Food selection of a corallivorous butterflyfish <i>Chaetodon austriacus</i> in the Red Sea, with particular emphasis on size and fish symbionts of corals

Niedermüller, S. K.; Schiemer, L.; Herler, J.

doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2009.02350.x

Cited by 4 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…They suggested that spatial variation in predation from chaetodontids plays a significant role in the distribution of adult coral populations. This idea seems unlikely considering the findings of Niedermüller et al (2009) and our observations, in which only 11/57 very small colonies of Acropora hyacinthus and A. millepora were ever fed during an observation. These small colonies received <1% (17/2391) of the observed bites.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 68%

“…This species avoided feeding upon Acropora colonies < 400 cm 2 with these colonies consumed in proportions significantly lower than expected given their availability, while it positively selected for all colonies > 400 cm 2 (Niedermüller et al 2009). The factors structuring this avoidance of small colonies are unclear, but are likely to be related to optimal foraging theory.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

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Inter-specific variation in susceptibility to grazing among common reef corals

Cole¹,

Pratchett²

2011

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Many species of reef fishes, such as butterflyfishes and wrasses, feed almost continuously and at very high rates upon reef-building corals. This study quantified grazing rates on 4 common reef corals (Acropora hyacinthus, A. millepora, Pocillopora damicornis, and massive Porites) to assess the variation in susceptibility to coral predation. We also assessed the variation in predation intensity within A. hyacinthus and A. millepora by standardising grazing rates by colony surface. Rates of grazing on individual colonies were lowest (0.95 ± 0.33 bites per 20 min; mean ± SE) for massive Porites and highest (16.75 ± 0.30 bites per 20 min) for A. hyacinthus. Within coral species, grazing rates showed a linear increase with increasing size of the colony; however, the intensity of predation showed a negative relationship with increasing colony size. Predation intensity was highest for small to medium sized colonies with a peak intensity of 1.13 ± 0.17 and 0.56 ± 0.09 bites per 100 cm 2 per 20 min per colony for for A. hyacinthus and A. millepora colonies (200 to 600 cm 2 ), respectively. In contrast, predation intensity was lowest for both very small and very large colonies, with very small colonies (< 200 cm 2 ) rarely being consumed by corallivorous fishes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 68%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

Inter-specific variation in susceptibility to grazing among common reef corals

Cole¹,

Pratchett²

2011

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…Butterflyfishes exhibit particularly high levels of dietary specialization (Reese 1977;Hourigan et al 1988;Tricas 1989;Cox 1994;Berumen et al 2005;Pratchett 2005;Niedermüller et al 2009). Chaetodon trifascialis is among the most specialized of all reef fishes and feeds almost exclusively on tabular Acropora throughout its geographical range (Reese 1981;Irons 1989;Alwany et al 2003;Berumen and Pratchett 2006).…”

Section: Corals As Foodmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Chaetodon trifascialis is among the most specialized of all reef fishes and feeds almost exclusively on tabular Acropora throughout its geographical range (Reese 1981;Irons 1989;Alwany et al 2003;Berumen and Pratchett 2006). Most coral-feeding fishes preferentially consume species from the genera Acropora and Pocillopora (Berumen et al 2005;Pratchett 2005Pratchett , 2007Cole et al 2008;Niedermüller et al 2009), which are also those corals that are most vulnerable to bleaching (Marshall and Baird 2000). Accordingly, many butterflyfishes (especially, C. trifascialis) have disappeared on reefs subject to severe coral bleaching.…”

Section: Corals As Foodmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of coral bleaching on coral habitats and associated fishes

Pratchett¹,

Bay²,

Coker³

et al. 2012

Wildlife and Climate Change

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Coral reef ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to global climate change, owing to extreme environmental sensitivities and consequent bleaching of reef-building scleractinian corals. Severe coral bleaching often kills scleractinian coral, leading to longer-term declines in habitat and topographic complexity. The loss of corals, and corresponding changes in habitat quality, also has a significant effect on coral reef fishes. Coral loss has the greatest and most immediate effect on fishes that depend on live corals for food or shelter. Many coral-reef fishes that do not depend directly on live coral are nonetheless dependent on the topographic complexity provided by healthy coral growth. Sustained and ongoing climate change thus poses a significant threat to coral reef ecosystems and urgent action is required to minimize future effects of climate change and maximize resilience of coral reef ecosystems.

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“…Accordingly, within a recovering reef, the average Acropora colony is younger and hence smaller than before bleaching events (McClanahan et al 2008). Territorial butterflyfishes avoid feeding on very small and juvenile colonies (Niedermüller et al 2009; Cole and Pratchett 2011b). This is likely to further increase the chronic predation pressure on less abundant and more fertile, medium- and large-sized Acropora colonies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toxic coral gobies reduce the feeding rate of a corallivorous butterflyfish on Acropora corals

Dirnwoeber

Herler

2012

Coral Reefs

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The obligate coral-dwelling gobiid genus Gobiodon inhabits Acropora corals and has developed various physiological, morphological and ethological adaptations towards this life habit. While the advantages of this coral-fish association are well documented for Gobiodon, possible fitness-increasing factors for the host coral are unknown. This study examines the influence of coral-dwelling gobies on the feeding behaviour of obligate corallivorous butterflyfishes. In an aquarium experiment using video observation, the corallivorous butterflyfish Chaetodon austriacus fed significantly less on corals inhabited by two Gobiodon species compared to unoccupied coral colonies of similar size. The more agonistic species G. histrio, which mostly displayed directed movements towards butterflyfishes, decreased butterflyfish bite rate by 62–98 % compared to uninhabited colonies. For Gobiodon sp. 3, which mostly displayed undirected movements in response to visits by C. austriacus, bite rate reduction was 64–68 %. The scale-less skin of Gobiodon spp. is covered by mucus that is toxic and multi-functional by reducing predation as well as affecting parasite attachment. A choice flume experiment suggests that the highly diluted skin mucus of Gobiodon spp. also functions as a corallivore repellent. This study demonstrates that Gobiodon spp. exhibit resource defence against coral-feeding butterflyfishes and also that coral colonies without resident Gobiodon suffer higher predation rates. Although the genus Gobiodon is probably a facultative corallivore, this study shows that by reducing predation on inhabited colonies by other fishes, these obligate coral-dwellers either compensate for their own fitness-decreasing impact on host colonies or live in a mutualistic association with them.

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Food selection of a corallivorous butterflyfish Chaetodon austriacus in the Red Sea, with particular emphasis on size and fish symbionts of corals

Cited by 4 publications

References 25 publications

Inter-specific variation in susceptibility to grazing among common reef corals

Inter-specific variation in susceptibility to grazing among common reef corals

Effects of coral bleaching on coral habitats and associated fishes

Toxic coral gobies reduce the feeding rate of a corallivorous butterflyfish on Acropora corals

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