Page 1 ,0 • , • .. ' • .. " . • COMMUNITY STRUCTURE of SHALLOW
, .. ". ,• ., • / .. ' ." • COMMUNITY STRUCTURE OF SHALLOW-WATER OPHIUROIDEA. ,0 • " . , 1 • • , " ,of,. , . \ , .... " .. / .. ,<1' • , "" :.,..>'--- ~ . ".. \ • McGill Un.wersi ty COMMUNITY STRIJC'ruP.E OF SHALLOW-WATER OPHIUROIDEA 1 OF BARaADOS, WEST Il-.'DIES. ~by \ Richard D. Bray , -' ~ , , • :,,' \ A thesis sub~itted to the faculty of Graduate Studies and ~. Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements """S " for the degree ~of Master of Science in the Marine Sciences Centre J Montreal, Quebec March, f975 ,", - '.. ,i . ", . ® Richard D. Bray 1975 :"t' • ABSTRACT , , This study investigated the ~unity structure of cryptic, coral reef d~ell1n9 oph1uroids in terrns vf habitat, species com- po~ition, abundance, and species diversity patterns. Three s~ ~ ling sites were examined and compared~ f~ging reef, shallow " rubble zone, and outer reef bank. A total of 27 species from 10 families was collected from the three sites. Eleven of these spe cies were additions to the reported ophiurdid fauna of Bariados ,,1 and the other islands of the Windward group. On the fringing reef four habitat types were distinguished: 1) sand or limèstone platform/ 2) reef area with greater than 50\ living coral coverage, 3) reet area with less than 50\ living coral . ~overage, and 4) rubble. There was an increase in species d1versity and a decrease in mean ophiuroid density with decreasing spatial heterogeneity. It was observed that the dominant reef ophiuroids vere suspension feeders, rather than bottOM, detritus f~eders. Most brittle-star species were generalfstsjn their choice of substrate. / a&: aSJ .- CI • ......;' .- ~., . .....~ ,> '.\ , '" { RESUME Cette étude porte sur la structure oes communautés d'ophiures ~ryptiques habitant les récifs de coraux: niches écologiques, com position des.
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