Quantifying the influence of small omnivorous fishes on seagrass epiphyte load

Gilby, Ben L.; Henderson, Christopher; Tibbetts, Ian R.; Burfeind, Dana Dee

doi:10.1111/jfb.13096

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…This likely explains why the abundance of this fish category increased with trait variability but was not influenced to the same extent by meadow structure (e.g., dominant traits). Finally, it should be noted that while these species were low value in fishery terms, they can contribute to important ecological functions such as regulating epiphyte loads (Gilby et al, 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seagrass Structural Traits Drive Fish Assemblages in Small-Scale Fisheries

et al. 2021

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Seagrasses – a group of foundation species in coastal ecosystems – provide key habitat for diverse and abundant faunal assemblages and support numerous ecosystem functions and services. However, whether the habitat role of seagrasses is influenced by seagrass diversity, by dominant species or both, remains unclear. To that end, we sought to investigate the specific seagrass characteristics (e.g., species diversity, seagrass traits) that influence tropical fish assemblages, and place this in the context of small-scale fishery use. We surveyed seagrass variables at 55 plots, nested within 12 sites around Zanzibar (Tanzania) in the Western Indian Ocean, and used Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) systems to assess fish assemblages across plots. Using linear mixed models, we reveal that seagrass structural complexity and depth were the best predictors of fish abundance, with higher abundance occurring in deeper meadows or meadows with high canopy, leaf length and number of leaves per shoot. Moreover, an interaction between seagrass cover and land-use was the best predictor of fish species richness, where sites closer to human impacts were less affected by cover than sites with lower human impact. Overall, models with seagrass species richness or functional diversity as predictors poorly explained fish assemblages. Fish taxa that were important for small-scale fishery sectors (e.g., emperors, snappers, rabbitfish, and parrotfish) were primarily driven by seagrass structural complexity. Our results provide a unique analysis of the relationship between seagrass habitat and its associated fish assemblages in that we show that seagrass species diversity had little effect on seagrass fish assemblages, which instead appear driven by specific seagrass traits and seagrass cover. If conserving high value species that support adjacent fisheries is the priority for protecting seagrass meadows, then seagrass areas should be chosen with high cover and structural complexity that are in deeper waters. Any conservation measures also need to balance the needs of fishers that use the resources supported by seagrasses.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seagrass Structural Traits Drive Fish Assemblages in Small-Scale Fisheries

et al. 2021

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“…Monacanthidae is a family that can indicate the health of an aquatic or coral ecosystem in water. According to research by Gilby et al (2016), Monacanthidae is an omnivorous family with an essential role in the food chain.…”

Section: The Effectiveness Of the Potmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of Red LED Lights on Pot Catches in Penaah Waters, Lingga Riau Island

Saputra

Mawardi

Riyanto³

2023

Jurnal Marfis

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Pot fisheries are one of the dominant activities of capture fisheries in the Penaah waters of Lingga, Riau Archipelago. This study aims to determine the effect of red LED lamp attractors on the fish catches of pots and identify the fish species. This study was conducted in the waters of Pena'ah Village, Senayang District, Lingga Regency, Riau Islands, using an experimental method. Data were collected from 18 pots for 18 days. There were three treatments, namely pot without using bait as a control, pot with red LEDs light, and pot with red LEDs light and bait, in which a total of six units of pots on each treatment. The pots caught 18 groupers during the study, of which nine individuals were captured by the pot with a red LED and bait, five individuals by the pot with a red LED pot, and four individuals without bait. The effectiveness analysis showed that the pot with red LED and bait was the highest (50%), the pot with red LED had a value of 28%, and the lowest was trapped without bait with an effectiveness value of 22%. The total catches of the pot based on the economic fish showed that adding a red LED attractor gave more types of catch than control. The red LED attractor is expected to be a solution to increase the effectiveness of the pot.

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“…Guts of blennies contained primarily structureless organic matter (gurry) and various types of nonmotile benthic organisms (foraminifera, sponges, and filamentous algae) [4]. Previous research has already shown that some species of blennies can reduce the epiphytic load on seagrass blades [7], but not in cultivated seaweeds.…”

Section: Diet Compositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First record of potential epiphyte grazing species in commercial seaweeds (Kappaphycus spp.), Philippines

Biag¹,

Hombre²,

Edoria³

et al. 2022

World J. Bio. Pharm. Health Sci.

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Commercial seaweeds (Kappaphycus spp.) being widely cultivated at sea face inevitable challenges such as ice-ice disease and epiphyte infestations. Hence, this research provided the first record of potential epiphyte grazing species associated with cultivated seaweeds. A total of 26 seaweed farms were surveyed for 7 months, from April to October 2022, to record the occurrence and abundance of blenny fish. Results from the visual census survey showed a total of 984 sightings of blenny fish (Petroscirtes spp.). The highest occurrence of blennies was recorded in planted seaweeds (81.4%), followed by ropes (12.3%) and floats/buoys (6.3%). Blennies are found to spend the majority of their time resting, swimming, and grazing on the algal epiphytes that are attached to seaweeds. These tiny fish, which are associated with cultivated seaweeds but are overlooked in seaweed farms, are critically important and can contribute little pressure to controlling epiphytes.

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Quantifying the influence of small omnivorous fishes on seagrass epiphyte load

Cited by 5 publications

References 38 publications

Seagrass Structural Traits Drive Fish Assemblages in Small-Scale Fisheries

Seagrass Structural Traits Drive Fish Assemblages in Small-Scale Fisheries

The effect of Red LED Lights on Pot Catches in Penaah Waters, Lingga Riau Island

First record of potential epiphyte grazing species in commercial seaweeds (Kappaphycus spp.), Philippines

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