Feeding diets and significance of coral feeding among Chaetodontid fishes in Moorea (French Polynesia) |
| |
Authors: | M L Harmelin-Vivien Y Bouchon-Navaro |
| |
Institution: | 1. Station Marine d’Endoume, CNRS/LA 41, Centre d’Océanologie de Marseille, F-13007, Marseille, France 2. Centre de l’Environnement de Moorea, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle et Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes en Polynésie Fran?aise, BP 12, Moorea 3. Laboratoire de Biologie et de Physiologie Animale, Université Antilles-Guyane, F-97167, Pointe à Pitre, Guadeloupe, F.W.I.
|
| |
Abstract: | The feeding diets of 18 Chaetodontid fishes from a coral reef of Moorea (French Polynesia) were studied by quantitative analysis
of their stomach contents. Three major types of feeding behaviours were distinguished. Sixteen species essentially ingested
coral polyps. Among these species, 5 were exclusive coral browsers and the others displayed more heterogeneous diets. One
species was a plankton feeder and the other consumed benthic invertebrates other than corals. The importance of coral consumption
on the reef by Chaetodontid fishes was estimated knowing the feeding diets and density of species in the various biota. Moreover,
the species which were previously observed as quantitatively dominant in the different reef zones, were found to be exclusive
coral browsers. Besides, the proportion between obligative and facultative coral feeders was found to be relatively constant
on the reef, emphasizing that a balance is established among the Chaetodontid species occupying the same habitat for the resource
partitioning. |
| |
Keywords: | |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|