. The spatial variability of fish community structure was related to the benthic cover composition and depth. The high abundance of territorial herbivores and mobile invertebrate feeders could be associated with high levels of turf cover, low wave exposure and shallow waters. Moreover, this fact could be a consequence of the low density of roving herbivores and large carnivores probably due to the pressure of intense fishing activity. Thus complementary studies are needed to evaluate the actual conservation status of these rocky shore reefs, singularly located habitats connecting inner and outer reefs in Todos os Santos Bay.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Community structure of shallow rocky shore fish in a tropical bay of the southwestern Atlantic

et al. 2015

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“…Halichoeres poeyi can be found in several reef habitats (Rocha et al, 2005), mainly feeding on mobile invertebrates, such as bivalves and crustaceans (Nunes et al, 2013), and it is not a target for spearfishing.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are Abrolhos no-take area sites of naïve fish? An evaluation using flight initiation distance of labrids

et al. 2016

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Fishing pressure affects the behavior of reef fish, especially of fishery-targeted species. In this context, it is critical to understand if fish behavior is preserved in no-take areas (NTAs), which are considered the best instrument for the recovery of fish stocks. Comparing the flight initiation distances (FIDs) of fish inhabiting multiple-use areas (MUAs), where fishing is allowed (including spearfishing), and NTAs is a useful approach to test whether NTAs can be effective as fish refuges. Here, we compared whether the FIDs of two target (Sparisoma axillare and Scarus trispinosus) and one non-target (Halichoeres poeyi) labrids are greater in the MUAs than in the NTAs. We also investigated whether group size (GS) and body size (BS) exert any effect on the FID. We sampled four MUAs and four NTAs in the Abrolhos Bank (Brazil). We found that only for the targeted species FID was shorter inside the NTAs and that the BS had a positive effect on the FID of all species. The GS and BS of the fish are greater in the NTAs than in the multiple-use areas only for S. trispinosus. Our study shows that fish, especially those species that are fishery targets, display an avoidance behavior against spearfishermen likely as a consequence of fishing pressure. We suggest that the NTAs in Abrolhos are not only important sites for the recovery of fish stocks but also possibly act as a repository area of naïve fish (fish that allow human approach), for reefs open for fishing.A pressão pesqueira afeta o comportamento de peixes recifais, especialmente nas espécies alvo de pesca. Nesse contexto é importante entender se áreas fechadas a pesca ("no-take areas": NTAs), consideradas como melhor instrumento para recuperação dos estoques pesqueiros, garantem a integridade dos comportamentos dos peixes. Comparar distâncias iniciais de fuga ("fligth initiation distance": FIDs) de espécies entre recifes de uso múltiplos ("multiple-use areas": MUAs), onde a pesca é permitida (incluindo a pesca submarina), e as NTAs é uma abordagem útil para testar se as NTAs podem ser efetivas como refúgios para peixes recifais. Nesse trabalho FIDs de duas espécies alvo (Sparisoma axillare e Scarus trispinosus) e uma não alvo (Halichoeres poeyi) foram comparadas entre MUAs e NTAs. A possível influência do tamanho do grupo ("group size": GS) e o tamanho do corpo ("body size": BS) sobre FID também foram investigados. Foram amostradas quatro MUAs e quatro áreas NTAs no banco dos Abrolhos (Brasil). Nossos resultados mostraram que apenas FID das espécies alvo de pesca foi menor dentro de NTAs e que o BS teve um efeito positivo no FID de todas as espécies. Dentro da NTA, GS e BS foram maiores do que em recifes abertos à pesca apenas para S. trispinosus. Finalmente, sugerimos que NTAs em Abrolhos não são apenas importantes como recuperação dos estoques pesqueiros, mas estão possivelmente atuando como uma área repositória de peixes "ingênuos" (peixes que permitem aproximação humana) para os recifes onde a pesca é permitida.

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“…To avoid observation of the same specimens, each observation was conducted at least 5 m distant (Nunes et al, 2013). A total of 36 specimens of P. arcuatus, 12 P. paru, and 11 H. ciliaris were observed across all the reef sites, excepting Ilha de Maré where visibility was lower than 3 m. All observations were conducted between 09:00 and 15:00 h. We sampled spongivorous fish behavior in similar conditions of temperature and luminosity.…”

Section: Fish Foraging Activitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Spongivory by Fishes on Southwestern Atlantic Coral Reefs: No Evidence of Top-Down Control on Sponge Assemblages

et al. 2018

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Predator-prey dynamics can affect assemblage structure and ecosystem processes representing a central theory in ecology. In coral reef ecosystems, recent evidences have suggested that sponge assemblages in regions with high diversity, like the Caribbean, are controlled by reef fishes (i.e., top-down control); however, this has been poorly studied in low diversity coral reefs. This study investigated the influence of fish predators on sponge assemblage structure in South Atlantic coral reefs, systems with high endemism and relatively low hermatypic coral diversity. We investigates (i) whether sponge cover is negatively correlated to spongivorous fish density, (ii) potential spongivory effects on competitive interactions between sponges and hermatypic corals, and (iii) foraging preferences of spongivorous fishes. Benthic cover and spongivorous fish density were assessed by photo sampling and visual census, respectively. We did not observe a negative correlation of the total density of spongivorous fish with total sponge cover. However, a significant negative correlation between density of fish species Pomacanthus arcuatus and cover of sponge species Scopalina ruetzleri was found. Spongivorous fish consumed preferentially the sponges Desmapsamma anchorata, Niphates erecta, Aplysina cauliformis, and S. ruetzleri, the first two species considered palatable and the second two with chemically defense mechanism. An increase to angelfish density was not related with the number of coral-sponge encounters. Thus, the effects of spongivorous fishes on sponges cover and competitive interactions with hermatypic corals is weaker in Southwestern Atlantic than previously reported in Caribbean coral reefs. We discuss how local human impacts (e.g., fishing and nutrients input) can influence the observed patterns.

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How wave exposure, group size and habitat complexity influence foraging and population densities in fishes of the genus Halichoeres (Perciformes: Labridae) on tropical rocky shores

Cited by 38 publications

References 72 publications

Community structure of shallow rocky shore fish in a tropical bay of the southwestern Atlantic

Community structure of shallow rocky shore fish in a tropical bay of the southwestern Atlantic

Are Abrolhos no-take area sites of naïve fish? An evaluation using flight initiation distance of labrids

Spongivory by Fishes on Southwestern Atlantic Coral Reefs: No Evidence of Top-Down Control on Sponge Assemblages

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