The role of nocturnal fishes on coral reefs: A quantitative functional evaluation

Collins, William P.; Bellwood, David R.; Morais, Renato A.

doi:10.1002/ece3.9249

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 75 publications

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“…Indeed, the emergent community here was distinct from that of the remaining treatments using RUBS, including those raised above the benthos. This reinforces that emergent zooplankton has distinct ecological and trophodynamic roles (Gorsky & Fenaux, 1998;Grutter et al, 2022;Kramer et al, 2013a) with links to specific higher-order taxa (Sorokin & Sorokin, 2009, 2010, predominantly cardinalfishes (Apogonidae) at night (Collins et al, 2022).…”

Section: Nighttime Bioavailability Of Cryptofaunasupporting

confidence: 70%

“…This reinforces that emergent zooplankton has distinct ecological and trophodynamic roles (Gorsky & Fenaux, 1998 ; Grutter et al, 2022 ; Kramer et al, 2013a ) with links to specific higher‐order taxa (Sorokin & Sorokin, 2009 , 2010 ), predominantly cardinalfishes (Apogonidae) at night (Collins et al, 2022 ). Though substantially reduced biomass and biomass production of nocturnal compared with diurnal reef fishes may indeed be attributed to resource limitation (Collins et al, 2022 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 62%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 63%

“…Biomass data were extrapolated to a range of 0.01 t ha −1 for fauna found in emergence traps to 1.04 t ha −1 in RUBS with restricted interstitial accessibility. After just 7 days of RUBS deployment, standing rubble-derived biomass was within the ranges of reef fish biomass (0.45-2.22 t ha −1 ; Collins et al, 2022), and exceeded previous measures of cryptofauna (Kramer et al, 2014) and zooplankton (Sorokin & Sorokin, 2009, 2010 Kramer et al, 2012), which would cumulatively contribute to higher biomass and productivity (Kramer et al, 2013b). Yet, even within a short experimental time frame, our data underscore the propensity of cryptofauna to rapidly colonize newly available dead coral space (Callens et al, 2012), a trait that underpins coral reef food webs (Fraser et al, 2021a;Kramer et al, 2014), and is predicted to help sustain reef food webs as reef complexity deteriorates (Morais et al, 2020;Rogers et al, 2018;Wolfe, Kenyon, & Mumby, 2021).…”

Section: Trophic Structure and Functioning In Rubble Biomesmentioning

confidence: 66%

“…Emigration rates of rubble communities to the novel substrate can be rapid, within days to weeks (Enochs et al, 2011 ; Takada et al, 2007 ; Valles et al, 2006 ; Wolfe & Mumby, 2020 ), driven by small‐scale patterns of movement within the benthos, or dispersal or recruitment from the water column (Callens et al, 2012 ; Cerca et al, 2018 ; Palmer, 1988 ). For emergent fauna, migration from the benthos at night results in a reshuffling of populations while predation risk is reduced (Alldredge & King, 1977 ; Takada et al, 2016 ), as biomass and productivity of nocturnal fishes is lower than diurnal species (Collins et al, 2022 ). Yet, for many rubble‐dwelling taxa, movement is likely to be highly constrained within the rubble cryptobenthos where they remain inconspicuous to top‐down predators (Takada et al, 2016 ), shaped by water depth (Takada et al, 2008 , 2012 ), rubble morphology (Biondi et al, 2020 ), and the prevalence of sessile taxa, such as algae and sponges (Enochs, 2012 ; Gonzalez‐Gomez et al, 2018 ; Kramer et al, 2012 ; Logan et al, 2008 ; Tews et al, 2004 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Emigration patterns of motile cryptofauna and their implications for trophic functioning in coral reefs

Wolfe

Desbiens

Mumby

2023

Ecology and Evolution

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Patterns of movement of marine species can reflect strategies of reproduction and dispersal, species' interactions, trophodynamics, and susceptibility to change, and thus critically inform how we manage populations and ecosystems. On coral reefs, the density and diversity of metazoan taxa are greatest in dead coral and rubble, which are suggested to fuel food webs from the bottom up. Yet, biomass and secondary productivity in rubble is predominantly available in some of the smallest individuals, limiting how accessible this energy is to higher trophic levels. We address the bioavailability of motile coral reef cryptofauna based on small-scale patterns of emigration in rubble. We deployed modified RUbble Biodiversity Samplers (RUBS) and emergence traps in a shallow rubble patch at Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef, to detect community-level differences in the directional influx of motile cryptofauna under five habitat accessibility regimes. The mean density (0.13-4.5 ind cm −3 ) and biomass (0.14-5.2 mg cm −3 ) of cryptofauna were high and varied depending on microhabitat accessibility. Emergent zooplankton represented a distinct community (dominated by the Appendicularia and Calanoida) with the lowest density and biomass, indicating constraints on nocturnal resource availability. Mean cryptofauna density and biomass were greatest when interstitial access within rubble was blocked, driven by the rapid proliferation of small harpacticoid copepods from the rubble surface, leading to trophic simplification. Individuals with high biomass (e.g., decapods, gobies, and echinoderms) were greatest when interstitial access within rubble was unrestricted.Treatments with a closed rubble surface did not differ from those completely open, suggesting that top-down predation does not diminish rubble-derived resources. Our results show that conspecific cues and species' interactions (e.g., competition and predation) within rubble are most critical in shaping ecological outcomes within the cryptobiome. These findings have implications for prey accessibility through trophic and community size structuring in rubble, which may become increasingly relevant as benthic reef complexity shifts in the Anthropocene.

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Section: Nighttime Bioavailability Of Cryptofaunasupporting

confidence: 70%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 62%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 63%

Section: Trophic Structure and Functioning In Rubble Biomesmentioning

confidence: 66%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Emigration patterns of motile cryptofauna and their implications for trophic functioning in coral reefs

Wolfe

Desbiens

Mumby

2023

Ecology and Evolution

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Small coral reef fishes with large ecological footprints

2023

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Seascape connectivity can facilitate key ecosystem functions in complex ecosystems like coral reefs. Many reef fishes move across the seascape, bridging different ecosystems. However, their role in shaping important functions, such as biomass production and nutrient cycling, is still poorly understood. This study, therefore, assesses the extent of natural movements of cardinalfishes (Apogonidae), one of the major contributors to nocturnal fish biomass production with the potential for a major role in transferring energy and nutrients between sandy ecosystems and adjacent coral reefs. Consistent with previous work, showing their ability to move distances of 100 s to 1000 s of metres when displaced, we reveal that these small fishes undergo major voluntary nocturnal foraging forays extending up to at least 145 m from reef structures. Their estimated daily movement distances are at least 430 times greater than expected based solely on body size-home range expectations. Given their large travel distances and strong homing abilities, apogonids may provide a major conduit for material transfer between lagoonal soft sediment habitats and adjacent coral reefs. These results highlight the potential importance of apogonids in the cross-system or cross-habitat transport of energy and nutrients on coral reefs.

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Exploring benthic habitat assessments on coral reefs: a comparison of direct field measurements versus remote sensing

Lutzenkirchen,

Duce,

Bellwood

2024

Coral Reefs

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Coral reefs are spatially variable ecosystems that form biogenic structures ranging in size from 10 to 1000s of meters. Their changes in response to anthropogenic stress are occurring across increasingly broad scales, yet our ability to detect, understand and respond to these changes at relevant scales is limited. Traditional in-water observation-based coral reef ecology and remote sensing-based methods both offer valuable insights into benthic change, but their relative scalability and use to-date must be understood to inform optimal future research approaches. We conducted a systematic literature review comparing the approaches used to quantify benthic habitat, through traditional in-water ecological studies and remote sensing studies, with respect to: (a) their geographic distribution, (b) reef zone selection, and c) their focal questions. Among the 199 studies reviewed, traditional ecological studies primarily concentrated on community composition (89%), using high-detail direct measurements, especially from the reef slope (80%). By contrast, remote sensing studies provided spatially explicit datasets at coarser spatial and thematic resolutions, with a predominant focus on benthic mapping (72%) across entire reef systems. Only 3% of studies integrated both approaches, combining comprehensive in-situ observations with broadscale remote sensing. As anthropogenic stressors continue to increase in scale, bridging these scientific disciplines offers a promising way to upscale observations to entire reef-scape scales. We identify steps to harness the strengths of both fields and integrate multiple tools at various levels of resolution and scale. Such bridging approaches offer a way forward in understanding and managing coral reef functioning in the Anthropocene.

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The role of nocturnal fishes on coral reefs: A quantitative functional evaluation

Cited by 8 publications

References 75 publications

Emigration patterns of motile cryptofauna and their implications for trophic functioning in coral reefs

Emigration patterns of motile cryptofauna and their implications for trophic functioning in coral reefs

Small coral reef fishes with large ecological footprints

Exploring benthic habitat assessments on coral reefs: a comparison of direct field measurements versus remote sensing

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