Predation effects on early post-settlement survivorship of coral- reef fishes

Abstract

Resident piscivorous fishes (moray eels (Muraenidae), large squirrelfishes (Holocentridae), groupers (Serranidae) and snappers (Lutjanidae)) were removed from three of six isolated patch reefs of living coral near Lee Stocking Island, Bahamas, in 1992. All six reefs were then seeded with natural densities of newly settled recruits of three species: Chromis cyanea (blue chromis, Pomacentridae), Halichoeres pictus (rainbow wrasse, Labridae), and Thalassoma bifasciatum (bluehead wrasse, Labridae). Resident predators are shown to substantially alter the local density and size structure of reef fishes shortly after they settle from the plankton. Because piscivores differentially affected the survivorship of different species, predation may also influence the structure of reef-fish communities by altering the relative abundances of prey species established at the time of settlement. -from Authors