Tidal activity rhythms and depth distribution of rocky shore fish in an altered intertidal environment |
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Authors: | C Faria V C Almada |
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Institution: | 1.Unidade de Investiga??o em Eco-Etologia,Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada,Lisboa,Portugal |
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Abstract: | In this note we report on changes of activity level of littoral fish and their use of different microhabitats in an altered
intertidal environment, where intertidal fish are never emersed and turbulence is confined to high tides. Despite these atypical
conditions, the structure of the assemblage is basically the same found in a typical rocky-shore situation. Two intertidal
fish known to possess internal tidal rhythms, Lipophrys pholis and Coryphoblennius galerita, retain those rhythms in these altered conditions, and the associated social changes in L. pholis are also retained. These observations support the studies of Gibson (1971), who showed that changes in hydrostatic pressure were of prime importance in keeping the tidal rhythm entrained. The subtidal
Parablennius pilicornis, on the contrary, is more active during low tide than at high tide. The hypothesis that some subtidal species are excluded
from the intertidal by a turbulence-avoiding mechanism is discussed. |
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