Variable and spatially explicit response of fish larvae to the playback of local, continuous reef soundscapes

2020 ◽  
Vol 653 ◽  
pp. 131-151
Author(s):  
JJ Suca ◽  
A Lillis ◽  
IT Jones ◽  
MB Kaplan ◽  
AR Solow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reef Fish ◽  
Larval Fish ◽  
Fish Larvae ◽  
Reef Fishes ◽  
Virgin Islands ◽  
Acoustic Environment ◽  
Us Virgin Islands ◽  
Fish Catch ◽  
Ecological Importance ◽  
Subsurface Light

Understanding the cues that drive larval fish settlement is critical for managing reef systems under stress. Reef sound is increasingly reported to influence fish recruitment, yet the physical and acoustic environment in which larval fish settle varies in space and time. Accordingly, testing potential settlement cues under different conditions is vital for understanding their ecological importance. We conducted 2 sets of field playback experiments in St. John, US Virgin Islands, one nearshore (10 m depth) and the second ‘offshore’ (25 m depth), to assess the effects of reef soundscape playback on settlement rates of multiple reef fish families. In each experiment, nightly currents were quantified and we replicated the diel soundscape cycle using high, low, and control (silent) amplitude recordings from nearby reefs. The first experiment revealed significant current-based, down-stream reduction in larval fish catches in subsurface light traps and a significant effect of increasing amplitude of reef playbacks on larval lizardfish (Synodontidae) catches. In the second, offshore experiment which had no current effect, increasing reef playback amplitude led to a significantly greater catch of parrotfish (Scaridae) larvae and decreased larval pelagic fish catch. Total reef fish larvae only showed attraction to reef playbacks at the most nearshore site. This work demonstrates that while sound can play a role in the settlement of certain reef fishes, responses are influenced by multiple factors, including larger-scale physical processes, underscoring the need to consider the scale of soundscape cues for reef fish settlement within an oceanographic context.

scholarly journals Risk-sensitive foraging does not explain condition-dependent choices in settling reef fish larvae

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e8333
Author(s):  
Emma E. Bogdan ◽  
Andrea L. Dingeldein ◽  
Deirdre Bertrand ◽  
Will White
Keyword(s):  
Reef Fish ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Fish Larvae ◽  
Juvenile Fish ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Reef Fishes ◽  
Virgin Islands ◽  
Average Growth ◽  
Risk Sensitive ◽  
Risk Sensitive Foraging

The transition from the planktonic larval to the benthic adult stage in reef fishes is perilous, and involves decisions about habitat selection and group membership. These decisions are consequential because they are essentially permanent (many fish rarely leave their initial settlement habitat, at least for the first several days or weeks). In one common Caribbean reef fish, the bluehead wrasse (Thalassoma bifasciatum), settling larvae either join groups or remain solitary. Grouped fish have lower mortality rates but slightly slower growth rates, and fish that are smaller at the time of settlement are less likely to join groups. We hypothesized that the decision of smaller (i.e., lower condition) fish to remain solitary could be explained by risk-sensitive foraging: with less competition, solitary fish may have higher variance in foraging success, so that there is a chance of a high payoff (outweighing the increased mortality risk) despite the lack of a large difference in the average outcome. We tested this by comparing the mean, standard deviation, and maximum number of (a) prey items in stomach contents and (b) post-settlement growth rates (from otolith measurements) of solitary and grouped fish during two settlement pulses on St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. However, we did not find evidence to support our hypothesis, nor any evidence to support the earlier finding that fish in groups have lower average growth rates. Thus we must consider alternative explanations for the tendency of smaller fish to remain solitary, such as the likely costs of searching for and joining groups at the time of settlement. This study reinforces the value of larval and juvenile fish as a testbed for behavioral decisionmaking, because their recent growth history is recorded in their otoliths.

Ontogeny of Otolith Formation in Two Demersal Estuarine Reef Fishes

2018 ◽  
Vol 134 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle J Hoffman ◽  
Juliana M Harding
Keyword(s):  
Oyster Reef ◽  
Larval Fish ◽  
Fish Larvae ◽  
Reef Fishes ◽  
Allometric Model ◽  
Benthic Habitats ◽  
Ambient Temperatures ◽  
Total Length ◽  
Naked Goby ◽  
Gobiosoma Bosc

Abstract Planktonic reef fish larvae locate and orient to reefs during settlement. Consequently, metamorphosis occurs in appropriate juvenile and/or adult habitats. Larval fish use otoliths for hearing (sagittae and asterisci) as well as equilibrium (lapilli) required for directional swimming. Striped blenny (Chasmodes bosquianus) and naked goby (Gobiosoma bosc) larvae, settled individuals, and juveniles were used to describe otolith ontogeny from hatching through settlement, the transition from pelagic to benthic habitats, and metamorphosis. Larvae hatched from nests collected in North Inlet estuary, SC, were cultured from May through July in 2012 and 2013 at ambient temperatures. Sagittae and lapilli were present at hatching in both species. Asterisci were only observed in settlement (gobies and blennies) or metamorphosis (blennies) stage fishes, regardless of age (days post-hatch). Otoliths within a pair were symmetrical. Fish total length increased faster than sagittae otolith length in settlement stage blennies and postflexion gobies. The allometric model explained ∼90% of the variability in sagittae otolith length with total length for both species. Settlement occurred 15–20 days post-hatch in striped blennies and 19–27 days post-hatch in naked gobies. Asterisci were found in 100% of settlement stage striped blennies and 67% of naked gobies. We hypothesize that the presence of asterisci in settlement stage demersal oyster reef fishes facilitates identification of and orientation to suitable settlement habitats thereby enhancing recruitment success.

Demographic dynamics of the smallest marine vertebrates fuel coral reef ecosystem functioning

Science ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 364 (6446) ◽  
pp. 1189-1192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon J. Brandl ◽  
Luke Tornabene ◽  
Christopher H. R. Goatley ◽  
Jordan M. Casey ◽  
Renato A. Morais ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Reef Fish ◽  
Ecosystem Functioning ◽  
Fish Larvae ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Reef Fishes ◽  
Pelagic Zone ◽  
Fish Biomass ◽  
Demographic Dynamics ◽  
Pelagic Environment

How coral reefs survive as oases of life in low-productivity oceans has puzzled scientists for centuries. The answer may lie in internal nutrient cycling and/or input from the pelagic zone. Integrating meta-analysis, field data, and population modeling, we show that the ocean’s smallest vertebrates, cryptobenthic reef fishes, promote internal reef fish biomass production through extensive larval supply from the pelagic environment. Specifically, cryptobenthics account for two-thirds of reef fish larvae in the near-reef pelagic zone despite limited adult reproductive outputs. This overwhelming abundance of cryptobenthic larvae fuels reef trophodynamics via rapid growth and extreme mortality, producing almost 60% of consumed reef fish biomass. Although cryptobenthics are often overlooked, their distinctive demographic dynamics may make them a cornerstone of ecosystem functioning on modern coral reefs.

scholarly journals Drifting hydrophones as an ecologically meaningful approach to underwater soundscape measurement in coastal benthic habitats

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashlee Lillis ◽  
Francesco Caruso ◽  
T. Aran Mooney ◽  
Joel Llopiz ◽  
DelWayne Bohnenstiehl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Virgin Islands ◽  
Benthic Habitat ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Acoustic Environment ◽  
Us Virgin Islands ◽  
Complementary Approach ◽  
And Function ◽  
Passive Acoustic

The ambient acoustic environment, or soundscape, is of broad interest in the study of marine ecosystems as both a source of rich sensory information to marine organisms and, more broadly, as a driver of the structure and function of marine communities. Increasing our understanding of how soundscapes affect and reflect ecological processes first requires appropriate characterization of the acoustic stimuli, and their patterns in space and time. Here, we present a novel method developed for measuring soundscape variation, using drifting acoustic recorders to quantify acoustic dynamics related to benthic habitat composition. Selected examples of drifter results from sub-tidal oyster-reef habitats in Pamlico Sound, North Carolina, USA, and from coral reef habitats in St. John, US Virgin Islands, highlight the efficacy and utility of this approach in quantifying soundscape variation in diverse habitats. The platform introduces minimal noise into the acoustic recordings, and allows sampling at spatial scales that might typically be overlooked using stationary hydrophone methods. We demonstrate that mobile hydrophone recording methods offer new insight into soundscape variation and provide a complementary approach to conventional passive acoustic monitoring techniques.

scholarly journals Two waves of colonization straddling the K–Pg boundary formed the modern reef fish fauna

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1783) ◽  
pp. 20140321 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. A. Price ◽  
L. Schmitz ◽  
C. E. Oufiero ◽  
R. I. Eytan ◽  
A. Dornburg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reef Fish ◽  
Late Cretaceous ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Fish Fauna ◽  
Reef Fishes ◽  
Causal Mechanism ◽  
Reef Fish Assemblage ◽  
Ecological Importance ◽  
Modern Reef ◽  
Oceanic Currents

Living reef fishes are one of the most diverse vertebrate assemblages on Earth. Despite its prominence and ecological importance, the origins and assembly of the reef fish fauna is poorly described. A patchy fossil record suggests that the major colonization of reef habitats must have occurred in the Late Cretaceous and early Palaeogene, with the earliest known modern fossil coral reef fish assemblage dated to 50 Ma. Using a phylogenetic approach, we analysed the early evolutionary dynamics of modern reef fishes. We find that reef lineages successively colonized reef habitats throughout the Late Cretaceous and early Palaeogene. Two waves of invasion were accompanied by increasing morphological convergence: one in the Late Cretaceous from 90 to 72 Ma and the other immediately following the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. The surge in reef invasions after the Cretaceous–Palaeogene boundary continued for 10 Myr, after which the pace of transitions to reef habitats slowed. Combined, these patterns match a classic niche-filling scenario: early transitions to reefs were made rapidly by morphologically distinct lineages and were followed by a decrease in the rate of invasions and eventual saturation of morphospace. Major alterations in reef composition, distribution and abundance, along with shifts in climate and oceanic currents, occurred during the Late Cretaceous and early Palaeogene interval. A causal mechanism between these changes and concurrent episodes of reef invasion remains obscure, but what is clear is that the broad framework of the modern reef fish fauna was in place within 10 Myr of the end-Cretaceous extinction.

scholarly journals An integrative investigation of sensory organ development and orientation behavior throughout the larval phase of a coral reef fish

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
John E. Majoris ◽  
Matthew A. Foretich ◽  
Yinan Hu ◽  
Katie R. Nickles ◽  
Camilla L. Di Persia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Reef Fish ◽  
Coral Reef Fish ◽  
Fish Larvae ◽  
Reef Fishes ◽  
Orientation Behavior ◽  
Sensory Organs ◽  
Dispersal Patterns ◽  
Larval Phase

AbstractThe dispersal of marine larvae determines the level of connectivity among populations, influences population dynamics, and affects evolutionary processes. Patterns of dispersal are influenced by both ocean currents and larval behavior, yet the role of behavior remains poorly understood. Here we report the first integrated study of the ontogeny of multiple sensory systems and orientation behavior throughout the larval phase of a coral reef fish—the neon goby, Elacatinus lori. We document the developmental morphology of all major sensory organs (lateral line, visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory) together with the development of larval swimming and orientation behaviors observed in a circular arena set adrift at sea. We show that all sensory organs are present at hatch and increase in size (or number) and complexity throughout the larval phase. Further, we demonstrate that most larvae can orient as early as 2 days post-hatch, and they swim faster and straighter as they develop. We conclude that sensory organs and swimming abilities are sufficiently developed to allow E. lori larvae to orient soon after hatch, suggesting that early orientation behavior may be common among coral reef fishes. Finally, we provide a framework for testing alternative hypotheses for the orientation strategies used by fish larvae, laying a foundation for a deeper understanding of the role of behavior in shaping dispersal patterns in the sea.

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