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Temperature effects on herbivory for an Indo-Pacific parrotfish in Panamá: implications for coral–algal competition

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Abstract

An assumption that a positive relationship exists between temperature and herbivorous fish grazing rates in coral reef environments has been used to explain seasonal and latitudinal trends in herbivore pressure. However, this assumption has not been systematically quantified over short-term (hours–days) changes in temperature, avoiding the confounding influences that can occur on seasonal or latitudinal scales. This study measured grazing activities of the pan Indo-Pacific parrotfish Scarus ghobban over short-term changes in temperature in upwelling and non-upwelling environments on the Pacific coast of Panamá. Individual juvenile fish were followed over naturally varying temperatures to determine their bite rates (bites min−1), the foray frequency (forays min−1) and bites per foray. In the upwelling environment, there was a significant positive correlation between temperature and bite rate (R Partial = 0.63, P < 0.0001) and there was a marked fourfold change in bite rates over the range of temperatures encountered in the study (21.2–29.4°C). Bites per foray were also positively correlated to temperature (R partial = 0.27, P < 0.0001), and tide height (R partial = 0.26, P < 0.001), whilst foray frequency was positively correlated to temperature (R partial = 0.63, P < 0.0001), but negatively to tide height (R partial = −0.31, P < 0.0001). The effect of temperature on grazing rates may explain differences in herbivore pressure across different thermal environments and may be a factor contributing to algal biomass increases in low-temperature coral reef environments.

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Acknowledgments

I wish to thank P. Glynn, P. Fong, R. Cowen, G. Hitchcock, J. Prince and S. Snedaker for valuable guidance on experimental design and comments to earlier drafts of the mauscript. M. Paddack, J. Blondeau, N. Idrisi and C. Faunce provided valuable discussion on scarid behavior and physiology, and data analysis. M. Wartian, N. Wartian, L. D’Croz and H. Lessios provided invaluable logistical support. A special thanks to J. Maté for the map templates and help with the temperature data and, most importantly, his patience and support. This manuscript was also improved by the comments of three anonymous reviewers. This study was made possible by a pre-doctoral fellowship from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institution, the National Science Foundation (Grant OCE−0002317 to P. Glynn), the University of Miami Maytag Fellowship and the RSMAS-University of Miami Alumni Fellowship.

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  1. Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL, 33149, USA

    T. B. Smith

  2. Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, University of the Virgin Islands, #2 John Brewer’s Bay, St. Thomas, 00802, US Virgin Islands

    T. B. Smith

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Smith, T.B. Temperature effects on herbivory for an Indo-Pacific parrotfish in Panamá: implications for coral–algal competition. Coral Reefs 27, 397–405 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-007-0343-6

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