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Intertidal habitat: does the shore level affect the nutritional condition of the shanny (Lipophrys pholis, Teleostei, Blenniidae)?

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Abstract

The nutritional condition of the shanny (Lipophrys pholis, Teleostei, Blenniidae), an intertidal fish, is affected by the shore level on whihc it dwells. Depending on the altitude within the intertidal, zone access to food is restricted for a certain time. A progressive decrease in the feeding time for an individual remaining on an increasingly higher shore level leads to a poorer nutritional condition compared to an individual staying at a lower shore level. Trade-off mechanisms between the feeding time and competition for space and/or predation pressure seem to be responsible for the still high abundance ofL. pholis on the upper shore. Possible consequences for growth and reproduction as well as distribution patterns are discussed.

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Wyttenbach, A., Senn, D.G. Intertidal habitat: does the shore level affect the nutritional condition of the shanny (Lipophrys pholis, Teleostei, Blenniidae)?. Experientia 49, 725–728 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01923961

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01923961

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