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Reef fish associations with sea urchins in an Atlantic oceanic island

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Abstract

Many reef fish are known to be associated with particular microhabitats that provide food and refuge, such as branching corals, gorgonians, macroalgal beds and sea urchins. We investigate the association of reef fishes with the long-spined sea urchin Diadema antillarum in shallow reefs of Trindade Island, southeastern Brazil. A total of 1283 fish individuals from seven families and nine species were associated with 495 sea urchins. Sea urchins provide important shelter especially for juveniles of the Noronha wrasse, Thalassoma noronhanum. Larger fishes were found at higher densities associated to sea urchins with larger spines. At reefs lacking structurally complex organisms, such as branching corals, sea urchins can be an important refuge for juveniles or small-bodied reef fish species, influencing their distribution and acting as ecosystem engineers.

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Acknowledgements

Financial support was provided by Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq/PROSPECMAR [381384/2014-4]; PELD–ILOC [403740/2012-6]). We thank the SECIRM-Brazilian Navy for logistical support. Rachel Bellas for English editing. OJ Luiz, GC Cardozo-Ferreira and JP Quimbayo provided comments on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Vinicius J. Giglio

  2. Reef Systems Ecology and Conservation Lab, Departamento de Biologia Marinha, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Vinicius J. Giglio, Moysés C. Barbosa, César A. M. M. Cordeiro & Carlos E. L. Ferreira

  3. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Bahia, Brazil

    Maria L. F. Ternes

  4. Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Santa Catarina, Brazil

    Sergio R. Floeter

Authors
  1. Vinicius J. Giglio
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  2. Maria L. F. Ternes
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  3. Moysés C. Barbosa
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  4. César A. M. M. Cordeiro
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  5. Sergio R. Floeter
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  6. Carlos E. L. Ferreira
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vinicius J. Giglio.

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Communicated by O. Aksel Bergstad

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Giglio, V.J., Ternes, M.L.F., Barbosa, M.C. et al. Reef fish associations with sea urchins in an Atlantic oceanic island. Mar Biodiv 48, 1833–1839 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-017-0677-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-017-0677-4

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