Trophic relationships in an intertidal rockpool fish assemblage in the gulf of Cádiz (NE Atlantic)

Abstract

Many species of littoral fish that live in rocky substrates are syntopic, sharing the same coastal habitat. They have similar feeding behaviours and use small hollows as places to hide and spawn. In the present study, we identified a total of 16 resident fish species in a rockpool assemblage in the Gulf of Cádiz and studied their patterns of co-occurrence. The dietary analysis performed showed the occurrence of 2 mainly herbivorous species (Lipophrys canevae and Parablennius sanguinolentus), 8 mainly carnivorous species with a percentage occurrence of algae in the diet below 10% (Gobius paganellus, Gobius cobitis, Gobius bucchichi, Clinitrachus argentatus, Tripterygion delaisi, Lepadogaster lepadogaster, Lepadogaster purpurea and Lepadogaster candolii), and 6 species that are carnivorous in the earlier phases of their lives and gradually increase the proportion of algae in their diet (Lipophrys pholis, Paralipophrys trigloides, Parablennius incognitus, Salaria pavo, Coryphoblennius galerita and Symphodus roissali). The dietary overlap among the different species does not explain the different patterns of abundance found among co-occurring species. In the present study, the common use of abundant resources coupled with specialized use of other types of resources was observed, and this allows the different species to minimise the effects of possible trophic competition.

Trophic relationships in tidepool fish assemblages of the tropical Southwestern Atlantic

“…crustaceans and polychaetes) organisms. As for other tidepool fish assemblages, crustaceans, particularly copepods and amphipods, and polychaetes were the main food resources (Castellanos‐Galindo & Giraldo, ; Muñoz & Ojeda, , ; Velasco et al, ). Together they represented more than half (55%) of all that was consumed, confirming that carnivory is the most important feeding strategy in these habitats (Castellanos‐Galindo & Giraldo, ).…”

“…Together they represented more than half (55%) of all that was consumed, confirming that carnivory is the most important feeding strategy in these habitats (Castellanos‐Galindo & Giraldo, ). In fact, crustaceans are the predominant preys of fishes in both temperate (Grossman, ; Muñoz & Ojeda, , ; Velasco et al, ) and tropical rocky inter‐tidal pools (Castellanos‐Galindo & Giraldo, ; Zamprogno, ). Macroalgae are also important food sources (25%), demonstrating that omnivory and herbivory are important in the assemblage.…”

“…Moreover, studies on diet and trophic ecology of tropical inter‐tidal fishes (Castellanos‐Galindo & Giraldo, ; Kotrschal & Thomson, ; Zamprogno, ) are incipient when compared to tropical subtidal fishes (Dubiaski‐Silva & Masunari, ; Ferreira & Gonçalves, ; Ferreira, Floeter, Gasparini, Ferreira, & Joyeux, ; Ferreira, Gonçalves, Coutinho, & Peret, ; Randall, ) or temperate inter‐tidal fishes (Grossman, ; Hielscher, Malzahn, Diekmann, & Aberle, ; Muñoz & Ojeda, , , ; Velasco et al, ). The inter‐tidal reef of Castelhanos beach, in the tropical Southwestern Atlantic, has a carbonate substrate and undergoes complete submersion at high tide (Macieira & Joyeux, ).…”

Diet of marine fish larvae and juveniles that use rocky intertidal pools at the Portuguese coast

“…On the other hand, Palaemon spp. had some importance in the diet of juveniles, which may be related with its high energy value (Velasco et al., ). Hydrozoans, entoprocts, Paragnathia formica (Hesse, 1864), platyhelminthes and acarids were present, but were of very low importance.…”

Organização trófica da comunidade de peixes de poças de maré da Praia dos Castelhanos (ES), Atlântico sudoeste tropical

“…Consequentemente, tais crustáceos têm sido os itens alimentares predominantes na dieta da maioria dos peixes do entremarés rochoso, tanto de regiões temperadas (Grossman, 1986;Muñoz & Ojeda, 1997;Muñoz & Ojeda, 1998;Velasco et al, 2010), quanto de regiões tropicais (presente estudo; Zamprogno, 1989;Castellanos-Galindo & Giraldo, 2008). Já os crustáceos de médio e grande porte apresentaram menor importância, e foram representados pelos caranguejos braquiúros (caranguejos e siris; IA = 0,09), camarões (IA = 0,01), e caranguejos anomuros (ermitões; IA = 0,002).…”