Effects of juvenile coral-feeding butterflyfishes on host corals

Corals provide critical settlement habitat for a wide range of coral reef fishes, particularly corallivorous butterflyfishes, which not only settle directly into live corals but also use this coral as an exclusive food source. This study examines the consequences of chronic predation by juvenile coral-feeding butterflyfishes on their specific host corals. Juvenile butterflyfishes had high levels of site fidelity for host corals with 88% (38/43) of small (<30 mm) juveniles of Chaetodon plebeius feeding exclusively from a single host colony. This highly concentrated predation had negative effects on the condition of these colonies, with tissue biomass declining with increasing predation intensity. Declines were consistent across both field observations and a controlled experiment. Coral tissue biomass declined by 26.7, 44.5 and 53.4% in low, medium and high predation intensity treatments. Similarly, a 41.7% difference in coral tissue biomass was observed between colonies that were naturally inhabited by juvenile butterflyfish compared to uninhabited control colonies. Total lipid content of host corals declined by 29–38% across all treatments including controls and was not related to predation intensity; rather, this decline coincided with the mass spawning of corals and the loss of lipid-rich eggs. Although the speed at which lost coral tissue is regenerated and the long-term consequences for growth and reproduction remain unknown, our findings indicate that predation by juvenile butterflyfishes represents a chronic stress to these coral colonies and will have negative energetic consequences for the corals used as settlement habitat.     

Predators reduce abundance and species richness of coral reef fish recruits via non-selective predation

Predators have important effects on coral reef fish populations, but their effects on community structure have only recently been investigated and are not yet well understood. Here, the effect of predation on the diversity and abundance of young coral reef fishes was experimentally examined in Moorea, French Polynesia. Effects of predators were quantified by monitoring recruitment of fishes onto standardized patch reefs in predator-exclosure cages or uncaged reefs. At the end of the 54-day experiment, recruits were 74% less abundant on reefs exposed to predators than on caged ones, and species richness was 42% lower on reefs exposed to predators. Effects of predators varied somewhat among families, however, rarefaction analysis indicated that predators foraged non-selectively among species. These results indicate that predation can alter diversity of reef fish communities by indiscriminately reducing the abundance of fishes soon after settlement, thereby reducing the number of species present on reefs.     

A key phase in the recruitment dynamics of coral reef fishes: post-settlement transition

Synopsis Recent studies of recruitment dynamics in demersal fishes have placed major emphasis on presettlement mortality, and little on events bridging late larval and early juvenile periods. Observations on 68 taxa of Caribbean coral reef fishes before and during settlement revealed the existence of a distinct post-settlement life phase called the transition juvenile, associated with the act of recruitment. Transition juveniles were found as solitary individuals, in conspecific groups, or in heterospecific groups. The groups were either uniform or heterogenous in appearance. The complexity of the transition phase and its apparently widespread occurrence in coral reef fishes suggests that important aspects of population structure may be determined between settlement and first appearance as a full-fledged juvenile.     

Population Dynamics and Spatial Distribution of Coral Reef Fishes: Comparison Between Continuous and Isolated Habitats

Recent studies have shown that there are high degrees of spatial and temporal stability in coral reef fish assemblage structures in a continuous habitat, in contrast to results of observations in isolated habitats. In order to determine the reason for the difference in temporal stability of fish assemblage structures in a continuous habitat site and an isolated habitat site, population dynamics and spatial distributions of coral reef fishes (six species of pomacentrids and two species of apogonids) in the two habitat site were investigated over a 2-year period in an Okinawan coral reef. The population densities of pomacentrid and apogonid species increased in juvenile settlement periods at both sites, but the magnitude of seasonal fluctuation in population density was significantly greater at the isolated habitat site, indicating that the rate of juvenile settlement and mortality rate in the isolated habitat were greater than those in the continuous habitat. The magnitude of aggregation of fishes, which affects density-dependent biological interactions that modify population density such as competition and predation, was also significantly greater at the isolated habitat site, especially in the juvenile settlement season. Most of the fishes at the isolated habitat site exhibited more generalized patterns of microhabitat selection because of less coral coverage and diversity. The seasonal stability in the species composition of fishes was greater at the continuous habitat site than that at the isolated habitat. Our findings suggest that the relative importance of various ecological factors responsible for regulation of the population density of coral reef fishes (e.g., competition, predation, microhabitat selection and post-settlement movement) in a continuous habitat site and the isolated habitat site are different.     

The influence of flood cycle and fish predation on invertebrate production on a restored California floodplain

Although floodplains are known to be tightly controlled by the flood cycle, we know comparatively little about how flooding influences predators and their consumption of secondary production, particularly in highly seasonal floodplains typical of Mediterranean climates. In this study, we investigate how the seasonal dynamics of a central California floodplain influence the timing and magnitude of fish predation and the abundance and composition of invertebrates. For 3 years (2000–2002), we compared changes in abundances and size distributions of invertebrates through the flood season (January–June) with seasonal changes in the abundance of larval and juvenile fishes. Using diet analysis of fishes and manipulative feeding experiments with fishes in field enclosures, we link specific changes in invertebrate populations directly to feeding preferences of seasonally abundant fish. Early in the flood season prior to March, we found little influence of fish predation, consistent with the near absence of larval and juvenile fishes during this period. Coinciding with the midseason increase in the abundance of larval and juvenile fishes in April, we found significant declines in zooplankton abundance as well as declines in the size of zooplankton consistent with fish feeding preferences. Our results were consistent with results from feeding enclosure experiments that showed that fish rapidly depressed populations of larger cladocerans with much less effect on smaller cladocerans and calanoid copepods. At the end of the flood season, zooplankton abundances rapidly increased, consistent with a switch in the feeding of juvenile fish to aquatic insects and subsequent fish mortality. We also found that zooplankton biomass on the floodplain reached a maximum 2–3 weeks after disconnection with the river. We suggest that floodplain restoration in this region should consider management strategies that would ensure repeated flooding every 2–3 weeks during periods that would best match the peaks in abundance of native fishes. Electronic supplementary material Electronic supplementary material is available for this article at and accessible for authorised users.     

Winter energy allocation and deficit of juvenile walleye pollock <Emphasis Type="Italic">Theragra chalcogramma</Emphasis> in the Doto area,northern Japan

Seasonal energy allocation and deficits of marine juvenile fishes have considerable effects on their survival. To explore the winter survival mechanism of marine fishes with low lipid reserves in their early life, juvenile walleye pollock Theragra chalcogramma were collected along the continental shelf of northern Japan over a 2-year period, and energy allocation and deficit patterns were compared between wild and laboratory-starved fish. Contrary to expectations, wild fish generally continued to accumulate protein mass and concurrently tended to reduce lipid mass from late autumn through winter. The most plausible explanation for the continuous structural growth is that juvenile pollock give priority to reducing mortality risk from size-selective predators under quasi-prey-limited conditions. Exceptionally, inshore small fish reduced both constituents during a winter. The inshore fish consumed 2.5 times more lipid energy than protein energy in November–December, but protein was more important than lipids as a source of energy in December–January and in February–March. However, dependence upon protein reserves was lower for the wild fish than for the laboratory-starved fish, suggesting milder nutritional stress of the wild fish than that observed in the starvation experiment. Moreover, the lipid contents of mortalities in the starvation experiment were mostly <1%, whereas few wild fish had such lipid contents in the field. These results suggest that juvenile pollock are able to avoid both starvation and predation by accumulating protein reserves.     

Using passive acoustic telemetry to infer mortality events in adult herbivorous coral reef fishes

Mortality is considered to be an important factor shaping the structure of coral reef fish communities, but data on the rate and nature of mortality of adult coral reef fishes are sparse. Mortality on coral reefs is intrinsically linked with predation, with most evidence suggesting that predation is highest during crepuscular periods. We tested this hypothesis using passive acoustic telemetry data to determine the time of day of potential mortality events (PMEs) of adult herbivorous reef fishes. A total of 94 fishes were tagged with acoustic transmitters, of which 43 exhibited a PME. Furthermore, we identified five categories of PMEs based on the nature of change in acoustic signal detections from tagged fishes. The majority of PMEs were characterised by an abrupt stop in detections, possibly as a result of a large, mobile predator. Overall, mortality rates were estimated to be approximately 59 % per year using passive acoustic telemetry. The time of day of PMEs suggests that predation was highest during the day and crepuscular periods and lowest at night, offering only partial support for the crepuscular predation hypothesis. Visually oriented, diurnal and crepuscular predators appear to be more important than their nocturnal counterparts in terms of predation on adult reef fishes. By timing PMEs, passive acoustic telemetry may offer an important new tool for investigating the nature of predation on coral reefs.     

Predation on juvenile coral reef fishes: an exclusion experiment

The densities of recruits on caged and uncaged areas were compared in an experiment done to show the extent of predation on recently metamorphosed coral reef fishes. The design was unlike typical caging experiments, however, in that areas were caged only for short periods of 20–30 days and several independent trials, testing the same null hypothesis, were run. This was done to avoid confounding the effects of excluding herbivorous fishes with the effects of excluding piscivorous fishes. A third treatment, partially-meshed cages, revealed that the experiment was complicated by several other factors. Some prey species were attracted to the high relief offered by the experimental structures. Others responded to the differences in shelter from predators by redispersing themselves among the treatments shortly after settlement. There was also at least one significant edge effect caused by fishes preferring to settle near the boundaries of all treatments. In spite of these difficulties, observations on known individuals revealed that rates of mortality were age-dependent and decreased rapidly after metamorphosis. More than 25% of such fishes disappeared during their first five days in the benthic habitat compared with >10% of fishes aged 6–10 days and no losses of fishes aged 11–15 days. These early losses are the greatest instantaneous rates of mortality yet documented for recruited reef fishes. The experiment also suggested different rates of early mortality for various groupings of species: individuals of solitary, sedentary species disappeared approximately half as fast as individuals of the more mobile, and the more gregarious, species. This is probably a true reflection of the different vulnerability of these groups to predation and it may be caused by the different ways in which these fishes use the coral substratum. Our experience suggests that caging artifacts can have major impacts on the results obtained from this type of experiment and they must be controlled for adequately. We conclude that studies of predation on reef fishes may be done more easily using other methods.     

The role of Thalassoma lunare as a predator of juvenile fish on a sub-tropical coral reef

The process of predation causes significant mortality in coral reef fishes immediately following settlement. However, much of what we know of predator identity is based on a small number of detailed studies. This study aims to identify the key predator of early juvenile coral reef fishes on Ningaloo Reef, North-Western Australia. Video cameras were used to observe patch reefs stocked with newly settled reef fish in the back-reef area between 12:00 and 20:30 h. The cameras were fitted with >610 nm light sources to allow observation in low light conditions. All strikes (attempted and successful) on newly settled fish were recorded, along with the time spent in the vicinity of experimental patch reefs with or without juvenile fish. A total of 69 strikes were observed over the 199 h of recorded video footage, with the majority of strikes occurring mid-afternoon between 13:00 and 15:30 h. Only one strike was observed during the twilight period, an hour either side of sunset (~18:45 h), and no strikes were observed after this period. The moonwrasse, Thalassoma lunare, was responsible for the majority of strikes (75.4 %), with the sandperch (Parapercis clatharatha—10.1 %), spanish flag (Lutjanus carponotatus—5.8 %) and ring wrasse (Hologymnosus annulatus—2.9 %) the next highest contributors. T. lunare also spent significantly more time in the vicinity of reefs stocked with newly settled fish, than those without, during daylight hours. The results of the study are in contrast to the common perception that predation on newly settled fish is focused largely around crepuscular periods and suggests that diurnally active species, in particular T. lunare, are important predators of juvenile fish on the Ningaloo back-reef. The study also implies that generalist species can fulfil key functional roles and that the nature of these roles is not always apparent.     

Comparative predation rates on larval snappers (Lutjanidae) in oceanic, reef, and nearshore waters

The life cycle of most reef fishes involves pelagic larvae entering the nearshore environment to settle to benthic substrates. Settlement is considered to be highly risky as larvae encounter high rates of predation mortality associated with shallow nearshore habitats. This potential bottleneck may be particularly significant for many tropical snapper (Lutjanidae) species which bypass the reef to settle to very nearshore seagrass areas. To test the hypothesis that predation-related mortality increases as naïve late-stage fish larvae leave the offshore oceanic environment and enter the nearshore to settle, relative nocturnal predation rates on tethered late-stage snapper larvae were measured in oceanic, coral reef, and nearshore surface waters of the lower Florida Keys, USA. Both relative predation rate and probability of predation in oceanic areas seaward of the reef was significantly greater than over reef or nearshore seagrass/hardbottom habitats. This surprising result may be due to differences in the density or spatial distribution of potential predators between deep offshore (near flotsam at the surface) and shallow nearshore environments (demersal). These findings suggest that successful late-stage snapper larvae should avoid surface waters in deep oceanic areas and move upward in the water column as they pass over the reef and other shallow nearshore environments prior to settlement.     

The relative importance of predation and competition in two reef fishes

Competition and predation may both strongly influence populations of reef fishes, but the importance of these processes relative to one another is poorly understood. I quantified the effects of predation and competition on the growth and survival of two temperate reef fishes, Lythrypnus dalli and Coryphopterus nicholsii, in field experiments in which I manipulated the densities of the two species and the abundance of predators (using exclosure cages) on small replicate patch reefs. I also evaluated the influence of predators on the behavior of the two species to help interpret the mechanisms of any predatory influences on growth or survival. Predation was much more important than competition (inter- or intraspecific) in Lythrypnus. For Coryphopterus, neither competition nor predation were particularly important. Behaviorally, both species responded to predators by reducing foraging rate and hiding. This altered behavior, however, had no repercussions for growth or survival of Coryphopterus. In contrast, Lythrypnus grew more slowly and suffered greater mortality when exposed to predators. Interspecific competition did not significantly influence either species. Intraspecific competition did not affect the growth of Coryphopterus, but survival tended to be lower at high densities. Growth of Lythrypnus was depressed by intraspecific competition, but survival was not, except that, in the presence of predators, survival was density dependent. In contrast to the historical emphasis placed on the role of competition, this study indicates that predation can be more important than competition in determining patterns of abundance of some reef fishes. For example, predators not only influenced foraging of both Lythrypnus and Coryphopterus, but they also reduced growth and survival of Lythrypnus, and therefore appear to help maintain the marked habitat segregation between the two species. Received: 16 June 1997 / Accepted: 3 December 1997     

Selective predation for low body condition at the larval-juvenile transition of a coral reef fish

Mortality is known to be high during the transition from larval to juvenile life stages in organisms that have complex life histories. We are only just beginning to understand the processes that influence which individuals survive this period of high mortality, and which traits may be beneficial. Here we document a field experiment that examines the selectivity of predation immediately following settlement to the juvenile population in a common tropical fish, Pomacentrus amboinensis (Pomacentridae). Newly metamorphosed fish were tagged and randomly placed onto replicated patches of natural habitat cleared of resident fishes. After exposure to transient predators for 3 days, fish were recollected and the attributes of survivors from patch reefs that sustained high mortality were compared to individuals from patch reefs that experienced low mortality. Seven characteristics of individuals, which were indicative of previous and present body condition, were compared between groups. Predation was found to be selective for fish that grew slowly in the latter third of their larval phase, were low in total lipids, and had a high standardized weight (Fultons K). Traits developed in the larval phase can strongly influence the survival of individuals over this critical transition period for organisms with complex life cycles.     

Refugees or ravenous predators: detecting predation on new recruits to tropical estuarine nurseries

Many of the most abundant small and juvenile fishes within shallow water estuarine nursery habitats consume other fish to some degree but have rarely been considered as potentially important predators in the functioning of these systems because of the low (<50%) average occurrence of fish in their diets. Predation by abundant minor piscivores on new recruits when they first enter the nursery may make a significant contribution to the predation mortality of this critical life-history stage. To determine the potential importance of minor piscivores as predators on new recruits, temporal patterns in the diets of 15 common species of minor piscivores were examined and related to the abundance of new recruits (≤20 mm FL) in biweekly seine samples over 13 months in shallow (<1.5 m) sandy habitats in the Ross River estuary in north-eastern Queensland, Australia. The high spatial patchiness of new recruits made it difficult to correlate their abundance with their consumption by minor piscivores, and there was no relationship detected between the abundance of new recruits and the occurrence of fish in the diets of minor piscivores. To gain broader insight into spatio-temporal patterns in the consumption of fish prey by minor piscivores, we utilised a collection of fishes sampled during various studies over 6 years from 17 estuaries in the region to examine the diets of >3500 individuals from 20 spp. of minor piscivores. Patterns in the consumption of fish prey by these minor piscivores, especially the highly abundant sparids, sillaginids and ambassids, revealed that the low average occurrence of fish in their diet greatly underestimated the predation pressure imposed by these on fish prey at particular locations and times. For most sampling occasions and locations few minor piscivores consumed fish prey (consumed by 0% of individuals examined), while occasionally a large proportion of individuals within a taxon did so (50–100% of individuals consumed fish prey). Often at such times/locations multiple species of minor piscivores simultaneously preyed heavily on fish. When minor piscivores consumed fish, they preyed mainly on small new recruits. Because many of these minor piscivores are relatively recent recruits, many of the small and juvenile fishes believed to gain refuge in shallow estuarine nurseries may themselves be important predators on fish subsequently recruiting to these habitats, and so potentially play a significant role in structuring estuarine fish faunas and the functioning of shallow water nurseries.     

Maladaptive behavior reinforces a recruitment bottleneck in newly settled fishes

Settlement from the plankton ends the major dispersive stage of life for many marine organisms and exposes them to intense predation pressure in juvenile habitats. This predation mortality represents a life-history bottleneck that can determine recruitment success. At the level of individual predator–prey interactions, prey survival depends upon behavior, specifically how behavior affects prey conspicuousness and evasive ability. We conducted an experiment to identify behavioral traits and performance levels that are important determinants of which individuals survive or die soon after settlement. We measured a suite of behavioral traits on late stage, pre-settlement Ward's damsel (Pomacentrus wardi) collected using light traps. These behavioral traits included two measures of routine swimming (indicators of conspicuousness) and eight measures of escape performance to a visual startle stimulus. Fish were then released onto individual patch reefs, where divers measured an additional behavioral trait (boldness). We censused each patch reef until approximately 50% of the fish were missing (~24 h), which we assumed to be a result of predation. We used classification tree analysis to discriminate survivors from fish presumed dead based on poor behavioral performance. The classification tree revealed that individuals displaying the maladaptive combination of low escape response speed, low boldness on the reef, and high routine swimming speed were highly susceptible to predation (92.4% with this combination died within 24 h). This accounted for 55.2% of all fish that died. Several combinations of behavioral traits predicted likely survival over 24 h, but there was greater uncertainty about that prediction than there was for fish that were predicted to die. Thus maladaptive behavioral traits were easier to identify than adaptive traits.     

Fish assemblages on artificial and natural reefs in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, USA

 Visual censusing was used to characterize fish assemblages on artificial and natural reefs located within the boundaries of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Emphasis was placed on determining spatial and temporal patterns in habitat utilization by fishes on an offshore artificial reef (Mobil Platform HI-A389A). Overall, 43 species were observed during diurnal surveys in the upper 24 m of the artificial reef. Midwater pelagic fishes (i.e., carangids and scombrids) accounted for over 50% of all taxa enumerated on the artificial reef; however, these taxa were transient members of the assemblage and were observed infrequently. Labrids, pomacentrids, and serranids were the dominant reef-dependent taxa. Distinct trends in vertical, diel, and seasonal abundances were observed for juvenile and adult fishes. Of the three designated depth zones (upper 1.5–9.0, middle 9.0–16.5; lower 16.5–24.0 m), abundance and species diversity were lowest in the upper zone. Nocturnal counts were characterized by a marked reduction or complete absence of most species, due in part to twilight cover-seeking and movement activities. Seasonal variation in community composition and species abundance (May versus September) was primarily due to recruitment of juveniles (0-age fishes) to the artificial reef in late summer. Increases in total fish abundance (all taxa combined) coincided with both increasing habitat rugosity and degree of fouling. Species richness on natural coral reefs in the FGBNMS was higher than on the artificial reef. Unlike the artificial reef, fish assemblages on the natural reefs were dominated by a single family (Pomacentridae) which accounted for over 50% of all individuals observed. Accepted: 1 August 1996     

Experimental assessment of predation risk for juvenile green sturgeon,Acipenser medirostris,by two predatory fishes

Predation is a common cause of early life stage mortality in fishes, with reduced risk as individuals grow and become too large to be consumed by gape-limited predatory fishes. Large-bodied species, such as sturgeon, may reach this size-refuge within the first year. However, there is limited understanding of what this size threshold is despite the value of this information for conservation management. We conducted laboratory-based predation experiments on juvenile green sturgeon, Acipenser medirostris, to estimate vulnerability to predation during outmigration from their natal reaches in California to the Pacific Ocean. Two highly abundant and non-native predatory fish species (largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, and striped bass, Morone saxatilis) were captured in the wild to be tested with developing juvenile green sturgeon from the UC Davis Green Sturgeon Broodstock Program. Experimental tanks, each containing five predators, received thirty prey for 24-hr exposures. Between sturgeon prey trials, predators were exposed to alternative prey species to confirm predators were exhibiting normal feeding behaviors. In addition to green sturgeon mortality data, trials were video recorded and predatory behaviors were quantified. Overall, these predator species displayed much lower rates of predation on juvenile green sturgeon than alternate prey. Predation decreased with green sturgeon size, and predation risk diminished to zero once sturgeon reached a length threshold of roughly 20–22 cm total length, or between 38% and 58% of predator total length. Behavioral analyses showed low motivation to feed on green sturgeon, with both predators attempting predation less frequently as sturgeon grew. Results of this study imply that optimizing growth rates for larval and juvenile sturgeon would shorten the time in which they are vulnerable to predation. Future experiments should assess predation risk of juvenile green sturgeon by additional predator species common to the Sacramento-San Joaquin watershed.     

An experimental test of density- and distant-dependent recruitment of mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) in southeastern Amazonia

According to the Janzen–Connell model, high mortality of seeds and seedlings in proximity to conspecific adults can help maintain species diversity in tropical forests. Using a natural population of big-leaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla King), we tested the model’s mechanism by examining seed predation and juvenile recruitment in the forest understory and in treefall gaps in the vicinity of both isolated and clumped adults. We used tethered seeds placed in three types of exclosure plots: (1) complete access to seeds, (2) semi-access (access by small-sized seed predators) and (3) no access (all mammals excluded). Exclosure treatments were applied within the understory (both near and far from adults) and in gaps at eight fruiting adults in the late dry season (2001) and scored ten months later. Significantly more seeds were removed in canopy gaps near clumped adults than at isolated adults; otherwise, none of the treatment factors significantly influenced seed predation. In contrast, understory juvenile recruitment was significantly enhanced by distance from adults and was twice as high at isolated than clumped adults, providing novel support for the Janzen–Connell mechanism. No-access exclosures protected significantly more seeds than semi- and full-access exclosures, implicating small mammals in seed losses. Across the eight trees, juvenile recruitment in the no-access exclosures decreased significantly with conspecific adult densities, implicating non-mammalian density-responsive factor(s) in mortality following germination; likely a known specialist invertebrate herbivore. When all treatments were combined, conspecific adult basal area and total DBH explained 72 and 90% of variation in overall juvenile recruitment, respectively. Collectively, these results indicate that Janzen–Connell effects can operate in S. macrophylla, especially during the seed-to-seedling transition, and will likely reduce recruitment in areas of high conspecific densities. They also suggest that further research into the causes of density-dependence in tropical trees should investigate mortality agents following germination.     

Complex behaviour by coral-reef fish larvae in open-water and near-reef pelagic environments

We present the first in situ observations of the pelagic larvae of coral-reef fishes feeding, schooling and being preyed upon. In addition, we report on their behavioural interactions with adult and juvenile fishes. Observations on over 500 larvae of over 50 species (mostly from four families) near the end of their pelagic interval were made in both open water (> 1 km offshore) and near-reef environments. Nearly 10% of larvae were seen to feed in open water, but < 1% fed near the reef. Presettlement schooling was observed in five species of four families. We observed no predation upon larvae in open water except near the bottom. Near the reef, 8.5% of larvae were eaten. The main predators near and on the reef were a species of wrasse and lizardfishes. Rates of predation seem to differ among genera of pomacentrids, perhaps related to differences in behaviour when settling. When confronted with adult fishes, which happened largely near the reef, larvae reacted with a limited range of behaviours, including sheltering near the observer, swimming to the surface, slowing or stopping, or swimming offshore. The frequency of these behaviours differed among larvae of three pomacentrid genera. Interactions with reef residents, particularly pomacentrids, were common, and usually involved aggression by the resident toward settling larvae. This may act to discourage settlement during the day when such residents are active. These data show that behaviour of late larvae of coral-reef fishes is complex and can greatly influence survival and recruitment. Further, behaviour differs among taxa, showing that not only are larvae not passive, but also that a generalised behaviour of larvae does not exist.     

The importance of seahorses and pipefishes in the diet of marine animals

A review of 135 accounts of predation on seahorses and pipefishes identified 82 predator species, with nine species of seahorses and 25 of pipefishes recorded as prey. These cryptic fishes were generally depredated in low numbers. Where syngnathids formed a high proportion of predator diets, predation occurred on (1) a single abundant species during a population boom or large die-off, (2) concentrations of individuals utilising floating marine vegetation, or (3) juveniles when abundant during the breeding season. Predation coinciding with high syngnathid densities suggests their predators are foraging opportunistically rather than targeting syngnathids as prey. Invertebrates, fishes, sea turtles, waterbirds and marine mammals were all syngnathid predators: these included taxa that do not frequent the demersal habitat generally occupied by seahorses and pipefishes. Thus, seahorses and pipefishes may be moving in the open ocean more than suspected, perhaps using floating mats of marine vegetation. If so, this behaviour could act as a hitherto unknown vector for syngnathid movement and dispersal. Information on syngnathid abundance in predator diet (measured as percent number, volume, or mass) was available in 45 reviewed accounts; in 27% (n = 12) of these studies seahorses or pipefishes comprised ≥20% of predator diet (range 0.005–100%). Frequency of occurrence (percent stomachs, seabird bill-loads, or regurgitations in which a prey item occurred) was provided in 39 accounts, with 15% (n = 6) of these recording a frequency of ≥20% (range 0.003–65%).     

Body size determines eyespot size and presence in coral reef fishes

Numerous organisms display conspicuous eyespots. These eye‐like patterns have been shown to effectively reduce predation by either deflecting strikes away from nonvital organs or by intimidating potential predators. While investigated extensively in terrestrial systems, determining what factors shape eyespot form in colorful coral reef fishes remains less well known. Using a broadscale approach we ask: How does the size of the eyespot relate to the actual eye, and at what size during ontogeny are eyespots acquired or lost? We utilized publicly available images to generate a dataset of 167 eyespot‐bearing reef fish species. We measured multiple features relating to the size of the fish, its eye, and the size of its eyespot. In reef fishes, the area of the eyespot closely matches that of the real eye; however, the eyespots “pupil” is nearly four times larger than the real pupil. Eyespots appear at about 20 mm standard length. However, there is a marked decrease in the presence of eyespots in fishes above 48 mm standard length; a size which is tightly correlated with significant decreases in documented mortality rates. Above 75–85 mm, the cost of eyespots appears to outweigh their benefit. Our results identify a “size window” for eyespots in coral reef fishes, which suggests that eyespot use is strictly body size‐dependent within this group.