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Reef fishes weaken dietary preferences after coral mortality, altering resource overlap

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

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Reef fishes weaken dietary preferences after coral mortality, altering resource overlap. / Semmler, Robert F.; Sanders, Nathan J.; CaraDonna, Paul J. et al.
In: Journal of Animal Ecology, Vol. 91, No. 10, 30.10.2022, p. 2125-2134.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Semmler, RF, Sanders, NJ, CaraDonna, PJ, Baird, AH, Jing, X, Robinson, JPW, Graham, NAJ & Keith, SA 2022, 'Reef fishes weaken dietary preferences after coral mortality, altering resource overlap', Journal of Animal Ecology, vol. 91, no. 10, pp. 2125-2134. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13796

APA

Semmler, R. F., Sanders, N. J., CaraDonna, P. J., Baird, AH., Jing, X., Robinson, J. P. W., Graham, N. A. J., & Keith, SA. (2022). Reef fishes weaken dietary preferences after coral mortality, altering resource overlap. Journal of Animal Ecology, 91(10), 2125-2134. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13796

Vancouver

Semmler RF, Sanders NJ, CaraDonna PJ, Baird AH, Jing X, Robinson JPW et al. Reef fishes weaken dietary preferences after coral mortality, altering resource overlap. Journal of Animal Ecology. 2022 Oct 30;91(10):2125-2134. Epub 2022 Aug 16. doi: 10.1111/1365-2656.13796

Author

Semmler, Robert F. ; Sanders, Nathan J. ; CaraDonna, Paul J. et al. / Reef fishes weaken dietary preferences after coral mortality, altering resource overlap. In: Journal of Animal Ecology. 2022 ; Vol. 91, No. 10. pp. 2125-2134.

Bibtex

@article{8aadc3fedd99487895ccb8a9882801c7,
title = "Reef fishes weaken dietary preferences after coral mortality, altering resource overlap",
abstract = "The direct and indirect effects of climate change can affect, and are mediated by, changes in animal behaviour. However, we often lack sufficient empirical data to assess how large‐scale disturbances affect the behaviour of individuals, which scales up to influence communities. Here, we investigate these patterns by focusing on the foraging behaviour of butterflyfishes, prominent coral‐feeding fishes on coral reefs, before and after a mass coral bleaching event in Iriomote, Japan. In response to 65% coral mortality, coral‐feeding fishes broadened their diets, showing a significant weakening of dietary preferences across species. Multiple species reduced their consumption of bleaching‐sensitive Acropora corals, while expanding their diets to consume a variety of other coral genera. This resulted in decreased dietary overlap among butterflyfishes. Behavioural changes in response to bleaching may increase resilience of coral reef fishes in the short term. However, coral mortality has reduced populations of coral‐feeders world‐wide, indicating the changes in feeding behaviour we document here may not be sufficient to ensure long‐term resilience of butterflyfishes on coral reefs.",
keywords = "Behavioural ecology, Community ecology, Global change ecology, RESEARCH ARTICLE, RESEARCH ARTICLES, bottom‐up effects, coral bleaching, dietary preferences, foraging behaviour, resource partitioning",
author = "Semmler, {Robert F.} and Sanders, {Nathan J.} and CaraDonna, {Paul J.} and Andrew H. Baird and Xin Jing and Robinson, {James P. W.} and Graham, {Nicholas A. J.} and Sally A. Keith",
year = "2022",
month = oct,
day = "30",
doi = "10.1111/1365-2656.13796",
language = "English",
volume = "91",
pages = "2125--2134",
journal = "Journal of Animal Ecology",
issn = "0021-8790",
publisher = "Wiley",
number = "10",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Reef fishes weaken dietary preferences after coral mortality, altering resource overlap

AU - Semmler, Robert F.

AU - Sanders, Nathan J.

AU - CaraDonna, Paul J.

AU - Baird, Andrew H.

AU - Jing, Xin

AU - Robinson, James P. W.

AU - Graham, Nicholas A. J.

AU - Keith, Sally A.

PY - 2022/10/30

Y1 - 2022/10/30

N2 - The direct and indirect effects of climate change can affect, and are mediated by, changes in animal behaviour. However, we often lack sufficient empirical data to assess how large‐scale disturbances affect the behaviour of individuals, which scales up to influence communities. Here, we investigate these patterns by focusing on the foraging behaviour of butterflyfishes, prominent coral‐feeding fishes on coral reefs, before and after a mass coral bleaching event in Iriomote, Japan. In response to 65% coral mortality, coral‐feeding fishes broadened their diets, showing a significant weakening of dietary preferences across species. Multiple species reduced their consumption of bleaching‐sensitive Acropora corals, while expanding their diets to consume a variety of other coral genera. This resulted in decreased dietary overlap among butterflyfishes. Behavioural changes in response to bleaching may increase resilience of coral reef fishes in the short term. However, coral mortality has reduced populations of coral‐feeders world‐wide, indicating the changes in feeding behaviour we document here may not be sufficient to ensure long‐term resilience of butterflyfishes on coral reefs.

AB - The direct and indirect effects of climate change can affect, and are mediated by, changes in animal behaviour. However, we often lack sufficient empirical data to assess how large‐scale disturbances affect the behaviour of individuals, which scales up to influence communities. Here, we investigate these patterns by focusing on the foraging behaviour of butterflyfishes, prominent coral‐feeding fishes on coral reefs, before and after a mass coral bleaching event in Iriomote, Japan. In response to 65% coral mortality, coral‐feeding fishes broadened their diets, showing a significant weakening of dietary preferences across species. Multiple species reduced their consumption of bleaching‐sensitive Acropora corals, while expanding their diets to consume a variety of other coral genera. This resulted in decreased dietary overlap among butterflyfishes. Behavioural changes in response to bleaching may increase resilience of coral reef fishes in the short term. However, coral mortality has reduced populations of coral‐feeders world‐wide, indicating the changes in feeding behaviour we document here may not be sufficient to ensure long‐term resilience of butterflyfishes on coral reefs.

KW - Behavioural ecology

KW - Community ecology

KW - Global change ecology

KW - RESEARCH ARTICLE

KW - RESEARCH ARTICLES

KW - bottom‐up effects

KW - coral bleaching

KW - dietary preferences

KW - foraging behaviour

KW - resource partitioning

U2 - 10.1111/1365-2656.13796

DO - 10.1111/1365-2656.13796

M3 - Journal article

VL - 91

SP - 2125

EP - 2134

JO - Journal of Animal Ecology

JF - Journal of Animal Ecology

SN - 0021-8790

IS - 10

ER -