The Influence of Structural Complexity on Fish–zooplankton Interactions: A Study Using Artificial Submerged Macrophytes

Manatunge, Jagath; Asaeda, Takashi; Priyadarshana, Tilak

doi:10.1023/a:1007691425268

Cited by 148 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…Increasing vegetation density of non-woody aquatic plants reduces swimming speed and visibility, leading to reduced prey capture rates in fishes (Manatunge et al 2000). Similarly, increasing prop-root density increases densities of several common fish species (Cocheret de la Moriniere et al 2004).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Mangrove Prop-Root Epibionts on Juvenile Reef Fishes: A Field Experiment Using Artificial Roots and Epifauna

Macdonald

Glover

Weis

2008

Estuaries and Coasts

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A field experiment was established in Bocas Del Tom, Panama to examine the relationship between sessile organisms living on mangrove prop roots and fish communities. Artificial mangrove roots (AMR) with different sets of artificial (AE) or real epibionts were established in five different locations in two separate years. Fish species in each plot were identified, counted, and their size estimated by visual census for 15 days in each replicate. In the artificial mangrove plots, the treatments with the most heterogeneous structure had significantly greater abundance of most families and species richness of fish in both years of the experiment. AMR plots with AEs attracted a more abundant and diverse fish assemblage than those with live epibionts, which had lower three-dimensional structure. All of the AMR plots had significantly greater fish abundance than comparable plots of sea grass alone. The location of the replicate also made a significant difference to fish abundance. The data indicate that prop-root epibionts can enhance fish abundance and diversity in mangroves,

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Mangrove Prop-Root Epibionts on Juvenile Reef Fishes: A Field Experiment Using Artificial Roots and Epifauna

Macdonald

Glover

Weis

2008

Estuaries and Coasts

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“…We tentatively conclude that this fish is not deleteriously affected by living in macrophytes in terms of its foraging; however, in contrast, most research on other fishes has found that the structure of dense macrophytes reduces foraging success. For example, Diehl (1988) found the capture rates of bream (Abramis brama) and roach (Rutilus rutilus) were considerably reduced in artificial vegetation, and the results of Manatunge et al (2000) were similar for Pseudorasbora parva.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most studies on fish foraging in complex habitats, such as those of Diehl (1988) and Manatunge et al (2000), used only one prey type and thus eliminated the potential for the fish to switch to prey that is more easily located or captured in the complex habitat. Whether the apparent reduction in the feeding efficiency of these species in complex habitats can be compensated for by switching to other prey taxa in the wild is unknown.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of turbidity and complex habitats on the feeding of a galaxiid fish are clear and simple

Stuart-Smith

White

et al. 2007

Mar. Freshwater Res.

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The habitat used by animals plays an important role in their interactions with predators and prey. By using complex habitats such as areas of dense macrophyte cover in response to elevated predation risk, small fishes may reduce their foraging success. Because the threat of predation by introduced brown trout increases the use of complex habitats by the threatened Galaxias auratus (Johnston), we experimentally examined its foraging in different habitats to estimate indirect impacts of brown trout presence. The lakes in which G. auratus lives have recently become more turbid, so the experiment was also conducted under different turbidity levels. Laboratory feeding trials in which planktonic and epibenthic prey were simultaneously offered to G. auratus in the presence or absence of artificial macrophytes and at three turbidity levels (0, 50 and 100 NTU) revealed that its overall foraging success was unaffected by habitat complexity; however, in trials with artificial macrophytes, G. auratus consumed a greater proportion of planktonic prey than in the absence of artificial macrophytes. Neither overall foraging success nor prey selection by G. auratus was affected by high turbidity, indicating that water clarity does not appear to directly negatively impact its feeding. The switch in prey types would probably not be detrimental to G. auratus in the long term, and thus it appears that there is no substantial feeding cost associated with its increased use of complex habitats. It could, however, affect lower trophic levels in the lakes to which it is endemic.

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“…Some experimental studies, however, suggest that the highest fish foraging efficiency occurs at intermediate macrophyte densities, which could represent the best compromise between food availability and amount of consumed food. With increasing habitat complexity, foraging efficiency declines monotonically (Manatunge et al, 2000), but this relationship concerns only large-sized individuals. The present data reveal that generally small fishes appear to be less affected by the habitat variables, exhibiting more uniform spatial distribution (Grenouillet & Pont, 2001).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Summer co‐existence of small‐sized cyprinid and percid individuals in natural and impounded stretches of a lowland river: food niche partitioning among fishes

Lik

Dukowska

Grzybkowska

et al. 2017

Journal of Fish Biology

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Due to changes of discharge regime downstream of a dam reservoir, an alluvial natural stretch of the Warta River changed to a macrophyte-dominated ecosystem. Large patches of submersed, aquatic macrophytes appeared in summer and their effect is analysed in this study. These patches contained enriched macroinvertebrate assemblages (epiphyton and benthos) and they were refuge for both zooplankton and young fishes released from the reservoir. Despite these altered conditions in this stretch, roach Rutilus rutilus, perch Perca fluviatilis and ruffe Gymnocephalus cernua dominated, as they did in the natural backwater. Fishes were sampled every 2 weeks from June to August, together with their food resources to assess the partitioning of the diet among small individuals of the three species in both stretches (the natural and affected ones). The aim of the analysis was to answer how animal food associated with water plants was partitioned between the species. In both stretches, G. cernua were primarily benthivorous, but epiphytic fauna, zooplankton and large-sized benthic chironomid larvae replaced lack of many large, benthic insects in the tailwater. Levins' food breath index decreased from 0·36 in the backwater to 0·29 in the tailwater. An opposite trend was observed for P. fluviatilis occurring among macrophytes. Perca fluviatilis were competitors of R. rutilus and took food not only in or on the river bed, but also in the water column. They ate zooplankton and epiphytic fauna and Levins' index increased from 0·32 to 0·44 in the tailwater. Rutilus rutilus fed on adult insects, algae and plant fragments in the natural stretch. In the tailwater, these food types were chiefly complemented by zooplankton. Despite this, the niche breadth of R. rutilus was similar at the two sites. Abundance of food associated with the macrophytes appeared to facilitate cohabitation in the abundant fish populations, but P. fluviatilis appeared to benefit the most in the altered river stretch.

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The Influence of Structural Complexity on Fish–zooplankton Interactions: A Study Using Artificial Submerged Macrophytes

Cited by 148 publications

References 50 publications

The Impact of Mangrove Prop-Root Epibionts on Juvenile Reef Fishes: A Field Experiment Using Artificial Roots and Epifauna

The Impact of Mangrove Prop-Root Epibionts on Juvenile Reef Fishes: A Field Experiment Using Artificial Roots and Epifauna

The effects of turbidity and complex habitats on the feeding of a galaxiid fish are clear and simple

Summer co‐existence of small‐sized cyprinid and percid individuals in natural and impounded stretches of a lowland river: food niche partitioning among fishes

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