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Use of pelagic prey subsidies by demersal predators in rocky reefs: insight from movement patterns of lingcod

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Abstract

Allochthonous subsidies of energy and nutrients can affect community structure in patchy marine habitats, including rocky reefs, and their ecological consequences may depend on the mechanism of energy transfer. Lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) are demersal predators that trophically link nearshore rocky reefs with offshore pelagic habitats through consumption of pelagic fishes. We quantified lingcod habitat use and movement patterns to make inferences about the temporal and spatial conditions under which lingcod may acquire pelagic prey. Lingcod maintained small home ranges (21,272 ± 13,630 m2) within a rocky reef in the San Juan Archipelago, Washington; eight of nine individuals used rocky habitat exclusively. Depths occupied by lingcod (0–50 m) coincided with pelagic fish distribution on the rocky reef; however, diel patterns in lingcod activity varied inversely with occurrence of pelagic fishes on the reef. Our findings suggest that the pelagic subsidy to lingcod is not strongly mediated through directed off-reef foraging by lingcod.

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Acknowledgments

Funding for A.H.B. and field work was provided by the National Science Foundation, ARCS Foundation, and the University of Washington School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. Thanks to Friday Harbor Laboratories, T. Quinn, D. Beauchamp, and W. Ruef for facilities and equipment and H.G. Greene and C. Endris at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories for habitat and bathymetry data. P. Levin, K. Andrews, G. Williams, and N. Tolimieri of NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center provided field assistance and helpful discussion. Thanks to anonymous reviewers, D. Beauchamp, A. Frid, D. Gunderson, M. Logsdon, S. Parker-Stetter, E. Schoen, and J. Ruesink for their valuable comments. We thank A. Dufault for his excellent work as a field assistant and many volunteers who participated in field sampling, especially C. Sergeant, K. Matterson, K. Turner, N. Overman, and P. Kitaeff. The research complies with all applicable United States laws, and the authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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  1. School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Box 355020, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA

    A. H. Beaudreau & T. E. Essington

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  1. A. H. Beaudreau
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Correspondence to A. H. Beaudreau.

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Communicated by D. Goulet.

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Beaudreau, A.H., Essington, T.E. Use of pelagic prey subsidies by demersal predators in rocky reefs: insight from movement patterns of lingcod. Mar Biol 158, 471–483 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-010-1574-6

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