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Stability and structure of a fish community on a coral patch reef in Hawaii

Stability and structure of a fish community on a coral patch reef in Hawaii 227 54 54 3 3 R. E. Brock C. Lewis R. C. Wass Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology P.O.Box 1346 96744 Kaneohe Hawaii USA Office of Marine Resources Government of American Samoa 96799 Pago Pago American Samoa USA Abstract Two complete collections of the fishes residing on an isolated coral patch reef (∼ 1500 m 2 ) at Oahu, Hawaii, were made 11 years apart. Of the 112 species of fishes in both collections combined, only 40% were in common, but these made up more than 85% of the wet biomass in each collection. The two assemblages of fishes were similar in trophic structure and standing crop. Many coral reef fish communities are dominated by carnivorous forms. In the present study, planktivorous fishes were the most important trophic group in the community; this was related to abundant zooplankton resources. Following the second collection in 1977, recolonization by fishes was followed for 1 year. Recolonization proceeded rapidly and was primarily by juvenile fishes well beyond larval metamorphosis. Within 6 months of the second collection, the trophic structure had been re-established. The MacArthur-Wilson model of insular colonization described the recolonization process and predicted an equilibrium situation in less than 2 years. The recolonization data suggested that chance factors may explain the colonization process on a small scale, but a relatively deterministic pattern emerged when considering the entire reef. Thus, at the community level the fishes are a persistent and predictable entity. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Marine Biology Springer Journals

Stability and structure of a fish community on a coral patch reef in Hawaii

Marine Biology , Volume 54 (3) – Oct 1, 1979

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References (36)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 1979 by Springer-Verlag
Subject
Life Sciences; Biomedicine general; Oceanography; Ecology; Microbiology; Zoology
ISSN
0025-3162
eISSN
1432-1793
DOI
10.1007/BF00395790
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

227 54 54 3 3 R. E. Brock C. Lewis R. C. Wass Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology P.O.Box 1346 96744 Kaneohe Hawaii USA Office of Marine Resources Government of American Samoa 96799 Pago Pago American Samoa USA Abstract Two complete collections of the fishes residing on an isolated coral patch reef (∼ 1500 m 2 ) at Oahu, Hawaii, were made 11 years apart. Of the 112 species of fishes in both collections combined, only 40% were in common, but these made up more than 85% of the wet biomass in each collection. The two assemblages of fishes were similar in trophic structure and standing crop. Many coral reef fish communities are dominated by carnivorous forms. In the present study, planktivorous fishes were the most important trophic group in the community; this was related to abundant zooplankton resources. Following the second collection in 1977, recolonization by fishes was followed for 1 year. Recolonization proceeded rapidly and was primarily by juvenile fishes well beyond larval metamorphosis. Within 6 months of the second collection, the trophic structure had been re-established. The MacArthur-Wilson model of insular colonization described the recolonization process and predicted an equilibrium situation in less than 2 years. The recolonization data suggested that chance factors may explain the colonization process on a small scale, but a relatively deterministic pattern emerged when considering the entire reef. Thus, at the community level the fishes are a persistent and predictable entity.

Journal

Marine BiologySpringer Journals

Published: Oct 1, 1979

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