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Effects of water motion and prey behavior on zooplankton capture by two coral reef fishes

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Abstract

Water motion is an important factor affecting planktivory on coral reefs. The feeding behavior of two species of tube-dwelling coral reef fish (Chaenopsidae) was studied in still and turbulent water. One species of blenny, Acanthemblemaria spinosa , lives in holes higher above the reef surface and feeds mainly on calanoid copepods, while a second, A. aspera , lives closer to the reef surface, feeds mainly on harpacticoid copepods, and is exposed to less water motion than the first. In the laboratory, these two blenny species were video recorded attacking a calanoid copepod ( Acartia tonsa, evasive prey) and an anostracan branchiopod (nauplii of Artemia sp., passive prey). Whereas A. spinosa attacked with the same vigor in still and turbulent water, A. aspera modulated its attack with a more deliberate strike under still conditions than turbulent conditions. For both fish species combined, mean capture success when feeding on Artemia sp. was 100% in still water and dropped to 78% in turbulent water. In contrast, when feeding on Acartia tonsa, mean capture success was 21% in still water and rose to 56% in turbulent water. We hypothesize that, although turbulence reduces capture success by adding erratic movement to Artemia sp. (passive prey), it increases capture success of Acartia tonsa (evasive prey) by interfering with the hydrodynamic sensing of the approaching predator. These opposite effects of water motion increase the complexity of the predator-prey relationship as water motion varies spatially and temporally on structurally complex coral reefs. Some observations were consistent with A. aspera living in a lower energy benthic boundary layer as compared with A. spinosa: slower initial approach to prey, attack speeds modulated according to water velocity, and lower proportion of approaches that result in strikes in turbulent water.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by a Research Opportunities Award supplement to National Science Foundation Grant OCE-9910608 to E.J.B., National Science Foundation Grant OCE-0324724 to R.D.C., and National Science Foundation Grant OCE-0324413 to E.J.B. We wish to thank S. Litner and R. Warner who provided facilities in St. Croix, S. Clarke and J. Clarke who helped with blenny collection, C. Hyatt who assisted with sorting copepods, E. Saiz who gave advice on turbulence calculations, and D. King who calculated available feeding volumes by quadrant. Use of fishes for this study follows the guidelines of the University of Texas, Austin, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. This is University of Texas Marine Science Institute Contribution Number 1331.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Sarah Lawrence College, 1 Mead Way, Bronxville, NY, 10708, USA

    R. D. Clarke & K. C. Marsden

  2. Marine Science Institute, The University of Texas at Austin, 750 Channel View Drive, Port Aransas, TX, 78373, USA

    E. J. Buskey

  3. Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA

    K. C. Marsden

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  1. R. D. Clarke
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  2. E. J. Buskey
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  3. K. C. Marsden
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Correspondence to R. D. Clarke.

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Communicated by P.W. Sammarco, Chauvin

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Clarke, R.D., Buskey, E.J. & Marsden, K.C. Effects of water motion and prey behavior on zooplankton capture by two coral reef fishes. Marine Biology 146, 1145–1155 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-004-1528-y

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