Cardozo-Ferreira, G.C., Ferreira, C.E.I., Choat, J.H., Mendes, T.C., Macieira, R.M., Rezende, C.E., Joyeux, J.C., and Clements, K.D. (2023) Seasonal variation in diet and isotopic niche of nominally herbivorous fishes in subtropical rocky reefs. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 722. pp. 125-143.

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Abstract

Herbivorous fishes can be sensitive to environmental fluctuations, which influence both availability of food resources and metabolic rate, and thus nutritional requirements. Impacts on herbivore nutritional ecology may result from seasonal variations in temperature and meteoceanographic shifts such as wind-induced upwelling events. We evaluated the effects of seasonal changes on the nutritional ecology of 3 nominally herbivorous fishes (Acanthurus chirurgus, Sparisoma axillare and Kyphosus vaigiensis) in a subtropical rocky reef on the southeastern Brazilian coast using a combination of gut content analysis (at 2 scales of magnification) and stable isotope analysis. Sampling of in situ water temperature covered both patterns of seasonal variation in sea surface temperature, and seasonal occurrence of upwelling. Local upwelling occurred throughout the year but less frequently in winter. Diet and isotopic niche displayed little seasonal variation. Species-specific patterns of seasonal variation indicated distinct responses to environmental fluctuations. Temperature alone cannot explain the locality-specific variation in the nutritional ecology of herbivorous reef fish, and contrary to predictions that digestion in herbivorous fishes is impaired by cooler temperatures, no significant shifts in species’ nutritional ecology were detected.

Item ID:	82767
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1616-1599
Copyright Information:	© Inter-Research 2023.
Date Deposited:	15 May 2024 01:12
FoR Codes:	31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3103 Ecology > 310305 Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) @ 100%
SEO Codes:	28 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 2801 Expanding knowledge > 280102 Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences @ 100%
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