Herbivory: Difference between revisions

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**Focus on enriched macrophytes
**Focus on enriched macrophytes
**Shallower reefs have more herbivorous fishes and increased grazing rates
**Shallower reefs have more herbivorous fishes and increased grazing rates
**Some prey directly on Corals (parrotfish)<ref>Burkepile, Deron E. , and Mark E. Hay. "Nutrient versus herbivore control of macroalgal community development and coral growth on a Caribbean reef."Inter-Research Marine Ecology Progress Series. (2009). http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v389/p71-84/ (accessed February 23, 2014).</ref>
**Some prey directly on Corals (parrotfish)<ref name="Burk" />  
**Feed on red, green, and brown macro algae<ref> Cornell University: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, "Herbivory in Fish." Last modified 2014. Accessed February 23, 2014. http://micro.cornell.edu/research/epulopiscium/herbivory-fish. </ref>
**Feed on red, green, and brown macro algae<ref> Cornell University: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, "Herbivory in Fish." Last modified 2014. Accessed February 23, 2014. http://micro.cornell.edu/research/epulopiscium/herbivory-fish. </ref>
**No teeth in jaws, rather pharyngeal teeth farther back
**No teeth in jaws, rather pharyngeal teeth farther back
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**Elimination of herbivore fish can negatively impact survival, growth, and recruitment of corals and increase in prevalence of coral diseases
**Elimination of herbivore fish can negatively impact survival, growth, and recruitment of corals and increase in prevalence of coral diseases
**Alteration in consumer pressure will reduce coral reef resilience and increase probability that climate change, ocean acidification, etc. will drive reefs to state like algal domination
**Alteration in consumer pressure will reduce coral reef resilience and increase probability that climate change, ocean acidification, etc. will drive reefs to state like algal domination
**Turf algae and upright macroalgae increase are due to herbivore exclusion<ref>Burkepile, Deron E. , and Mark E. Hay. "Nutrient versus herbivore control of macroalgal community development and coral growth on a Caribbean reef."Inter-Research Marine Ecology Progress Series. (2009). http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v389/p71-84/ (accessed February 23, 2014).</ref>
**Turf algae and upright macroalgae increase are due to herbivore exclusion<ref name="Burk" />
**One of the most well known cases of overgrowth occurred in the Caribbean after a previously unseen disease virtually killed off the herbivorous sea urchin Diadema antillarum<ref> Cornell University: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, "Herbivory in Fish." Last modified 2014. Accessed February 23, 2014. http://micro.cornell.edu/research/epulopiscium/herbivory-fish. </ref>
**One of the most well known cases of overgrowth occurred in the Caribbean after a previously unseen disease virtually killed off the herbivorous sea urchin Diadema antillarum<ref> Cornell University: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, "Herbivory in Fish." Last modified 2014. Accessed February 23, 2014. http://micro.cornell.edu/research/epulopiscium/herbivory-fish. </ref>
***Caused collapse of Caribbean reefs in this area
***Caused collapse of Caribbean reefs in this area
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References
References
<references>
<references>
<ref name="Burk">Burkepile, Deron E. , and Mark E. Hay. "Nutrient versus herbivore control of macroalgal community development and coral growth on a Caribbean reef."Inter-Research Marine Ecology Progress Series. (2009). http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v389/p71-84/ (accessed February 23, 2014).</ref>
<ref name="Loic">Loïc M. Thibaut, Sean R. Connolly, and Hugh P. A. Sweatman 2012. Diversity and stability of herbivorous fishes on coral reefs. **Ecology 93:891–901. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/11-1753.1</ref>
<ref name="Loic">Loïc M. Thibaut, Sean R. Connolly, and Hugh P. A. Sweatman 2012. Diversity and stability of herbivorous fishes on coral reefs. **Ecology 93:891–901. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/11-1753.1</ref>
</references>
</references>

Revision as of 22:47, 24 February 2014

Herbivory

  • Three Types of Herbivorous Fishes [1]
    • Reef fishes that are herbivores are typically invertebrates [2]
    • Territorial Grazers-site-attached fishes that actively defend their territories against other herbivores
    • Roving Grazers-mobile herbivores move around reefs in large schools feeding on macro algae and epilithic algae
    • Scrapers-highly mobile fish consume epilithic algae and remove sediment by scraping limestone surface of reefs
    • Examples-surgeonfish, butterflyfish, angelfish[3]


  • Feeding Habits of Herbivore Fish/How Food is Digested[4]
    • Focus on enriched macrophytes
    • Shallower reefs have more herbivorous fishes and increased grazing rates
    • Some prey directly on Corals (parrotfish)[5]
    • Feed on red, green, and brown macro algae[6]
    • No teeth in jaws, rather pharyngeal teeth farther back
    • Digestion- must break down complex polysaccharide cell wall
    • Mechanical-stomach grinds the algal cells
    • Chemical-use acid lysis in the stomach
    • Enzymatic digestion-enzymes produced by gastrointestinal tract can further break down algal cells/ intestinal microbes are key


  • Benefits of Herbivore Fishes to Stability of Coral Reefs
    • Help maintain coral dominated states
    • Limit growth of macro algae that compete with coral space
    • A decrease in herbivore fish can be linked to increase in macro algae and coral reef mortality (macroalgae and phytoplankton most significant primary producer in system)
    • Facilitate maintenance of reefs in coral dominated states[1]
    • Strong top down control of macroalgae
    • Elimination of herbivore fish can negatively impact survival, growth, and recruitment of corals and increase in prevalence of coral diseases
    • Alteration in consumer pressure will reduce coral reef resilience and increase probability that climate change, ocean acidification, etc. will drive reefs to state like algal domination
    • Turf algae and upright macroalgae increase are due to herbivore exclusion[5]
    • One of the most well known cases of overgrowth occurred in the Caribbean after a previously unseen disease virtually killed off the herbivorous sea urchin Diadema antillarum[7]
      • Caused collapse of Caribbean reefs in this area
      • Macroalgae became dominant
      • Decrease in diversity

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Loïc M. Thibaut, Sean R. Connolly, and Hugh P. A. Sweatman 2012. Diversity and stability of herbivorous fishes on coral reefs. **Ecology 93:891–901. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/11-1753.1
  2. Cornell University: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, "Herbivory in Fish." Last modified 2014. Accessed February 23, 2014. http://micro.cornell.edu/research/epulopiscium/herbivory-fish.
  3. Cornell University: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, "Herbivory in Fish." Last modified 2014. Accessed February 23, 2014. http://micro.cornell.edu/research/epulopiscium/herbivory-fish.
  4. Cornell University: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, "Herbivory in Fish." Last modified 2014. Accessed February 23, 2014. http://micro.cornell.edu/research/epulopiscium/herbivory-fish.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Burkepile, Deron E. , and Mark E. Hay. "Nutrient versus herbivore control of macroalgal community development and coral growth on a Caribbean reef."Inter-Research Marine Ecology Progress Series. (2009). http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v389/p71-84/ (accessed February 23, 2014).
  6. Cornell University: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, "Herbivory in Fish." Last modified 2014. Accessed February 23, 2014. http://micro.cornell.edu/research/epulopiscium/herbivory-fish.
  7. Cornell University: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, "Herbivory in Fish." Last modified 2014. Accessed February 23, 2014. http://micro.cornell.edu/research/epulopiscium/herbivory-fish.
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