Resource and habitat sharing by the stoplight parrotfish,Sparisoma viride, a Caribbean reef herbivore

Rooij, van Jules; deJong, Emily Watkins; Vaandrager, F; Videler, John J.

doi:10.1007/bf00002381

Cited by 41 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Counts were made only in shallow reef flats at a depth of 2 to 5 m and run parallel to the shore. Transects running perpendicular to the shoreline to a depth of 20 m confirmed the conclusions of van Rooij et al (1996a) that the S. viride population is concentrated in shallow water above that depth. In Los Roques and San Blas the sample areas were immediately seaward of Acropora palmata stands.…”

Section: Samplingsupporting

confidence: 77%

“…As an excavating substratum feeder (Bellwood 1994) this species is responsible for a significant component of the grazing and bioerosion of Caribbean reefs (Bruggermann et al 1996, van Rooij et al 1996a, 1998. More recently S. viride has been implicated in the removal of substantial amounts of tissue and underlying skeletal structures of living corals (Bruckner & Bruckner 1998.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An age-based demographic analysis of the Caribbean stoplight parrotfish Sparisoma viride

Choat¹,

Robertson²,

Ackerman³

et al. 2003

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

101

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The parrotfish Sparisoma viride is an abundant and ecologically important member of the tropical NW Atlantic reef fish fauna. Sagittal otoliths of 417 individuals were analysed to estimate age-based demographic variables at 4 localities (Lee Stocking Island, Barbados, Los Roques Archipelago and the San Blas Archipelago) spanning 14°of latitude. The sampling localities ranged from an area protected from trap-and net-based reef fisheries (Los Roques) to an area supporting a dense human population and sustained trapping and spearing for reef fishes including S. viride (Barbados). Examination of sectioned sagittal otoliths from each locality revealed regular increments in the sagittal matrix. A preliminary validation at San Blas was consistent with these increments being annual check marks. These increments provided estimates of age structure, maximum longevities and mortality rates for the 4 study populations of S. viride. Von Bertalanffy growth functions fitted to each size-at-age plot generated similar growth curves from 3 of these 4 localities. The exception was Lee Stocking, where fish grew faster and reached a substantially larger size than those from the other 3 localities. Further analysis of the growth curves demonstrated that the differences between Lee Stocking and the other localities were attributable to more rapid growth over the first 4 yr of life. Agebased growth curves derived from the Los Roques population were very similar to a size-based curve generated by an independent study on S. viride carried out in Bonaire, adjacent to Los Roques. Maximum longevities for all 4 of our populations varied from 7 to 9 yr. Mortality rates generated from catch curve analysis were also similar among localities and suggest that maximum life spans do not exceed 12 yr. This result differs from that obtained at Bonaire, where repeated censuses of tagged fish suggest 30 yr maximum longevity. Abundances of S. viride varied 3-fold among localities, being highest at Los Roques (protected from reef fishing), lowest at Barbados (high fishing) and Lee Stocking (low fishing). Thus our age-based study suggests that S. viride is a relatively short-lived fish with consistent demographic parameters over a range of localities, latitudes and fishing intensities.

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Section: Samplingsupporting

confidence: 77%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An age-based demographic analysis of the Caribbean stoplight parrotfish Sparisoma viride

Choat¹,

Robertson²,

Ackerman³

et al. 2003

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

101

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“…Late successional algae could, therefore, reduce the benthic production available to consumers directly (to herbivorous) and indirectly (to invertebrate-consumers) (McClanahan et al 1999b). The immediate response of fishes to a reduction in late successional algae is likely to be manifested first in herbivorous fishes, as these are most likely to respond to an increase in their preferred turf algal food (Choat 1991, van Rooij et al 1996a, Lawson et al 1999. The response may, however, depend on the species' feeding behavior and the morphology of the feeding apparatus (Bellwood 1990, Bruggemann et al 1994b, Polunin et al 1995.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our working hypotheses were that macroalgae inhibit the feeding rates of herbivorous fishes, while invertebrate-feeders, such as wrasses (Labridae), grunts (Haemulidae) and snappers (Lutjanidae), would have variable or delayed responses (McClanahan et al 1999b). The greater net production and palatability of early successional turfs (Choat 1991, Steneck & Dethier 1994 was hypothesized to increase accessible algal resources, which in turn should lead to greater feeding rates and aggression between ecologically similar individuals (Carpenter & MacMillen 1976, Eakin 1987, van Rooij et al 1996a). This study was undertaken to determine if the generally positive response of fishes to the reduction of algae in the Kenyan study is also applicable to the Caribbean, where the largest recent increases in fleshy brown algae have been reported (Connell 1997).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Response of fishes to algae reduction on Glovers Reef, Belize

McClanahan¹,

Bergman²,

Huitric³

et al. 2000

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Many Caribbean coral reefs have experienced an increase in erect brown algae (species of Sargassum, Turbinaria and Lobophora) over the past 18 yr. We explored the effects of fleshy algal overgrowth on coral reef fishes by reducing erect algae by ~2.5 kg(wet) m -2 on 8 patch reefs (average size ~1000 m 2 ) whereby half were in a new no-fishing zone and half in an unrestricted fishing zone. Another 8 reefs were left as unmanipulated controls in the respective zones. Multivariate ordination indicated that the algal removal had marginal effect on whole-fish assemblages but that effect was highly significant on the biomass of common herbivores. The reduction of erect algae resulted in a rapid increase in the abundance of the blue-headed wrasse Thalassoma bifasciatum (Labridae), in the biomass of the blue tang Acanthurus coeruleus (Acanthuridae), and in both the abundance and biomass of the spotlight parrotfish Sparisoma viride (Scaridae). Bite rates and intra-and inter-specific aggressive encounters were used as measures of resource quality, and we found that these measures increased for surgeonfishes and damselfishes after the algal reduction, particularly in the center of the patch reefs, where most erect algae was originally located. Increased accessibility, net production and palatability of the early successional turf algae on the manipulated reefs are likely to account for the increased numbers, biomass and feeding rates of the dominant herbivorous fishes.KEY WORDS: Acanthuridae · Algal-fish interactions · Brown algae · Herbivory · Labridae · Management interactions · Sargassum · Scaridae · Turbinaria Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher

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“…For those species in the family Scaridae, known as parrotfishes, a group of harem females occupy the territory of a terminal phase male and breed with him (Barlow 1975, Robertson and Warner 1978, Van Rooij et al 1996b. Territoriality in this group provides both nutritional (Van Rooij et al 1996a) and reproductive benefits (van Rooij et al 1996, Mumby and. For instance, by defending territories against individuals with the highest resource overlap, particularly conspecific males, territory holders gain exclusive access to food resources and spawning privileges with harem females within their territories (Van Rooij et al 1996b, Mumby and.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Non-Consumptive Effects of Predators in Coral Reef Communities and the Indirect Consequences of Marine Protected Areas

Catano¹

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Resource and habitat sharing by the stoplight parrotfish,Sparisoma viride, a Caribbean reef herbivore

Cited by 41 publications

References 41 publications

An age-based demographic analysis of the Caribbean stoplight parrotfish Sparisoma viride

An age-based demographic analysis of the Caribbean stoplight parrotfish Sparisoma viride

Response of fishes to algae reduction on Glovers Reef, Belize

Non-Consumptive Effects of Predators in Coral Reef Communities and the Indirect Consequences of Marine Protected Areas

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