Assessing early recruitment dynamics and its demographic consequences among tropical reef fishes: Accommodating variation in recruitment seasonally and longevity

Abstract When settlement of pelagic juveniles of reef fishes is highly and predictably seasonal, annual, end-of-season surveys of surviving recruits (which are commonly used on the Great Barrier Reef) are useful for assessing recruitment dynamics and their demographic effects. However, when settlement is continuous or weakly seasonal, with patterns that vary both between species and within species among years, regular, sometimes year-round, recruitment surveys at intervals linked to short-term settlement dynamics are needed to quantify fluctuations in recruitment strength. Monthly recruitment surveys may be appropriate in the tropical northwest Atlantic, where settlement is often both lunar periodic, and broadly and variably seasonal. Use of a variety of recruit-census methods impedes comparisons of recruitment patterns and their demographic effects, because recruit densities and recruit:adult ratios cannot be directly compared when recruits (because they have widely varying post-settlement ages) have experienced very different levels of early post-settlement mortality. Examining the relationship between changes in adult populations and annual, end-of-season recruitment may be satisfactory for long-lived species with strong settlement seasonality and maturation times of approximately 1 year. However, it is inappropriate for short-lived, rapidly maturing species, particularly those that have broad and variable settlement seasons and whose populations fluctuate substantially throughout the year in response to short-term fluctuations in recruitment. Comparisons of demographic effects of recruitment among species with different longevity require the use of non-arbitrary time scales, such as the time to maturity and the adult half-life.     

Vertical zonation of coral reef fishes in the Sudanese Red Sea

The vertical zonation of 38 species of fish inhabiting coral reefs in the Sudanese Red Sea is described. A marked degree of vertical zonation of the fishes is shown to exist. The usefulness of a depth oriented survey method for studying reef fish is discussed in relation to these results.General relationships between vertical zonation and species diversity are noted.     

Trophic structure patterns of Brazilian reef fishes: a latitudinal comparison

Aim To investigate how reef fish trophic structure responds to latitudinal changes, using a simple model: the extensive Brazilian coast. Location Six Brazilian tropical and subtropical coral and rocky coastal reefs, and the oceanic island of Atol das Rocas, between latitudes 0° and 27° S. Methods Underwater visual census data collected by the authors (five locations) or obtained from the literature (two locations) were used to estimate the relative abundance of 123 fish species belonging to 33 reef‐associated families. Cryptic species were excluded from the analysis. Fishes were grouped in eight trophic categories: roving herbivores, territorial herbivores, mobile invertebrate feeders, sessile invertebrate feeders, omnivores, planktivores, piscivores and carnivores. After a series of detailed predictions based on phylogeny, physiological constraints and anthropogenic impacts was established, the community trophic structure was analysed along a latitudinal gradient and among coastal, mid‐shore and oceanic sites. Results The trophic structure of Brazilian reef fish assemblages clearly changed with latitude. Roving herbivores such as scarids and acanthurids were proportionally more abundant at low latitudes. The browsing herbivores kyphosids followed an opposite latitudinal pattern. The parrotfish genus Sparisoma, more plastic in its feeding habits than Scarus, presented wider distribution. The relative abundance of territorial herbivores did not decrease towards higher latitudes. Mobile invertebrate feeders were the most important (in low latitudes) or the second most important trophic guild (in high latitudes) at all coastal sites. Sessile invertebrate feeders did not show any clear latitudinal trend, despite an expected increase in abundance towards low latitudes. Omnivores dominated high latitude reefs (27° S) and planktivores the oceanic island Atol das Rocas. Piscivores and carnivores were proportionally better represented in high latitudes. Main conclusions Latitudinal patterns seem to be influenced by phylogeny, physiological constraints (mainly related to temperature), and also by anthropogenic impacts. Grazing scarids and acanthurids are largely restricted to tropical reefs and show an abrupt decline beyond 23° S. This does not reflect the amount of algae present, but probably temperature‐dependent physiological constraints. Other herbivores seem to overcome this through symbiotic microbial digestive processes (kyphosids), manipulating the structure of algal turfs or increasing animal protein from within the territory (pomacentrids). Omnivores dominate the southern sites Arraial do Cabo and Arvoredo, being more adapted to environment constraints related to seasonal and/or stochastic shifts. Large carnivores (including piscivores) extend farther into high‐latitude habitats, apparently not constrained by thermal thresholds that limit the herbivores. Overfishing and/or ornamental harvesting certainly has been modifying local fish communities, but could not be detected properly at the large‐scale patterns found in this study. The data presented put in evidence for the first time how reef fish trophic structure behave in the extensive south‐western Atlantic latitudinal gradient.     

A comparative study of cleaning activity of two reef fishes at Fernando de Noronha Archipelago,tropical West Atlantic

Cleaner fishes are usually classified as obligate or facultative cleaners according to their diet and the extent to which their nutritional requirements in the different ontogenetic stages are gained from cleaning. While obligate cleaners clean throughout their lives and ingest mainly food taken from the clients’ body surface, facultative cleaners clean only as juveniles and have a broader diet. In addition, some facultative cleaners may experience a relatively higher predation risk, and thus rarely interact with piscivorous fishes. Despite these acknowledged differences, there are very few studies that compare cleaning activity of obligate and facultative cleaners within the same area. Cleaning activity of the obligate cleaner goby Elacatinus cf. randalli and the facultative cleaner wrasse Thalassoma noronhanum were comparatively examined at Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, tropical West Atlantic. The client assemblage attended by the two cleaners differed, as the goby attended a slightly greater diversity of species (22), mostly piscivores and zoobenthivores, and the wrasse attended fewer species (19), mostly planktivores. Chromis multilineata was the most common client species of both cleaners, although body size (which is expected to be positively correlated to clients’ ectoparasite load) of C. multilineata individuals attended by the goby was larger than that of the individuals attended by the wrasse. Despite such differences, T. noronhanum showed a surprisingly species-rich client assemblage when compared with other cleaners of the genus Thalassoma. In addition, the frequency and time spent on cleaning interactions, as well as the number of client species attended per 10-min period, was similar for both cleaner species, which indicate that they have important yet complimentary ecological roles in the reef community at Fernando de Noronha Archipelago.     

Freshwater fishes of northern South America: a need for field guides

The efficient collection of fishes from structurally complex environments (e.g., coral reefs, kelp forests) is difficult because conventional collecting methods generally cannot be used and many of the fishes are mobile and active. We describe the design, operation, and application of a diver-propelled net for efficiently collecting many species of benthic fish that reside on coral reefs and on kelp-forested rocky reefs. The overall size of the net and mesh size of the netting can be adjusted according to the size and behavior of targeted species to minimize drag and damage to specimens. Altering these dimensions combined with proper use of the net can result in a high rate of capture success. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Non‐reef habitats in a tropical seascape affect density and biomass of fishes on coral reefs

Nonreef habitats such as mangroves, seagrass, and macroalgal beds are important for foraging, spawning, and as nursery habitat for some coral reef fishes. The spatial configuration of nonreef habitats adjacent to coral reefs can therefore have a substantial influence on the distribution and composition of reef fish. We investigate how different habitats in a tropical seascape in the Philippines influence the presence, density, and biomass of coral reef fishes to understand the relative importance of different habitats across various spatial scales. A detailed seascape map generated from satellite imagery was combined with field surveys of fish and benthic habitat on coral reefs. We then compared the relative importance of local reef (within coral reef) and adjacent habitat (habitats in the surrounding seascape) variables for coral reef fishes. Overall, adjacent habitat variables were as important as local reef variables in explaining reef fish density and biomass, despite being fewer in number in final models. For adult and juvenile wrasses (Labridae), and juveniles of some parrotfish taxa (Chlorurus), adjacent habitat was more important in explaining fish density and biomass. Notably, wrasses were positively influenced by the amount of sand and macroalgae in the adjacent seascape. Adjacent habitat metrics with the highest relative importance were sand (positive), macroalgae (positive), and mangrove habitats (negative), and fish responses to these metrics were consistent across fish groups evaluated. The 500‐m spatial scale was selected most often in models for seascape variables. Local coral reef variables with the greatest importance were percent cover of live coral (positive), sand (negative), and macroalgae (mixed). Incorporating spatial metrics that describe the surrounding seascape will capture more holistic patterns of fish–habitat relationships on reefs. This is important in regions where protection of reef fish habitat is an integral part of fisheries management but where protection of nonreef habitats is often overlooked.     

Movement patterns of catfishes (Ariidae) in a tropical semi‐arid estuary

From December 2005 to November 2006, 216 samples were taken from the main channel of the Goiana Estuary, representing a total sampled area of 23 ha. Ariidae species were the most abundant in density (1600 individuals ha^?1, 53%) and biomass (18 813 g ha^?1, 63%). Cathorops spixii was the most abundant in density (1340 individuals ha^?1) and biomass (14 203 g ha^?1). The variables: number of species, total density and biomass, showed significant interactions between the factors of areas and seasons (P < 0·01). The highest total density (7394 individuals ha^?1) and biomass (70 292 g ha^?1) occurred in the middle and upper estuaries, respectively, during the early‐rainy season. The density of C. spixii differed significantly between areas and seasons (P < 0·01), while Cathorops agassizii differed significantly only between seasons (P < 0·01). The biomass differed significantly for the species C. spixii, C. agassizii and Sciades herzbergii between seasons, and C. spixii and C. agassizii between areas. Also, the density and biomass of C. spixii and C. agassizii showed interaction between areas and seasons. Only the biomass of S. herzbergii showed interaction between areas and seasons (P < 0·01). This indicates that seasonal variations influenced the distribution of Ariidae species in the different areas of the Goiana Estuary. Moreover, canonical correspondence analysis highlighted a strongly significant correlation (P < 0·01) between the seasonal variations of the environmental gradients (salinity and water temperature) and distribution of catfishes. The management and conservation of estuaries should take into account the life cycle of these species in different estuarine areas and hydrological seasons.     

Diurnal temporal patterns of the diversity and the abundance of reef fishes in a branching coral patch in New Caledonia

Small‐scale spatial and temporal variability in animal abundance is an intrinsic characteristic of marine ecosystems but remains largely unknown for most animals, including coral reef fishes. In this study, we used a remote autonomous unbaited video system and recorded reef fish assemblages during daylight hours, 10 times a day for 34 consecutive days in a branching coral patch of the lagoon of New Caledonia. In total, 50 031 fish observations belonging to 114 taxa, 66 genera and 31 families were recorded in 256 recorded videos. Carnivores and herbivore‐detritus feeders dominated the trophic structure. We found significant variations in the composition of fish assemblages between times of day. Taxa richness and fish abundance were greater in the early morning and in the late afternoon than during the day. Fourteen taxa displayed well‐defined temporal patterns in abundance with one taxon influenced by time of day, six influenced by tidal state and seven influenced by both time of day and tidal state. None of these 14 taxa were piscivores, 10 were herbivore‐detritus feeders, three were carnivores and one was plankton feeder. Our results suggest a diel migration from feeding grounds to shelter areas and highlight the importance of taking into account small‐scale temporal variability in animal diversity and abundance when studying connectivity between habitats and monitoring communities.     

Influence of latitude, water depth, day v. night and wet v. dry periods on the species composition of reef fish communities in tropical Western Australia

Trap sampling over reefs in deep (mean = 20 m) and shallow (mean = 10 m) waters along c. 1500 km of coastline in tropical north‐western Australia during both day and night and in wet and dry periods yielded 23 377 fishes, representing 32 families, 58 genera and 119 species. Individuals of the Serranidae, Lutjanidae, Lethrinidae and Carangidae contributed 88·9% to the total catch. The ichthyofaunal compositions of the Kimberley, Canning and Pilbara bioregions were relatively discrete. Species composition was influenced far more by location (latitude) than by water depth, period and time of day, and underwent a gradational change southwards. The latter change reflected differences in the trends exhibited by the relative abundances of certain species with increasing latitude and the confinement of other species largely to particular regions. The three most abundant species, i.e. Lethrinus sp. 3, Lutjanus carponotatus and Lethrinus laticaudis contributed 34·8, 20·8 and 11·6% to the total catch, respectively. The first species was rarely recorded in the two most northern locations and was abundant in the four most southern locations, whereas the last two species were relatively more abundant in northern than in southern locations. Lutjanus bitaeniatus and Lutjanus johnii were found exclusively at the two locations in the Kimberley region, whereas Abalistes stellatus, Pentapodus emeryii and Lethrinus nebulosus were not caught in this region but were found in both locations of the Canning and Pilbara regions. The species composition in deep and shallow waters at each location almost invariably differed significantly between day and night and between dry and wet periods, with species such as L. bitaeniatus, L. johnii, Lutjanus sebae and A. stellatus being more abundant over deep reefs, whereas L. carponotatus, L. laticaudis, Siganus fuscescens and Lethrinus lentjan were more numerous over shallow reefs. Species such as L. johnii and Lethrinus atkinsoni were relatively more important in night‐time than daytime catches, whereas the reverse applied to Lethrinus lentjan, L. laticaudis and Choerodon cyanodus. Lethrinus sp. 3 and L. laticaudis were relatively more important in catches during the dry than wet period.     

Connectivity,persistence, and loss of high abundance areas of a recovering marine fish population in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean

In the early 1990s, the Northwest Atlantic Ocean underwent a fisheries‐driven ecosystem shift. Today, the iconic cod (Gadus morhua) remains at low levels, while Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) has been increasing since the mid‐2000s, concomitant with increasing interest from the fishing industry. Currently, our knowledge about halibut ecology is limited, and the lack of recovery in other collapsed groundfish populations has highlighted the danger of overfishing local concentrations. Here, we apply a Bayesian hierarchical spatiotemporal approach to model the spatial structure of juvenile Atlantic halibut over 36 years and three fisheries management regimes using three model parameters to characterize the resulting spatiotemporal abundance structure: persistence (similarity of spatial structure over time), connectivity (coherence of temporal pattern over space), and spatial variance (variation across the seascape). Two areas of high juvenile abundance persisted through three decades whereas two in the northeast are now diminished, despite the increased abundance and landings throughout the management units. The persistent areas overlap with full and seasonal area closures, which may act as refuges from fishing. Connectivity was estimated to be 250 km, an order of magnitude less than the distance assumed by the definition of the Canadian management units (~2,000 km). The underlying question of whether there are distinct populations within the southern stock unit cannot be answered with this model, but the smaller ~250 km scale of coherent temporal patterns suggests more complex population structure than previously thought, which should be taken into consideration by fishery management.     

热带大西洋黄鳍金枪鱼垂直分布空间分析

为了解热带大西洋黄鳍金枪鱼(Thunnus albacares)延绳钓适宜渔获水温的等温线时空分布,分析黄鳍适宜的垂直和水平空间分布范围,采用Argo浮标剖面温度数据重构热带大西洋13℃和距海洋表层水温8℃(Δ8℃)的月平均等温线场,网格化计算了13℃和Δ8℃等温线深度值和温跃层下界深度差,并结合大西洋金枪鱼会委员(International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas ICCAT)的黄鳍金枪鱼延绳钓渔业数据,绘制了13℃和Δ8℃等温线深度与月平均CPUE的空间叠加图,用于分析热带大西洋黄鳍金枪鱼中心渔场单位捕捞努力渔获量(Catch per unit effort CPUE)时空分布和次表层环境季节性变化关系。结果表明,13℃等温线,在高值CPUE出现的海域深度值大多小于250 m,主要在170—249 m,深度值超过250 m的海域CPUE普遍较小。5°S—9°N区域,Δ8℃等温线高值CPUE出现的海域深度值大多小于150 m,主要在50—139 m;7—10月份在南半球的非洲西海岸,在Δ8℃等温线深度值为150—350 m的海域也会出现中心渔场。全年在低纬度区域,高渔获率的垂直分布深度更加集中。13℃等温线影响热带大西洋黄鳍金枪鱼的空间分布,温跃层下界温度影响黄鳍金枪鱼的垂直分布。采用频次分析和经验累积分布函数计算其适宜次表层环境因子分布,13℃等温线180—240 m;Δ8℃等温线50—139 m;与下界深度差:13℃等温线-70—29 m;海表以下8℃等温线30—149 m。文章初步得出热带大西洋黄鳍金枪鱼适宜的水平、垂直深度分布区间。结果可以辅助渔情预报,为热带大西洋黄鳍金枪鱼实际生产作业和资源管理提供参考依据。     

Extreme climatic events reduce ocean productivity and larval supply in a tropical reef ecosystem

Increasing ocean temperatures due to global warming are predicted to have negative effects on coral reef fishes. El Niño events are associated with elevated water temperatures at large spatial (1000s of km) and temporal (annual) scales, providing environmental conditions that enable temperature effects on reef fishes to be tested directly. We compared remote sensing data of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies, surface current flow and chlorophyll‐a (Chl‐a) concentration with monthly patterns in larval supply of coral reef fishes in nearshore waters around Rangiroa Atoll (French Polynesia) from January 1996 to March 2000. This time included an intense El Niño (April 1997–May 1998) event between two periods of La Niña (January–March 1996 and August 1998–March 2000) conditions. There was a strong relationship between the timing of the El Niño event, current flow, ocean productivity (as measured by Chl‐a) and larval supply. In the warm conditions of the event, there was an increase in the SST anomaly index up to 3.5 °C above mean values and a decrease in the strength of the westward surface current toward the reef. These conditions coincided with low concentrations of Chl‐a (mean: 0.06 mg m^?3, SE ± 0.004) and a 51% decline in larval supply from mean values. Conversely, during strong La Niña conditions when SST anomalies were almost 2 °C below mean values and there was a strong westward surface current, Chl‐a concentration was 150% greater than mean values and larval supply was 249% greater. A lag in larval supply suggested that productivity maybe affecting both the production of larvae by adults and larval survival. Our results suggest that warming temperatures in the world's oceans will have negative effects on the reproduction of reef fishes and survival of their larvae within the plankton, ultimately impacting on the replenishment of benthic populations.     

New records of coastal fishes in the northern Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, with comments on the biogeography of the south-western Atlantic Ocean

The distribution limits in the Atlantic of Callorhinchus callorynchus (Callorhinchidae) and Odontesthes argentinensis (Atherinopsidae) are extended northwards to 22° 22' S and 22° 31' S, respectively, whereas that of Lile piquitinga (Clupeidae) is extended southwards to 22° 22' S. Their occurrence in the north of Rio de Janeiro State is discussed. Remarks on the osteology of O. argentinensis, and morphometric and meristic data of L. piquitinga, are also provided.     

Ecological biogeography of cephalopod molluscs in the Atlantic Ocean: historical and contemporary causes of coastal diversity patterns

Aim One of the most recognized ecological paradigms on earth is the increase in species richness from the poles towards the equator. Here we undertake a comprehensive survey of the latitudinal gradients of species richness (LGSR) of coastal cephalopod fauna in the western (WA) and eastern margins (EA) of the Atlantic Ocean, and test climate and non‐climate theories to explain the variation in diversity. Location The coastal Atlantic Ocean. Methods The diversity and geographical ranges of coastal cephalopods were investigated by means of an exhaustive survey of the primary literature, reports and on‐line data bases. In order to test the productivity, ambient energy and area hypotheses, we investigated the relationship between diversity and net primary production (NPP), sea surface temperature (SST; measure of solar energy input) and continental shelf area, respectively. Results LGSR of cephalopod molluscs are present at both Atlantic coasts, but are quite distinct from each other. Historical processes (rise of the Central American Isthmus, formation of ‘Mare Lago’ and glaciations) explained much of the shape and the zenith of LGSR. Contemporary climate and non‐climate variables also each explained over 83% and 50% of the richness variation in WA and EA, respectively, and the best fitted models accounted for > 92% of the variance. By combining latitude with depth a strong Rapoport effect was observed in WA but not in EA. Main conclusions Besides the evolutionary history, we demonstrate that the contemporary environmental gradients (SST and NPP), shelf area and extent of coral habitat can predict many of the diversity patterns. The longitudinal difference in Rapoport's bathymetric rule is attributed to western fauna specialization to shallow coral reef habitats and greater ecological tolerance of eastern fauna to upwelling ecosystem dynamics. A combined approach of historical biogeography and species–area–energy theories was essential to fully understand broad‐scale variation in cephalopod biodiversity.     

Isolation by distance and vicariance drive genetic structure of a coral reef fish in the Pacific Ocean

We studied the genetic diversity of a coral reef fish species to investigate the origin of the differentiation. A total of 727 Acanthurus triostegus collected from 15 locations throughout the Pacific were analyzed for 20 polymorphic loci. The genetic structure showed limited internal disequilibrium within each population; 3.7% of the loci showed significant Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium, mostly associated with Adh*, and we subsequently removed this locus from further analysis of geographic pattern. The genetic structure of A. triostegus throughout the tropical Pacific Ocean revealed a strong geographic pattern. Overall, there was significant population differentiation (multilocus F(ST) = 0.199), which was geographically structured according to bootstraps of neighbor-joining analysis on Nei's unbiased genetic distances and AMOVA analysis. The genetic structure revealed five geographic groups in the Pacific Ocean: western Pacific (Guam, Philippines, Palau, and Great Barrier Reef); central Pacific (Solomons, New Caledonia, and Fiji); and three groups made up of the eastern populations, namely Hawaiian Archipelago (north), Marquesas (equatorial), and southern French Polynesia (south) that incorporates Clipperton Island located in the northeastern Pacific. In addition, heterozygosity values were found to be geographically structured with higher values grouped within Polynesian and Clipperton populations, which exhibited lower population size. Finally, the genetic differentiation (F(ST)) was significantly correlated with geographic distance when populations from the Hawaiian and Marquesas archipelagos were separated from all the other locations. These results show that patterns of differentiation vary within the same species according to the spatial scale, with one group probably issued from vicariance, whereas the other followed a pattern of isolation by distance. The geographic pattern for A. triostegus emphasizes the diversity of the evolutionary processes that lead to the present genetic structure with some being more influential in certain areas or according to a particular spatial scale.