1
|
Noonburg EG, Alonzo SH, Osenberg CW, Swearer SE, Shima JS. Patterns of spawning and settlement of reef fishes as strategic responses to post-settlement competition. Theor Popul Biol 2024; 160:1-13. [PMID: 39182695 DOI: 10.1016/j.tpb.2024.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Settlement is a critical transition in the life history of reef fish, and the timing of this event can have a strong effect on fitness. Key factors that influence settlement timing are predictable lunar cyclic variation in tidal currents, moonlight, and nocturnal predation risk as larvae transition from pelagic to benthic environments. However, populations typically display wide variation in the arrival of settlers over the lunar cycle. This variation is often hypothesized to result from unpredictable conditions in the pelagic environment and bet-hedging by spawning adults. Here, we consider the hypothesis that the timing of spawning and settlement is a strategic response to post-settlement competition. We use a game theoretic model to predict spawning and settlement distributions when fish face a tradeoff between minimizing density-independent predation risk while crossing the reef crest vs. avoiding high competitor density on settlement habitat. In general, we expect competition to spread spawning over time such that settlement is distributed around the lunar phase with the lowest predation risk, similar to an ideal free distribution in which competition spreads competitors across space. We examine the effects of overcompensating density dependence, age-dependent competition, and competition among daily settler cohorts. Our model predicts that even in the absence of stochastic variation in the larval environment, competition can result in qualitative divergence between spawning and settlement distributions. Furthermore, we show that if competitive strength increases with settler age, competition results in covariation between settler age and settlement date, with older larvae settling when predation risk is minimal. We predict that competition between daily cohorts delays peak settlement, with priority effects potentially selecting for a multimodal settlement distribution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erik G Noonburg
- 7001 Seaview Ave NW, Ste. 160 PMB 860, Seattle, WA 98117, USA.
| | - Suzanne H Alonzo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA
| | | | | | - Jeffrey S Shima
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sheppard CE, Boström-Einarsson L, Williams GJ, Exton DA, Keith SA. Variation in farming damselfish behaviour creates a competitive landscape of risk on coral reefs. Biol Lett 2024; 20:20240035. [PMID: 38807544 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2024.0035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Interspecific interactions are fundamental drivers of animal space use. Yet while non-consumptive effects of predation risk on prey space use are well-known, the risk of aggressive interactions on space use of competitors is largely unknown. We apply the landscape of risk framework to competition-driven space use for the first time, with the hypothesis that less aggressive competitors may alter their behaviour to avoid areas of high competitor density. Specifically, we test how aggressive risk from territorial algal-farming damselfishes can shape the spatial distribution of herbivore fish competitors. We found that only the most aggressive damselfish had fewer competitors in their surrounding area, demonstrating that individual-level behavioural variation can shape spatial distributions. In contradiction to the landscape of risk framework, abundances of farming damselfish and other fishes were positively associated. Our results suggest that reef fishes do not simply avoid areas of high damselfish abundance, but that spatial variation in aggressive behaviour, rather than of individuals, created a competitive landscape of risk. We emphasize the importance of individual-level behaviour in identifying patterns of space use and propose expanding the landscape of risk framework to non-predatory interactions to explore cascading behavioural responses to aggressive risk.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine E Sheppard
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK
| | | | - Gareth J Williams
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge LL59 5AB, UK
| | - Dan A Exton
- Operation Wallacea, Wallace House, Old Bolingbroke, Spilsby PE23 4EX, UK
| | - Sally A Keith
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Keith SA, Drury JP, McGill BJ, Grether GF. Macrobehaviour: behavioural variation across space, time, and taxa. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:1177-1188. [PMID: 37661519 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
We explore how integrating behavioural ecology and macroecology can provide fundamental new insight into both fields, with particular relevance for understanding ecological responses to rapid environmental change. We outline the field of macrobehaviour, which aims to unite these disciplines explicitly, and highlight examples of research in this space. Macrobehaviour can be envisaged as a spectrum, where behavioural ecologists and macroecologists use new data and borrow tools and approaches from one another. At the heart of this spectrum, interdisciplinary research considers how selection in the context of large-scale factors can lead to systematic patterns in behavioural variation across space, time, and taxa, and in turn, influence macroecological patterns and processes. Macrobehaviour has the potential to enhance forecasts of future biodiversity change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sally A Keith
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK.
| | - Jonathan P Drury
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Brian J McGill
- School of Biology and Ecology and Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA
| | - Gregory F Grether
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Keith SA, Hobbs JP, Boström-Einarsson L, Hartley IR, Sanders NJ. Rapid resource depletion on coral reefs disrupts competitor recognition processes among butterflyfish species. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20222158. [PMID: 36598015 PMCID: PMC9811634 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Avoiding costly fights can help conserve energy needed to survive rapid environmental change. Competitor recognition processes help resolve contests without escalating to attack, yet we have limited understanding of how they are affected by resource depletion and potential effects on species coexistence. Using a mass coral mortality event as a natural experiment and 3770 field observations of butterflyfish encounters, we test how rapid resource depletion could disrupt recognition processes in butterflyfishes. Following resource loss, heterospecifics approached each other more closely before initiating aggression, fewer contests were resolved by signalling, and the energy invested in attacks was greater. By contrast, behaviour towards conspecifics did not change. As predicted by theory, conspecifics approached one another more closely and were more consistent in attack intensity yet, contrary to expectations, resolution of contests via signalling was more common among heterospecifics. Phylogenetic relatedness or body size did not predict these outcomes. Our results suggest that competitor recognition processes for heterospecifics became less accurate after mass coral mortality, which we hypothesize is due to altered resource overlaps following dietary shifts. Our work implies that competitor recognition is common among heterospecifics, and disruption of this system could lead to suboptimal decision-making, exacerbating sublethal impacts of food scarcity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S. A. Keith
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - J-P.A. Hobbs
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4069, Australia
| | | | - I. R. Hartley
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - N. J. Sanders
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Hodge JR, Price SA. Biotic Interactions and the Future of Fishes on Coral Reefs: The Importance of Trait-Based Approaches. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:1734-1747. [PMID: 36138511 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Biotic interactions govern the structure and function of coral reef ecosystems. As environmental conditions change, reef-associated fish populations can persist by tracking their preferred niche or adapting to new conditions. Biotic interactions will affect how these responses proceed and whether they are successful. Yet, our understanding of these effects is currently limited. Ecological and evolutionary theories make explicit predictions about the effects of biotic interactions, but many remain untested. Here, we argue that large-scale functional trait datasets enable us to investigate how biotic interactions have shaped the assembly of contemporary reef fish communities and the evolution of species within them, thus improving our ability to predict future changes. Importantly, the effects of biotic interactions on these processes have occurred simultaneously within dynamic environments. Functional traits provide a means to integrate the effects of both ecological and evolutionary processes, as well as a way to overcome some of the challenges of studying biotic interactions. Moreover, functional trait data can enhance predictive modeling of future reef fish distributions and evolvability. We hope that our vision for an integrative approach, focused on quantifying functionally relevant traits and how they mediate biotic interactions in different environmental contexts, will catalyze new research on the future of reef fishes in a changing environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer R Hodge
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Samantha A Price
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zbinden ZD. A needle in the haystack? Applying species co-occurrence frameworks with fish assemblage data to identify species associations and sharpen ecological hypotheses. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2022; 100:339-351. [PMID: 33860934 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Different species can associate or interact in many ways, and methods exist for inferring associations and underlying mechanisms from incidence data (e.g., co-occurrence frameworks). These methods have received criticism despite their recent resurgence in the literature. However, co-occurrence frameworks for identifying nonrandomly associated species pairs (e.g., aggregated or segregated pairs) have value as heuristic tools for sharpening hypotheses concerning fish ecology. This paper provides a case study examining species co-occurrence across 33 stream fish assemblages in southeastern Oklahoma, USA, which were sampled twice (1974 and 2014). This study sought to determine (a) which species were nonrandomly associated, (b) what processes might have driven these associations and (c) how consistent patterns were across time. Associations among most pairs of species (24 species, 276 unique pairs) were not significantly different from random (>80%). Among all significant, nonrandomly associated species pairs (54 unique pairs), 78% (42 pairs) were aggregated and 22% (12 pairs) segregated. Most of these (28 pairs, 52%) were hypothesized to be driven by nonbiotic mechanisms: habitat filtering (20 pairs, 37%), dispersal limitation (two pairs, 0.4%) or both (six pairs, 11%). The remaining 26 nonrandomly associated pairs (48%) had no detectable signal of spatial or environmental factors involved with the association, therefore the potential for biotic interaction was not refuted. Only five species pairs were consistently associated across both sampling periods: stonerollers Campostoma spp. and orangebelly darter Etheostoma radiosum; red shiner Cyprinella lutrensis and bullhead minnow Pimephales vigilax; bluegill sunfish Lepomis macrochirus and redear sunfish Lepomis microlophus; redfin shiner Lythrurus umbratilis and bluntnose minnow Pimephales notatus; and bigeye shiner Notropis boops and golden shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas. Frameworks for identifying nonrandomly associated species pairs can provide insight into broader mechanisms of species assembly and point to potentially interesting species interactions (out of many possible pairs). However, this approach is best applied as a tool for sharpening hypotheses to be investigated further. Rather than a weakness, the heuristic nature is the strength of such methods, and can help guide biologists toward better questions by employing relatively cheap diversity survey data, which are often already in hand, to reduce complex interaction networks down to their nonstochastic parts which warrant further investigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zachery D Zbinden
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Palacios MDM, McCormick MI. Positive indirect effects of top‐predators on the behaviour and survival of juvenile fishes. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maria del Mar Palacios
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook Univ. Townsville Queensland Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin Univ. Victoria Australia
| | - Mark I. McCormick
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook Univ. Townsville Queensland Australia
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Sex-specific responses to competitive environment in the mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki. Evol Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-020-10080-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
|
9
|
Nunes LT, Morais RA, Longo GO, Sabino J, Floeter SR. Habitat and community structure modulate fish interactions in a neotropical clearwater river. NEOTROPICAL ICHTHYOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1590/1982-0224-2019-0127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Species interactions can modulate the diversity and enhance the stability of biological communities in aquatic ecosystems. Despite previous efforts to describe fish interactions in tropical rivers, the role of habitat characteristics, community structure, and trophic traits over these interactions is still poorly understood. To investigate among-habitat variation in substratum feeding pressure and agonistic interactions between fishes, we used remote underwater videos in three habitats of a clearwater river in the Central Western, Brazil. We also performed visual surveys to estimate the abundance and biomass of fishes and proposed a trophic classification to understand how these variables can affect fish interactions. Community structure was the main factor affecting the variation in the interactions among the habitats. Biomass was the main variable determining which habitat a fish will feed on, while species abundance determined with how many other species it will interact in the agonistic interaction networks for each habitat. Specific habitats are not only occupied, but also used in distinct ways by the fish community. Overall, our results demonstrate the importance of the heterogeneity of habitats in tropical rivers for the interactions performed by the fishes and how the intensity of these interactions is affected by community structure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Renato A. Morais
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil; James Cook University, Australia
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
|
11
|
Trevail AM, Green JA, Sharples J, Polton JA, Miller PI, Daunt F, Owen E, Bolton M, Colhoun K, Newton S, Robertson G, Patrick SC. Environmental heterogeneity decreases reproductive success via effects on foraging behaviour. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20190795. [PMID: 31161906 PMCID: PMC6571457 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental heterogeneity shapes the uneven distribution of resources available to foragers, and is ubiquitous in nature. Optimal foraging theory predicts that an animal's ability to exploit resource patches is key to foraging success. However, the potential fitness costs and benefits of foraging in a heterogeneous environment are difficult to measure empirically. Heterogeneity may provide higher-quality foraging opportunities, or alternatively could increase the cost of resource acquisition because of reduced patch density or increased competition. Here, we study the influence of physical environmental heterogeneity on behaviour and reproductive success of black-legged kittiwakes, Rissa tridactyla. From GPS tracking data at 15 colonies throughout their British and Irish range, we found that environments that were physically more heterogeneous were associated with longer trip duration, more time spent foraging while away from the colony, increased overlap of foraging areas between individuals and lower breeding success. These results suggest that there is greater competition between individuals for finite resources in more heterogeneous environments, which comes at a cost to reproduction. Resource hotspots are often considered beneficial, as individuals can learn to exploit them if sufficiently predictable. However, we demonstrate here that such fitness gains can be countered by greater competition in more heterogeneous environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alice M Trevail
- 1 School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool , Liverpool , UK
| | - Jonathan A Green
- 1 School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool , Liverpool , UK
| | - Jonathan Sharples
- 1 School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool , Liverpool , UK
| | | | - Peter I Miller
- 3 Remote Sensing Group, Plymouth Marine Laboratory , Plymouth , UK
| | - Francis Daunt
- 4 Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Edinburgh , Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian , UK
| | - Ellie Owen
- 5 RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, RSPB Scotland, Etive House, Beechwood Park, Inverness , UK
| | - Mark Bolton
- 6 RSPB Centre for Conservation Science , The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire , UK
| | - Kendrew Colhoun
- 7 RSPB Centre for Conservation Science , Belfast , UK.,8 School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin , Bellfield, Dublin 4 , Ireland
| | | | - Gail Robertson
- 10 School of Mathematics, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh , UK
| | - Samantha C Patrick
- 1 School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool , Liverpool , UK
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Leray M, Alldredge AL, Yang JY, Meyer CP, Holbrook SJ, Schmitt RJ, Knowlton N, Brooks AJ. Dietary partitioning promotes the coexistence of planktivorous species on coral reefs. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:2694-2710. [PMID: 30933383 PMCID: PMC6852152 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Revised: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Theories involving niche diversification to explain high levels of tropical diversity propose that species are more likely to co‐occur if they partition at least one dimension of their ecological niche space. Yet, numerous species appear to have widely overlapping niches based upon broad categorizations of resource use or functional traits. In particular, the extent to which food partitioning contributes to species coexistence in hyperdiverse tropical ecosystems remains unresolved. Here, we use a molecular approach to investigate inter‐ and intraspecific dietary partitioning between two species of damselfish (Dascyllus flavicaudus, Chromis viridis) that commonly co‐occur in branching corals. Species‐level identification of their diverse zooplankton prey revealed significant differences in diet composition between species despite their seemingly similar feeding strategies. Dascyllus exhibited a more diverse diet than Chromis, whereas Chromis tended to select larger prey items. A large calanoid copepod, Labidocera sp., found in low density and higher in the water column during the day, explained more than 19% of the variation in dietary composition between Dascyllus and Chromis. Dascyllus did not significantly shift its diet in the presence of Chromis, which suggests intrinsic differences in feeding behaviour. Finally, prey composition significantly shifted during the ontogeny of both fish species. Our findings show that levels of dietary specialization among coral reef associated species have likely been underestimated, and they underscore the importance of characterizing trophic webs in tropical ecosystems at higher levels of taxonomic resolution. They also suggest that niche redundancy may not be as common as previously thought.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthieu Leray
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Panama City, Balboa, Ancon, Panama
| | - Alice L Alldredge
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
| | - Joy Y Yang
- Computational and Systems Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Christopher P Meyer
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Sally J Holbrook
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California.,Coastal Research Center, Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
| | - Russell J Schmitt
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California.,Coastal Research Center, Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
| | - Nancy Knowlton
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Andrew J Brooks
- Coastal Research Center, Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
The cost of carryover effects in a changing environment: context-dependent benefits of a behavioural phenotype in a coral reef fish. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
|
14
|
Wismer S, Tebbett SB, Streit RP, Bellwood DR. Spatial mismatch in fish and coral loss following 2016 mass coral bleaching. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 650:1487-1498. [PMID: 30308835 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.09.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Revised: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 09/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Record-breaking temperatures between 2015 and 2016 led to unprecedented pan-tropical bleaching of scleractinian corals. On the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), the effects were most pronounced in the remote, northern region, where over 90% of reefs exhibited bleaching. Mass bleaching that results in widespread coral mortality represents a major disturbance event for reef organisms, including reef fishes. Using 133 replicate 1 m2 quadrats, we quantified short-term changes in coral communities and spatially associated reef fish assemblages, at Lizard Island, Australia, in response to the 2016 mass bleaching event. Quadrats were spatially matched, permitting repeated sampling of fish and corals in the same areas: before, during and 6 months after mass bleaching. As expected, we documented a significant decrease in live coral cover. Subsequent decreases in fish abundance were primarily driven by coral-associated damselfishes. However, these losses, were relatively minor (37% decrease), especially compared to the magnitude of Acropora loss (>95% relative decrease). Furthermore, at a local, 1 m2 scale, we documented a strong spatial mismatch between fish and coral loss. Post-bleaching fish losses were not highest in quadrats that experienced the greatest loss of live coral. Nor were fish losses associated with a proliferation of cyanobacteria. Several sites did, however, exhibit increases in fish abundance suggesting substantial spatial movements. These results challenge common assumptions and emphasize the need for caution when ascribing causality to observed patterns of fish loss at larger spatial scales. Our results highlight the potential for short-term resilience to climate change, in fishes, through local migration and habitat plasticity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Wismer
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Sterling B Tebbett
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Robert P Streit
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - David R Bellwood
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Eurich JG, McCormick MI, Jones GP. Direct and indirect effects of interspecific competition in a highly partitioned guild of reef fishes. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob G. Eurich
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, and Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture College of Science and Engineering James Cook University Townsville Queensland 4811 Australia
| | - Mark I. McCormick
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, and Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture College of Science and Engineering James Cook University Townsville Queensland 4811 Australia
| | - Geoffrey P. Jones
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, and Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture College of Science and Engineering James Cook University Townsville Queensland 4811 Australia
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Loss of live coral compromises predator-avoidance behaviour in coral reef damselfish. Sci Rep 2018; 8:7795. [PMID: 29773843 PMCID: PMC5958076 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-26090-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Tropical reefs have experienced an unprecedented loss of live coral in the past few decades and the biodiversity of coral-dependent species is under threat. Many reef fish species decline in abundance as coral cover is lost, yet the mechanisms responsible for these losses are largely unknown. A commonly hypothesised cause of fish decline is the loss of shelter space between branches as dead corals become overgrown by algae. Here we tested this hypothesis by quantifying changes in predator-avoidance behaviour of a common damselfish, Pomacentrus moluccensis, before and after the death of their coral colony. Groups of P. moluccensis were placed on either healthy or degraded coral colonies, startled using a visual stimulus and their sheltering responses compared over a 7-week period. P. moluccensis stopped sheltering amongst the coral branches immediately following the death of the coral, despite the presence of ample shelter space. Instead, most individuals swam away from the dead coral, potentially increasing their exposure to predators. It appears that the presence of live coral rather than shelter per se is the necessary cue that elicits the appropriate behavioural response to potential predators. The disruption of this link poses an immediate threat to coral-associated fishes on degrading reefs.
Collapse
|
17
|
Brandl SJ, Goatley CHR, Bellwood DR, Tornabene L. The hidden half: ecology and evolution of cryptobenthic fishes on coral reefs. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2018; 93:1846-1873. [PMID: 29736999 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Teleost fishes are the most diverse group of vertebrates on Earth. On tropical coral reefs, their species richness exceeds 6000 species; one tenth of total vertebrate biodiversity. A large proportion of this diversity is composed of cryptobenthic reef fishes (CRFs): bottom-dwelling, morphologically or behaviourally cryptic species typically less than 50 mm in length. Yet, despite their diversity and abundance, these fishes are both poorly defined and understood. Herein we provide a new quantitative definition and synthesise current knowledge on the diversity, distribution and life history of CRFs. First, we use size distributions within families to define 17 core CRF families as characterised by the high prevalence (>10%) of small-bodied species (<50 mm). This stands in strong contrast to 42 families of large reef fishes, in which virtually no small-bodied species have evolved. We posit that small body size has allowed CRFs to diversify at extremely high rates, primarily by allowing for fine partitioning of microhabitats and facilitation of allopatric reproductive isolation; yet, we are far from understanding and documenting the biodiversity of CRFs. Using rates of description since 1758, we predict that approximately 30 new species of cryptobenthic species will be described per year until 2050 (approximately twice the annual rate compared to large fishes). Furthermore, we predict that by the year 2031, more than half of the described coral reef fish biodiversity will consist of CRFs. These fishes are the 'hidden half' of vertebrate biodiversity on coral reefs. Notably, global geographic coverage and spatial resolution of quantitative data on CRF communities is uniformly poor, which further emphasises the remarkable reservoir of biodiversity that is yet to be discovered. Although small body size may have enabled extensive diversification within CRF families, small size also comes with a suite of ecological challenges that affect fishes' capacities to feed, survive and reproduce; we identify a range of life-history adaptations that have enabled CRFs to overcome these limitations. In turn, these adaptations bestow a unique socio-ecological role on CRFs, which includes a key role in coral reef trophodynamics by cycling trophic energy provided by microscopic prey to larger consumers. Although small in body size, the ecology and evolutionary history of CRFs may make them a critical component of coral-reef food webs; yet our review also shows that these fishes are highly susceptible to a variety of anthropogenic disturbances. Understanding the consequences of these changes for CRFs and coral reef ecosystems will require us to shed more light on this frequently overlooked but highly diverse and abundant guild of coral reef fishes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simon J Brandl
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, V5A 1S6, Canada.,Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network, Smithsonian Institution, Edgewater, MD, 21037, U.S.A
| | - Christopher H R Goatley
- Function, Evolution and Anatomy Research (FEAR) Lab and Palaeoscience Research Centre, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, 2351, Australia
| | - David R Bellwood
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Australia
| | - Luke Tornabene
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98105, U.S.A
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Harrison HB, Berumen ML, Saenz-Agudelo P, Salas E, Williamson DH, Jones GP. Widespread hybridization and bidirectional introgression in sympatric species of coral reef fish. Mol Ecol 2018; 26:5692-5704. [PMID: 29080371 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Revised: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Coral reefs are highly diverse ecosystems, where numerous closely related species often coexist. How new species arise and are maintained in these high geneflow environments have been long-standing conundrums. Hybridization and patterns of introgression between sympatric species provide a unique insight into the mechanisms of speciation and the maintenance of species boundaries. In this study, we investigate the extent of hybridization between two closely related species of coral reef fish: the common coral trout (Plectropomus leopardus) and the bar-cheek coral trout (Plectropomus maculatus). Using a complementary set of 25 microsatellite loci, we distinguish pure genotype classes from first- and later-generation hybrids, identifying 124 interspecific hybrids from a collection of 2,991 coral trout sampled in inshore and mid-shelf reefs of the southern Great Barrier Reef. Hybrids were ubiquitous among reefs, fertile and spanned multiple generations suggesting both ecological and evolutionary processes are acting to maintain species barriers. We elaborate on these finding to investigate the extent of genomic introgression and admixture from 2,271 SNP loci recovered from a ddRAD library of pure and hybrid individuals. An analysis of genomic clines on recovered loci indicates that 261 SNP loci deviate from a model of neutral introgression, of which 132 indicate a pattern of introgression consistent with selection favouring both hybrid and parental genotypes. Our findings indicate genome-wide, bidirectional introgression between two sympatric species of coral reef fishes and provide further support to a growing body of evidence for the role of hybridization in the evolution of coral reef fishes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hugo B Harrison
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Michael L Berumen
- Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Pablo Saenz-Agudelo
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Eva Salas
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.,California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - David H Williamson
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Geoffrey P Jones
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia.,College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Van Den Elzen CL, Kleynhans EJ, Otto SP. Asymmetric competition impacts evolutionary rescue in a changing environment. Proc Biol Sci 2018. [PMID: 28637847 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Interspecific competition can strongly influence the evolutionary response of a species to a changing environment, impacting the chance that the species survives or goes extinct. Previous work has shown that when two species compete for a temporally shifting resource distribution, the species lagging behind the resource peak is the first to go extinct due to competitive exclusion. However, this work assumed symmetrically distributed resources and competition. Asymmetries can generate differences between species in population sizes, genetic variation and trait means. We show that asymmetric resource availability or competition can facilitate coexistence and even occasionally cause the leading species to go extinct first. Surprisingly, we also find cases where traits evolve in the opposite direction to the changing environment because of a 'vacuum of competitive release' created when the lagging species declines in number. Thus, the species exhibiting the slowest rate of trait evolution is not always the most likely to go extinct in a changing environment. Our results demonstrate that the extent to which species appear to be tracking environmental change and the extent to which they are preadapted to that change may not necessarily determine which species will be the winners and which will be the losers in a rapidly changing world.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Courtney L Van Den Elzen
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, 1900 Pleasant Street, 334 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0334, USA
| | - Elizabeth J Kleynhans
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - Sarah P Otto
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Taylor BM, Brandl SJ, Kapur M, Robbins WD, Johnson G, Huveneers C, Renaud P, Choat JH. Bottom-up processes mediated by social systems drive demographic traits of coral-reef fishes. Ecology 2018; 99:642-651. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Revised: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brett M. Taylor
- Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center; University of Hawaii and NOAA Fisheries; Honolulu Hawaii 96818 USA
| | - Simon J. Brandl
- Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network; Smithsonian Environmental Research Center; Edgewater Maryland 21037 USA
| | - Maia Kapur
- Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center; University of Hawaii and NOAA Fisheries; Honolulu Hawaii 96818 USA
| | - William D. Robbins
- Wildlife Marine; Perth Western Australia 6020 Australia
- Department of Environment and Agriculture; Curtin University; Perth Western Australia 6102 Australia
- School of Life Sciences; University of Technology Sydney; Sydney New South Wales 2007 Australia
| | - Garrett Johnson
- Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology; University of Hawaii; Kaneohe Hawaii 96744 USA
| | - Charlie Huveneers
- College of Science and Engineering; Flinders University; Bedford Park South Australia 5042 Australia
| | - Phil Renaud
- Khaled Bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation; Annapolis Maryland 21403 USA
| | - John Howard Choat
- College of Science and Engineering; James Cook University; Townsville Queensland 4811 Australia
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Hempson TN, Graham NAJ, MacNeil MA, Bodin N, Wilson SK. Regime shifts shorten food chains for mesopredators with potential sublethal effects. Funct Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tessa N. Hempson
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Queensland Australia
| | - Nicholas A. J. Graham
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Queensland Australia
- Lancaster Environment Centre Lancaster University Lancaster UK
| | - M. Aaron MacNeil
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Queensland Australia
- Department of Biology Ocean Frontier Institute Dalhousie University Halifax Nova Scotia Canada
| | - Nathalie Bodin
- Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) MARine Biodiversity Exploitation and Conservation Unit Victoria Mahé, Seychelles
- Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) Victoria Mahé, Seychelles
| | - Shaun K. Wilson
- Marine Science Program Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions Kensington Perth WA Australia
- Oceans Institute University of Western Australia Crawley WA Australia
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Illing B, Rummer JL. Physiology can contribute to better understanding, management, and conservation of coral reef fishes. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 5:cox005. [PMID: 28852508 PMCID: PMC5570121 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cox005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Revised: 12/27/2016] [Accepted: 01/31/2017] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Coral reef fishes, like many other marine organisms, are affected by anthropogenic stressors such as fishing and pollution and, owing to climate change, are experiencing increasing water temperatures and ocean acidification. Against the backdrop of these various stressors, a mechanistic understanding of processes governing individual organismal performance is the first step for identifying drivers of coral reef fish population dynamics. In fact, physiological measurements can help to reveal potential cause-and-effect relationships and enable physiologists to advise conservation management by upscaling results from cellular and individual organismal levels to population levels. Here, we highlight studies that include physiological measurements of coral reef fishes and those that give advice for their conservation. A literature search using combined physiological, conservation and coral reef fish key words resulted in ~1900 studies, of which only 99 matched predefined requirements. We observed that, over the last 20 years, the combination of physiological and conservation aspects in studies on coral reef fishes has received increased attention. Most of the selected studies made their physiological observations at the whole organism level and used their findings to give conservation advice on population dynamics, habitat use or the potential effects of climate change. The precision of the recommendations differed greatly and, not surprisingly, was least concrete when studies examined the effects of projected climate change scenarios. Although more and more physiological studies on coral reef fishes include conservation aspects, there is still a lack of concrete advice for conservation managers, with only very few published examples of physiological findings leading to improved management practices. We conclude with a call to action to foster better knowledge exchange between natural scientists and conservation managers to translate physiological findings more effectively in order to obtain evidence-based and adaptive management strategies for the conservation of coral reef fishes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Björn Illing
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- Institute of Hydrobiology and Fisheries Science, University of Hamburg, Hamburg D-22767, Germany
| | - Jodie L. Rummer
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Hellinger J, Jägers P, Donner M, Sutt F, Mark MD, Senen B, Tollrian R, Herlitze S. The Flashlight Fish Anomalops katoptron Uses Bioluminescent Light to Detect Prey in the Dark. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0170489. [PMID: 28178297 PMCID: PMC5298212 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioluminescence is a fascinating phenomenon occurring in numerous animal taxa in the ocean. The reef dwelling splitfin flashlight fish (Anomalops katoptron) can be found in large schools during moonless nights in the shallow water of coral reefs and in the open surrounding water. Anomalops katoptron produce striking blink patterns with symbiotic bacteria in their sub-ocular light organs. We examined the blink frequency in A. katoptron under various laboratory conditions. During the night A. katoptron swims in schools roughly parallel to their conspecifics and display high blink frequencies of approximately 90 blinks/minute with equal on and off times. However, when planktonic prey was detected in the experimental tank, the open time increased compared to open times in the absence of prey and the frequency decreased to 20% compared to blink frequency at night in the absence of planktonic prey. During the day when the school is in a cave in the reef tank the blink frequency decreases to approximately 9 blinks/minute with increasing off-times of the light organ. Surprisingly the non-luminescent A. katoptron with non-functional light organs displayed the same blink frequencies and light organ open/closed times during the night and day as their luminescent conspecifics. In the presence of plankton non-luminescent specimens showed no change in the blink frequency and open/closed times compared to luminescent A. katoptron. Our experiments performed in a coral reef tank show that A. katoptron use bioluminescent illumination to detect planktonic prey and that the blink frequency of A. katoptron light organs follow an exogenous control by the ambient light.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jens Hellinger
- Department of Zoology and Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr-University, Bochum, Germany
| | - Peter Jägers
- Department of Zoology and Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr-University, Bochum, Germany
| | - Marcel Donner
- Department of Zoology and Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr-University, Bochum, Germany
| | - Franziska Sutt
- Department of Zoology and Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr-University, Bochum, Germany
| | - Melanie D. Mark
- Department of Zoology and Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr-University, Bochum, Germany
| | - Budiono Senen
- Fisheries College Hatta-Syahrir, Banda Naira, Malukuh Tengah, Indonesia
| | - Ralph Tollrian
- Department of Animal Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr-University, Bochum, Germany
| | - Stefan Herlitze
- Department of Zoology and Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr-University, Bochum, Germany
- * E-mail: ,
| |
Collapse
|