Effects of predator avoidance behaviors and preferred shelter on predation of flamefish, <italic>Apogon maculatus</italic> (Apogonidae).
Minton, Scott T.
2007
Abstract
Vulnerability to predation and predator avoidance behaviors were investigated for flamefish, <italic>Apogon maculatus</italic>, an common cryptic prey fish on Atlantic coral reefs. Flamefish were the most abundant species on shallow patch reefs characterized by unusually low topographic complexity. Flamefish density was correlated with density of meso-scale topographic features, and density and depth of crevices, suggesting that shelter availability is limiting to flamefish abundance. Predation pressure appears to be high on the patch reefs. In laboratory experiments, flamefish were consumed by three common piscivores: <italic> Holocentrus adscensionis, Epinephelus cruentatus,</italic> and <italic>Synodus foetens</italic>. Removing these predators from natural reefs resulted in greater flamefish abundance than on control reefs. Predator avoidance behaviors---schooling and use of refuges---were compared for different flamefish growth-stages. Although recruits remained in aggregations, while adults were solitary and aggregated only during nocturnal foraging, vulnerability to predation declined with increasing aggregation size for all growth-stages. Flamefish preferred shelters with specific characteristics, particularly meso-scale topographic features shaped like cubes or parallelepipeds, which have a high number of crevices <italic>in situ</italic>. Given a choice of two artificial shelters with different internal configurations, recruits preferred few large chambers, and adults preferred many small chambers. Preferences of juveniles were intermediate. These preferences were not affected by aggregation size. Presence of a predator caused juveniles and adults to spend more time near or in a shelter. Recruits spent a large proportion of time in shelters, regardless of predator stress, aggregation size, or shelter configuration. Vulnerability to predation was greatly reduced by availability of both shelter and food. Unfed juveniles and adults, but not recruits, increased foraging behavior and vulnerability. Shelter preferences of different growth-stages were differentially affected by predator presence and food availability. Recruit preferences were unaffected. Juveniles preferences shifted to shelters with fewer larger chambers, i.e. became more similar to recruit preferences. Adult preferences became less specific under acute predation pressure. Overall, the results provide evidence that topographic complexity, availability of preferred shelters, predation pressure, and food availability interact to determine the abundance and population structure of flamefish and other cryptic prey fishes on coral reefs.Subjects
Apogon Maculatus Apogonidae Behaviors Coral Reefs Effects Flamefish Predation Predator Avoidance Preferred Shelter Topographic Complexity
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