Habitat selection by recruits establishes local patterns of adult distribution in two species of damselfishes: Stegastes dorsopunicans and S. planifrons

Abstract

Local patterns of adult distribution in organisms that disperse young as pelagic larvae can be determined at the time of recruitment through habitat selection or, shortly thereafter, through post-recruitment processes such as differential juvenile survivorship and interspecific competition. This study addresses the importance of habitat selection by recruits in establishing the local pattern of adult distribution in two sympatric Caribbean damselfish species, Stegastes dorsopunicans and S. planifrons. Both species inhabit shallow reefs but show little overlap in their distribution; S. dorsopunicans predominates in the reef crest and S. planifrons occurs primarily on the reef slope. Furthermore, S. dorsopunicans is associated with rocky substrate, while S. planifrons occupies live coral. The substrate cover follows a similar pattern with coral being much less common on the reef crest than on the reef slope. Monitoring recruitment every other day in reciprocal removal experiments and artificial reefs indicates that the observed pattern of local adult distribution is a product of habitat selection for both species. The presence or absence of conspecifics did not influence recruitment patterns for either species. Stegastes dorsopunicans recruited primarily to shallow, rocky areas, appearing to cue on both substratum type and depth. Stegastes planifrons recruited exclusively to coral substratum independent of depth. These results indicate that local adult patterns of distribution can be explained by habitat selection at recruitment, and that substrate type and depth may be important cues.

A multi-scale study of the relationships between habitat use and the distribution and abundance patterns of three coral reef angelfishes (Pomacanthidae)

“…Distribution patterns may correspond with the availability of the reef substrata from which recruits emerge, as found for a number of other reef fishes (Tolimieri 1995, Booth & Wellington 1998, Gutierrez 1998. Previous studies have found that adult densities of some reef fish are correlated with recruit densities (Victor 1986) and also that abundances of recruits are correlated with the availability of preferred shelter sites (Shulman 1984, Victor 1986, Jones 1987, Light & Jones 1997, Nemeth 1998, Booth & Wellington 1998.…”

Fishing down a Caribbean food web relaxes trophic cascades

“…Most studies of the processes influencing damselfish abundance on Caribbean reefs have focused on habitat choice, recruitment and competition (Itzko witz 1977, Williams 1978, Robertson 1984, Sponaugle & Cowen 1996, Gutiérrez 1998. The role of predation in determining damselfish abundance has received relatively little attention until recently.…”

Patterns of scale-dependency and the influence of map resolution on the seascape ecology of reef fish

“…High correlations were measured at the 800 m analysis scale. This highly resident species settles directly onto reefs (Tolimieri 1995, Gutierrez 1998 and spends its benthic life associated with the same coral head or <~1 m 2 territory (Luckhurst & Luckhurst 1978, Robertson et al 1981. That either of these landscape variables or this analysis distance have a direct influence on fish abundance is doubtful.…”