scholarly journals Spatial distribution of parrotfishes and groupers in an Okinawan coral reef: size-related associations in relation to habitat characteristics

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e12134
Author(s):  
Atsushi Nanami

Parrotfishes (Labridae: Scarini) and groupers (Epinephelidae) are important fish groups that are regarded as the fisheries targets of primary importance in coral reefs. In order to establish ecosystem-based management of these two fish groups, clarifying the spatial distribution relative to habitat characteristics is of central importance. The present study investigated the spatial distributions of 12 parrotfishes species and seven groupers species in relation to environmental characteristics in an Okinawan coral reef. Ten out of the 12 parrotfish species and all seven grouper species showed species-specific spatial distributions. Four substrate types in the inner reefs (branching Acropora, bottlebrush Acropora, dead branching Acropora, and dead bottlebrush Acropora), three substrate types in the exposed reefs (massive coral, other coral, and calcium carbonate substratum), and water depth showed significant associations with the spatial distribution of fishes. Among the 12 parrotfish species, two species (Scarus spinus and S. forsteni) and four species (S. psittacus, S. hypselopterus, S. dimidiatus and S. ghobban) were primarily found in exposed reefs and inner reefs, respectively. Among the seven grouper species, two species (Cephalopholis argus and C. urodeta) and two other species (C. miniata and Epinephelus ongus) were primarily found in exposed reefs and inner reefs, respectively. Size-related spatial distribution was also found for three parrotfish species (Chlorurus microrhinos, Scarus rivulatus and S. hypselopterus), indicating that smaller-sized and larger-sized individuals were respectively found at sites with greater coverage of substrates with fine structure (live bottlebrush Acropora and dead bottlebrush Acropora) and coarse structure (live branching Acropora, dead branching Acropora and calcium carbonate substratum). The present study suggested that the spatial distribution of parrotfishes and groupers is not necessarily associated with the higher coverage of living corals, but positively associated with high substrate complexity. Thus, actual spatial distributional patterns of species should be considered to select candidate sites for protection and conservation for the two fish groups.

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e9666
Author(s):  
Atsushi Nanami

Coral reefs support diverse communities, and relationships among organisms within these communities are quite complex. Among the relationships, clarifying the habitat association and foraging substrate selection relative to habitat characteristics is of central importance to ecology since these two aspects are the fundamentals for survival and growth of organisms. The aims of the present study were to investigate the spatial distribution and feeding substrate selection of 14 species of butterflyfishes on an Okinawan coral reef in Japan. Species-specific spatial distributions varied with habitat characteristics (e.g., encrusting corals, massive corals, branching Acropora and rock). For feeding substrates, seven species of obligate coral polyp feeders exhibited significant positive selectivity for tabular Acropora, corymbose Acropora, encrusting corals and massive corals but significant negative selectivity for dead corals, coral rubble and rock. Among six species of facultative coral polyp feeders, two species exhibited significant positive selectivity for encrusting corals and massive corals, and one species showed significant positive selectivity for dead corals as feeding substrates. In contrast, three species exhibited no significant positive selectivity for any feeding substrates. A similar result was observed for one non-coralline invertebrate feeder. Among the 14 species, 12 species showed a relatively close relationship between spatial distribution and feeding substrates but the remaining two species did not. The present study is the first study to elucidate species-specific spatial distributions and feeding substrate selection of butterflyfishes on an Okinawan coral reef. The results of the present study suggest that diverse substrates, including various types of living corals (especially encrusting corals, massive corals, tabular Acropora, corymbose Acropora and branching Acropora) and non-coralline substrates (rock) are the primary determinants of spatial distributions and feeding sites. Thus, diverse substrates are important for maintaining high species diversity of butterflyfishes and changes of the substrates would likely change the spatial patterns and foraging behavior, although species-specific responses may be found, depending on their species-specific dependence on vulnerable substrates.


PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e6145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atsushi Nanami

Clarifying the underlying mechanisms that enable closely related species to coexist in a particular environment is a fundamental aspect of ecology. Coral reefs support a high diversity of marine organisms, among which rabbitfishes (family Siganidae) are a major component The present study aimed to reveal the mechanism that allows rabbitfishes to coexist on coral reefs in Okinawa, Japan, by investigating the spatial distributions, feeding ecologies, and behavioral interactions of four species: Siganus unimaculatus, S. virgatus, S. corallinus, and S. puellus. All four species had a size-specific spatial distribution, whereby small individuals were found in sheltered areas that were covered by branching and bottlebrush Acropora spp. and large individuals were found in both sheltered and exposed rocky areas. However, no clear species-specific spatial distribution was observed. There was some variation in the food items taken, with S. unimaculatus primarily feeding on brown foliose algae, red foliose algae, and red styloid algae, and S. virgatus and S. puellus preferring brown foliose algae and sponges, respectively. However, S. corallinus did not show any clear differences in food preferences from S. virgatus or S. unimaculatus, mainly feeding on brown foliose algae and red styloid algae. The four species exhibited differences in foraging substrate use, which was probably related to differences in their body shape characteristics: S. unimaculatus has a slender body with a remarkably protruding snout and mainly used concave substrates for feeding, whereas S. virgatus has a deeper body with a low degree of snout protrusion and mainly used convex substrates. The other two species have a low degree of snout protrusion combined with a deeper body in the case of S. corallinus and a slender body in the case of S. puellus and used concave, flat, and convex substrates to an equal degree for feeding. Behavioral interactions were categorized into “agonistic behaviors” (attack and agonistic displays) and “no interactions.” For all four species, a greater frequency of agonistic behaviors was observed when two conspecific pairs approached each other than when two heterospecific individuals encountered each other. Together, these results suggest that food item partitioning is one of the main factors enabling the coexistence of these four syntopic rabbitfish species, which is enhanced by species-specific differences in feeding substrates as a result of their different body shape and behavioral characteristics.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Kwan ◽  
Styliani Consta

Electrosprayed droplets have emerged as a new environment for accelerating chemical reactions by orders of magnitude relative to their bulk analogues. Nevertheless the reaction mechanisms are still unknown. Unraveling the ion spatial distribution is critical as to where charge transfer reactions are likely to take place and as to their effect on the ionic atmosphere of macroions. Here we investigate the ion spatial distributions in aqueous droplets with diameters in the range of 5 nm to 16 nm with and without counterions using molecular dynamics. The charge carriers are Na, Cl ions and model hydronium ions. For the first time droplet sizes that are accessible to experimental scrutiny are modeled atomistically. <br>


2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 92
Author(s):  
Jacqline Laikun ◽  
Ari B Rondonuwu ◽  
Unstain N.W.J. Rembet

The coral reefs are a sundry of marine life. Which one is reef fish in family Chaetodontidae. This fish is  indicator of the coral reef condition. The aim from the research is : discover of spatial distribution of the reef fish family Chaetodontidae and find out of the intercourse of reef fish family Chaetodontidae with the coral reef presence based on growth of coral form. The research was do in the coral reef at Marine Protected Areas in Bahoi Village District of West Likupang North Minahasa Regency, on Tuesday, December 23rd, 2014. The research is using to do the surveying method. The data is collecting distribution of the fish Chaetodontidae (amount from species and individuals to using by technic visual census). The total of reef fish family Chaetodontidae those found in Marina Protected Areas in Bahoi Village is about 20 species, with total of the individuals at a depth of 3 meters and 10 meters is (56,66 and 57,33 individuals/150m2). Keywords : Coral reefs, Chaetodontidae, Bahoi   ABSTRAK Terumbu karang merupakan tempat berbagai macam biota laut. Salah satu Ikan karang adalah ikan famili Chaetodontidae. Ikan ini merupakan ikan indikator terumbu karang. Tujuan dari penelitian ini : mengetahui kelimpahan dari ikan karang famili Chaetodontidae. Penelitian ini dilakukan di Daerah Perlindungan Laut Desa Bahoi Kecamatan Likupang Barat Kabupaten Minahasa Utara, pada hari selasa, tanggal 23 Desember 2014. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode survey. Data yang dikumpulkan adalah kelimpahan ikan Chaetodontidae (Jumlah spesies dan individu dengan menggunakan teknik sensus visual). Jumlah ikan karang famili Chaetodontidae yang di temukan di Daerah Perlindungan Laut Desa Bahoi berjumlah 20 spesies, dengan jumlah individu pada kedalaman 3 meter dan 10 meter berjumlah (56,66 individu/150m2 dan 57,33/150m2 individu). Kata kunci : Terumbu karang, Chaetodontidae, Bahoi 1Bagian dari skripsi 2Mahasiswa Program Studi Manajemen Sumberdaya Perairan FPIK-UNSRAT 3Staf pengajar Fakultas Perikanan dan Ilmu Kelautan Universitas Sam Ratulangi


2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (7) ◽  
pp. 1137-1143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dean G McCurdy ◽  
J Sherman Boates ◽  
Mark R Forbes

We studied the spatial distributions of mud snails (Ilyanassa obsoleta) infected by two trematodes, Lepocreadium setiferoides and Gynaecotyla adunca, on a macrotidal mudflat in the Minas Basin, Bay of Fundy. Snails, as first intermediate hosts, were castrated by both parasites, and we found no evidence of sex differences in parasitism. Similar to previous work, prevalence of L. setiferoides in I. obsoleta increased exponentially with host size (and age). Unexpectedly, prevalence of G. adunca decreased over the largest size classes of snails, a result that may be due to several causes. Distributions of both parasites across the intertidal zone differed from previous accounts in that snails infected with L. setiferoides were found only in the middle of the intertidal zone, whereas prevalence of G. adunca increased exponentially moving seaward. Several species of polychaetes could be infected by L. setiferoides in the laboratory and may act as appropriate second intermediate hosts, whereas only the amphipod Corophium volutator served as a second intermediate host for G. adunca. Finally, the vertical distributions of I. obsoleta infected by either species of trematode overlap with distributions of apparent or known second intermediate hosts.


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