Density- and size-dependent mortality of a settling coral-reef damselfish (Pomacentrus moluccensis Bleeker)

Brunton, BJ; Booth, DJ

Density- and size-dependent mortality of a settling coral-reef damselfish (Pomacentrus moluccensis Bleeker)

Brunton, BJ Booth, DJ

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Oecologia, 2003, 137 (3), pp. 377 - 384
Issue Date:: 2003-11-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Brunton, BJ	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Booth, DJ https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8256-1412	en_US
dc.date.available	2003-08-11	en_US
dc.date.issued	2003-11-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Oecologia, 2003, 137 (3), pp. 377 - 384	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0029-8549	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/3681
dc.description.abstract	Density-dependent mortality may regulate many populations, but due to an offshore larval phase in benthic marine organisms, it is often difficult to quantify the effects of mortality of arriving individuals. We added approximately 600 recruit-sized individuals onto coral reef that parallels patterns in naturally settling fish. Strong, positive density-dependent mortality occurred 3 days, 1-2 weeks, and 4 months after release. Since our study species was patchily distributed, we estimated both mean group size and overall density in a transect. Mortality was more strongly related to mean group size than overall density in a transect, indicating that recruit patchiness was important. Cohesive groups may suffer higher mortality than those spread over larger areas, even if overall density of the latter is greater. Aggregative responses of predators may occur in response to larger groups, so may have contributed to positive density-dependent mortality. Increased conspicuousness to predators and congeneric aggression are additional factors that may vary positively with group size. Tagging of recruits showed migration within but not between transects, so persistence was tantamount to survival. Standard otolith back-calculation techniques employed to reconstruct original size of tagged recruits that persisted 4 months after additions indicated that mortality was also size-dependent. Size-dependent mortality was apparent at the site with the highest mortality but not at the site with the lowest mortality, resulting in different mean body sizes of recruits between sites. Size-dependent mortality may influence estimation of growth and lead to onset of size-based maturity in these fish. Strong, positive density-dependent mortality may regulate recruitment, and if coupled with size-dependent mortality, may increase maturity rate, adding to reproductive schedules of those that survive.	en_US
dc.relation	http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/A19920019
dc.relation.ispartof	Oecologia	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/s00442-003-1377-2	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Ecology	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Animals	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Perciformes	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Body Constitution	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Mortality	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Predatory Behavior	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Ecosystem	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Population Dynamics	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Adaptation, Physiological	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Reproduction	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Female	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Male	en_US
dc.title	Density- and size-dependent mortality of a settling coral-reef damselfish (Pomacentrus moluccensis Bleeker)	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	3	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	137	en_US
utslib.for	0602 Ecology	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Life Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	3	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	137	en_US

Abstract:

Density-dependent mortality may regulate many populations, but due to an offshore larval phase in benthic marine organisms, it is often difficult to quantify the effects of mortality of arriving individuals. We added approximately 600 recruit-sized individuals onto coral reef that parallels patterns in naturally settling fish. Strong, positive density-dependent mortality occurred 3 days, 1-2 weeks, and 4 months after release. Since our study species was patchily distributed, we estimated both mean group size and overall density in a transect. Mortality was more strongly related to mean group size than overall density in a transect, indicating that recruit patchiness was important. Cohesive groups may suffer higher mortality than those spread over larger areas, even if overall density of the latter is greater. Aggregative responses of predators may occur in response to larger groups, so may have contributed to positive density-dependent mortality. Increased conspicuousness to predators and congeneric aggression are additional factors that may vary positively with group size. Tagging of recruits showed migration within but not between transects, so persistence was tantamount to survival. Standard otolith back-calculation techniques employed to reconstruct original size of tagged recruits that persisted 4 months after additions indicated that mortality was also size-dependent. Size-dependent mortality was apparent at the site with the highest mortality but not at the site with the lowest mortality, resulting in different mean body sizes of recruits between sites. Size-dependent mortality may influence estimation of growth and lead to onset of size-based maturity in these fish. Strong, positive density-dependent mortality may regulate recruitment, and if coupled with size-dependent mortality, may increase maturity rate, adding to reproductive schedules of those that survive.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/3681