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Diel behaviour and trophic ecology of Scolopsis bilineatus (Nemipteridae)

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Abstract

Nemipterids are ubiquitous mid-sized fishes on Indo-Pacific reefs. We investigated the trophic ecology of the nemipterid species Scolopsis bilineatus at two locations on the Great Barrier Reef: One Tree Island and Orpheus Island. Fish ate a variety of benthic invertebrate taxa represented by rank: polychaetes, ophuiroids, sipunculids, nemerteans and small crustaceans. Polychaetes dominated the diet of fish of all sizes. Feeding behaviour and habitat utilization varied with the size of fish. Juveniles fed diurnally and adults nocturnally. Most juveniles fed rapidly in sand and rubble habitat during the day. In contrast, adults occupied shelter sites during the day, but dispersed onto sand to feed at night. A manipulative experiment demonstrated that small adult S. bilineatus exhibit opportunistic behaviour by responding to disturbance of the substratum for the purposes of feeding. Diurnal opportunistic feeding probably has a minimal influence on overall dietary intake. Identification of nocturnal feeding for adult S. bilineatus is of significant ecological importance, as nocturnal fishes often play unique and important roles in energy and nutrient cycling on reefs.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Lisa Boström-Einarsson, Emma Woodcock and numerous other volunteers for assistance with field work. Thanks to Mark O’Callaghan for assistance in many aspects of the project, including field and laboratory work, and to the station managers at One Tree Island and Orpheus Island Research Stations for logistical support. Thanks also to Jess Hopf and Susannah Leahy, who helped with statistical advice, and to two anonymous reviewers for constructive advice. Funding was supplied by an ARC grant to MJK, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies. This is a contribution from the Reef and Ocean Ecology Laboratory, James Cook University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia

    A. E. Boaden

  2. School of Marine and Tropical Biology and Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia

    M. J. Kingsford

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  1. A. E. Boaden
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  2. M. J. Kingsford
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Correspondence to A. E. Boaden.

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Boaden, A.E., Kingsford, M.J. Diel behaviour and trophic ecology of Scolopsis bilineatus (Nemipteridae). Coral Reefs 31, 871–883 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-012-0903-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-012-0903-2

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