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

Robert F. Semmler; Nathan J. Sanders; Paul J. CaraDonna; Andrew H Baird; Xin Jing; James P.W. Robinson; Nicholas A.J. Graham; Sally A Keith

doi:10.1111/1365-2656.13796

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

Robert F. Semmler^*, Nathan J. Sanders, Paul J. CaraDonna, Andrew H Baird, Xin Jing, James P.W. Robinson, Nicholas A.J. Graham, Sally A Keith

^*Corresponding author for this work

Program in Biological Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Scopus citations

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.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	2125-2134
Number of pages	10
Journal	Journal of Animal Ecology
Volume	91
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13796
State	Published - Oct 2022

Funding

This work was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council [SAK, grant number NE/S00050X/1] and Villum Fonden (SAK, grant number 10114). For field assistance and logistical support, we thank T. Naruse and R. Yoshida of the University of the Ryukyus Iriomote Field Station. We would also like to thank Lancaster University Faculty of Science and Technology for funding this work under a PhD Fellowship (RFS). Additional funding was provided by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (AHB).

Keywords

bottom-up effects
coral bleaching
dietary preferences
foraging behaviour
resource partitioning

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Animal Science and Zoology

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1111/1365-2656.13796

Cite this

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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 = "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",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council [SAK, grant number NE/S00050X/1] and Villum Fonden (SAK, grant number 10114). For field assistance and logistical support, we thank T. Naruse and R. Yoshida of the University of the Ryukyus Iriomote Field Station. We would also like to thank Lancaster University Faculty of Science and Technology for funding this work under a PhD Fellowship (RFS). Additional funding was provided by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (AHB). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology published by John Wiley \& Sons Ltd on behalf of British Ecological Society.",

year = "2022",

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doi = "10.1111/1365-2656.13796",

language = "English (US)",

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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

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council [SAK, grant number NE/S00050X/1] and Villum Fonden (SAK, grant number 10114). For field assistance and logistical support, we thank T. Naruse and R. Yoshida of the University of the Ryukyus Iriomote Field Station. We would also like to thank Lancaster University Faculty of Science and Technology for funding this work under a PhD Fellowship (RFS). Additional funding was provided by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (AHB). Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Ecological Society.

PY - 2022/10

Y1 - 2022/10

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 - bottom-up effects

KW - coral bleaching

KW - dietary preferences

KW - foraging behaviour

KW - resource partitioning

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ER -

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

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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