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Trophic ecology of abundant reef fish in a remote oceanic island: coupling diet and feeding morphology at the Juan Fernandez Archipelago, Chile

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 April 2013

Fabián Ramírez ,
Alejandro Pérez-Matus ,
Tyler D. Eddy  and
Mauricio F. Landaeta
Fabián Ramírez
Affiliation:
Biología Marina, Facultad de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Andres Bello, Avenida República 440, Santiago, Chile Subtidal Ecology Laboratory, Estación Costera de Investigaciones Marinas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile
Alejandro Pérez-Matus*
Affiliation:
Subtidal Ecology Laboratory, Estación Costera de Investigaciones Marinas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile
Tyler D. Eddy
Affiliation:
Centre for Marine Environmental & Economic Research, School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
Mauricio F. Landaeta
Affiliation:
Laboratorio de Ictioplancton (LABITI), Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y de Recursos Naturales, Universidad de Valparaíso, Avenida Borgoño 16344, Reñaca, Viña del Mar, Chile
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: A. Pérez-Matus, Subtidal Ecology Laboratory, Estación Costera de Investigaciones Marinas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile email: alejandro.perezmatus@gmail.com
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Abstract

The trophic structure of organisms is an important aspect of the ecosystem as it describes how energy is transferred between different trophic levels. Here, we studied the diet and foraging ecology of 144 individuals belonging to five abundant fish species of subtidal habitats at Isla Robinson Crusoe. Sampling was conducted during the austral spring and summer of 2007 and 2008, respectively. The shallow subtidal habitat is mainly characterized by the abundance of two types of habitat: foliose algae and encrusting invertebrates. Diet and trophic characteristic of fishes were obtained by volumetric contribution and frequency of occurrence of each prey item. Of the five species studied, one is herbivorous (juvenile Scorpis chilensis), four are omnivores (Nemadactylus gayi, Malapterus reticulatus, Pseudocaranx chilensis and Scorpis chilensis adult), and one carnivore (Hypoplectrodes semicinctum). The dietary diversity index was relatively low compared to other temperate reef systems, which could indicate a low availability of prey items for coastal fishes. The morphological parameters indicated that cranial structures and pairs of pectoral fins influence the foraging behaviour. Differences in fin aspect ratio among species provided insight about fish depth distribution and feeding behaviour. These results suggest important adaptive changes in the depth gradient of fishes in the subtidal environments of this island. According to our records, this is the first attempt to characterize the trophic ecology of the subtidal fish assemblages at Juan Fernandez Archipelago, revealing the need for testing hypotheses related to selective traits that may enhance species coexistence in oceanic islands.

Keywords

dietfood websubtidal habitatdietary diversityaspect ratio
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 93 , Issue 6 , September 2013 , pp. 1457 - 1469
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2013 

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