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Effects of a Predatory Site-Attached Fish on Abundance and Body Size of Early Post-Settled Reef Fishes from Gorgona Island, Colombia

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Effects of a Predatory Site-Attached Fish on Abundance and Body Size of Early Post-Settled Reef Fishes from Gorgona Island, Colombia proceedings 9" International Coral Reef Symposium, Bali, Indonesia 23-27 October 2000, Vol. 1 Effects of a predatory site-attached fish on abundance and body size of early post-settled reef fishes from Gorgona Island, Colombia C. Moral32and F.A. Zapatal ABSTRACT The effects of predation on early post-settlement stages of reef fishes were examined by comparing abundance and body size of fishes settled on standard coral units (SCU) with and without individuals of the small grouper Serranus psittacinus. Because of the strong site-attached behavior of this predator, adults of S. psittacinus remained associated with SCUs allowing an accurate control of its presence. Three of six analyzed species settled in lower abundance on SCUs with the predator, while the abundance of the remaining three species did not differ between experimental and control SCUs. In some cases the lower settlement in the predator treatment was due to predation by S. psittacinus, but in others such pattern can be explained by the avoidance of microhabitats with predators by settling larvae and by the simultaneous effect of S. psittacinus and transient predators. The absence of predatory effects on settler abundance of the remaining three species can be explained by anti-predatory traits (e.g. venomous fin spines, body toxins, and cryptic appearance). Because adaptations in morphology and behavior to avoid predation are common among reef fishes, predation as a factor controlling population replenishment, local abundance, and community structure of reef fishes cannot be suggested as a general rule. Conspecific juveniles of S. psittacinus had a larger body size in the predator treatment supporting the "bigger is better" hypothesis. However, because most species exhibited low levels of variability in body size, size-dependent predation generally would have little effect on survivorship. Keywords Reef fishes, Predation, Serranus psittacinus, by frequent selective removals of predators on reefs Post-settlement, Abundance, Body size (Hixon 1991). However, results based on either cages or predator removals are often biased. It has been found that Introduction cages may produce artifacts that cannot be separated from predatory effects. For instance, exclusion of herbivores on Most marine reef fishes have a complex life cycle that caged sites leads to differences in food supply, and includes a pelagic larval stage and a benthic adult phase. therefore, at least two possible factors (differences in food At the end of planktonic life, larvae settle onto reefs and and predation) could explain any difference among recruit into the benthic population. Thus, most reef fish treatments (See Doherty and Sale 1985, Steele 1996, populations are replenished by the supply of larvae from Connell 1997 for problems associated with cage the plankton (Caley et al. 1996). The importance of this experiments). On the other hand, experiments with supply in driving population dynamics has been widely predator removals have presented problems such as recognized (reviewed by Doherty 1991). However, it is insufficient isolation of experimental reefs (Caley 1993), not clear whether the major contribution to population uncontrolled manipulations (Shpigel and Fishelson 1991) dynamics is due to the supply of settlement-stage larvae and high variance in predator abundance (Beets 1997). or to losses shortly after settlement. Recently, it has been Hence, predation as a process potentially affecting considered that the short period after settlement is a populations and structuring communities of reef fishes critical time for the survival of newly settled fishes has not been fully explored. (Hixon 199 1, Kaufman et al. 1992, Schmitt and Holbrook One of the most important aspects in the study of 1999). In fact, between 30% and 78% of settled predation is how particular traits enhance the survival individuals can disappear within the fxst few days after probability of certain individuals in the same local settlement (Doherty and Sale 1985, Victor 1986, Booth population. A current paradigm for temperate marine 1991). Although these high rates of mortality have been fishes is that predation on early larval stages is often largely attributed to predation, there are few experimental dependent on body size. The most common view is that data that demonstrate that this is the case. This is larger individuals are les vulnerable to predation because particularly problematic given that other processes are they are better able to escape from predators. However, a also plausible (e.g. parasitism - Minchella and Scott 1991 contrasting view suggests that smaller larvae are and diseases - Schmale 1991). inconspicuous to predators and therefore less susceptible Progress in the study of predation on reef fishes has to predation (see Litvak and Legget 1992, Sogard 1997 been largely inhibited by logistical problems associated for reviews). In addition to these contradictory view, rapid with manipulating predators. To date, experimental development of the muscular and sensory systems during information of predation on coral reef fishes has been the larval pahase limits the extension of these studies to obtained through the use of cages to exclude predators or later life-history stage. Also taxonomic differences 1 Dept. of Biology, Universidad del Valle, Apartado Akreo 25360, Cali, Colombia * Present address: Dept. of Biology, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4 Canada. E-mail: moracamilo@,hotmail.com 475 between temperate and tropical reef fishes restrict the to build and manipulate (Sweatman 1983, Jones 1987, extrapolation of these views to tropical reef fishes. At the Forrester 1990). A SCU consists of an iron rod driven into time of settlement body size could effect survival in the sand which supports 2 or 3 pieces of dead P~cillopor~ different ways. For example, smaller fishes can find sp. Tied together with fishing line to form an irregularly refuge more easily than larger ones. Larger fish, on the spherical colony of about 0,40 m diameter suspended - other hand, could escape from predators more easily than 0.2 m above the sand. Six SCUs were built and located 20 sn~allerones because of their stronger swimming abilities m a apart form each other and 1000 m away from the or. alternatively, because of a predator's inability to prey nearest reef. On each of three haphazardly selected SCUs upon fish beyond a certain body size. we placed an adult of S. psittacinus (total legth 6.3 cm In this study we circumvent the logistical constraints f0.7 cm) collected with manual nets on natural reefs. The facing previous studies of predation by transplanting other there SCUs remained without a predator and were adults of a small site attached predator (Serranus used as experimental controls. All fishes settled on the p.sitr~rcitius)onto isolated standard coral units. Because of SCUs were removed every other day between May 10 and its site-attached behavior, individuals of these species July 10, 1998. To remove the new settlers a 2x2 m piece were not able to leave experimental units allowing us to of nylon net (2 mm mesh) was spread around the base of appropriately manipulate predators abundance. The the holding rod, raised and wrapped around the colony confinement of predator to small areas is not a problem in trapping all individuals. The net with the colony was this study because of the small size of S.psittacinus and taken to a boat on the surface, where settlers were because it naturally inhabits isolates sall areas. Once we manually removed, counted, and measured. After removal had manipulated the abundance of S.psittacinus, our aim each colony was returned to it's the iron rod on the was to assess its effects on abundance and body size of bottom. In the case of predator-present-SCUs, the process newly settled reef fishes. of removal was quicker and the predator an ther the colony were returned to their location in <5 min. When Material and methods the S.psittacinus adult was placed in it an the corresponding data were not included in the analysis. Study size During the 60 days of our manipulations a total of 30 replicate experiment were carried out. Data from each This study was done at Gorgona Island (2O58'10''N, SCU were considered as sub-replicates within treatment 78'1 1'05"W) on the southern Colombian Pacific coast or control conditions in each replicate observation. A (see Gylnn et a1.1982 for a detailed description of the predator-present sub-replicates was considered valid only study area). Gorgona's reefs are among the most if the predator was present at the time of sampling. Only developed and diverse in the eastern pacific and contain a replicate experiment with 2 two valid predator-present representative sample of the reef fish fauna from this sub-replicates were considered in the analysis. Only 26 region (Zapata and Moralez 1997). The experiment was replicate experiments met this condition (i.e. out of 90 carried out on the eastern coast of Gorgona in a uniform [experiments x 3 SCUs] possible predator-present sub sandy bottom location isolated from natural reefs for at replicates, 58 had the predator at the time of sampling). least 1 km and with a depth of 3-4 m at low tide. Therefore, four complete replicate experiments were excluded from the analysis - Study species The predatory fish used in this study was the grouper Data analysis Serrcrnus psittflcinus. It is small carnivore(l1 cm Our aim in this study was to determine the effect of maximum total length), widely distributed in the tropical predation on (1) abundance (number of individuals) and eastern Pacific (Allen and Robertson 1994). and common (2) body sized (standard length) of newly-settled reef on Gorgona's reefs (Zapata and Morales 1997). S. fishes. We used a one-way analysis of variance to psittrrcirirrs is a recognized predator that preys upon small compare treatment (predator present) with control fishes and invertebrates (Allen and Robertson 1994).
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