Micropredation by gnathiid isopods on settlement-stage reef fish in the eastern Caribbean Sea

Artim, John; Sellers, Joseph C.; Sikkel, Paul C.

doi:10.5343/bms.2015.1023

Cited by 34 publications

(22 citation statements)

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“…The biggest challenge to the "feeding hypothesis" is that small juvenile grunts feed on plankton during the day (Appeldoorn et al 2009), but still migrate away from reef habitat at night. Laboratory experiments have shown that a single third-stage gnathiid can kill a small juvenile grunt (Artim et al 2015), and the field experiments reported here suggest that even grunts from the smallest size class are susceptible to gnathiids in the wild.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 50%

“…Juvenile Infestation.-Gnathiids in the lab infest and can kill recently-settled French grunt (Artim et al 2015). To test the assumption that gnathiids will also infest recently-settled French grunt in the field, 10-20 French grunts (1-1.5 cm TL) were set in small (10 cm long × 8 cm diameter) mesh cages at each of four sites (Lameshur and Maho Bays, St. John, Brewers Bay, St. Thomas, and White Bay, Guana Island).…”

Section: Estimates Of Cumulative Parasite Loads: Reef Vs Seagrass Andmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Their piercing structures can cause tissue damage that can lead to secondary infection (Bunkley-Williams and Williams 1998), and, like terrestrial blood-feeding parasites, they are known or suspected to transmit blood parasites, such as haemogregarine or haemogregarine-like apicomplexans, filarial nematodes, flagellates, fungal structures, and viruses (e.g., Smit and Davies 2004, Davies et al 2009, Curtis et al 2013. More recently, gnathiids have been shown to infect and kill newly-settled juvenile reef fishes (Jones and Grutter 2008, Penfold et al 2008, Grutter et al 2011a, Sun et al 2012, Artim et al 2015.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In field experiments, species of grunts and snappers were shown to be most susceptible (Coile and Sikkel 2013), and female gnathiids that metamorphosed after feeding on these hosts produced larger (but not more) offspring compared to those that metamorphosed after feeding on some other hosts . Moreover, a single third-stage gnathiid can kill a recently-settled French grunt (Artim et al 2015). Curiously then, the most susceptible hosts are typically off the reef at night.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nocturnal migration reduces exposure to micropredation in a coral reef fish

Sikkel¹,

Welicky²,

Artim³

et al. 2017

bms

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 50%

Section: Estimates Of Cumulative Parasite Loads: Reef Vs Seagrass Andmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nocturnal migration reduces exposure to micropredation in a coral reef fish

Sikkel¹,

Welicky²,

Artim³

et al. 2017

bms

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“…According to geometric morphometrics results, PL showed less robust, more hydrodynamic bodies, but with similar ontogenetic allometry, suggesting indirectly an increase of the PLD of G. marmoratus rather than a change in the relative growth of specimen body. Other ectoparasites, such as gnathiid isopods, are capable of micropredation on larval fish at time of settlement (Artim et al, 2015;Grutter et al, 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parasitic copepods affect morphospace and diet of larvae of a temperate reef fish

Jahnsen-Guzmán

Bernal-Durán

Landaeta

2018

Journal of Fish Biology

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The effects of ectoparasites on larvae of the clingfish Gobiesox marmoratus were evaluated at the dietary and morphometric levels. The larvae and ectoparasites were collected by nearshore plankton samplings during October, November and December 2013 off El Quisco Bay, central Chile. The standardized abundance of total larvae and those ectoparasitized larvae (PL) was positively related and high parasite prevalence was found throughout the sampling period (up to 38%). Geometric morphometrics analyses indicate main changes in the shape through early ontogeny and subtle but significant variations between PL and non-parasitized larvae (NPL). Prey composition varied between PL and NPL; small size (<6 mm standard length, L ) parasitized larval G. marmoratus ate mostly gastropod larvae, whereas small non-parasitized specimens ate mainly cirripede nauplii. All larger (>8 mm L ), pre-settlement stages parasitized by Trifur and, or Caligus copepods had content in their gut, suggesting that ectoparasites did not diminish prey capture in host with larger size. Morphometric and dietary changes occurring during larval development were decoupled, both for PL and NPL. The maintenance of a slender, more hydrodynamic body through pelagic development and the ingestion of less-mobile prey in PL suggests non-lethal effects of ectoparasitism on rocky-reef fish larvae.

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Abundance of a cryptic generalist parasite reflects degradation of an ecosystem

et al. 2020

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Ecosystem degradation due to anthropogenic activities is the primary issue of our times. Theoretical analyses as well as efforts to restore and manage ecosystems depend on comprehensive metrics of ecosystem function. In the case of complex ecosystems such as tropical coral reefs-especially where monitoring, management, and restoration are important-multiple metrics reflecting key functional groups are required to accurately reflect ecosystem function and when necessary, diagnose degree and kind of ecosystem degradation. We propose inclusion of the generalist ectoparasite functional group as a measure of ecosystem function of coral reefs. This functional group is adaptable to loss of other community members and may experience an increase in abundance as ecosystem function declines. Fish-parasitic gnathiid isopods are a member of this group, resident though inconspicuous in coral-reef communities. On Caribbean coral reefs, based on 938 light-trap samples, we observed a negative correlation between abundance of smallersized gnathiids and abundance of live coral, a natural predator of gnathiids. Plots grouped by coral cover-a measure of success of the ecosystem engineer-and ectoparasite abundance varied significantly in community composition including abundance of macroalgae, turf algae, and farming Stegastes spp. damselfish reflecting shifts in community structure. Changes in gnathiid abundance with respect to the abundance of organisms participating in each of the core functional processes driving coral-reef ecosystems reflect broad connectivity of gnathiid parasites across the ecosystem. We conclude that the hyperabundance of a small, cryptic, generalist parasite, when used in combination with a metric of abundance of the primary ecosystem engineer, can provide one nuanced measure of the ecosystem vulnerability to collapse.

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Micropredation by gnathiid isopods on settlement-stage reef fish in the eastern Caribbean Sea

Cited by 34 publications

References 0 publications

Nocturnal migration reduces exposure to micropredation in a coral reef fish

Nocturnal migration reduces exposure to micropredation in a coral reef fish

Parasitic copepods affect morphospace and diet of larvae of a temperate reef fish

Abundance of a cryptic generalist parasite reflects degradation of an ecosystem

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