Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The functional role of tabular structures for large reef fishes: avoiding predators or solar irradiance?

  • Report
  • Published:
Coral Reefs Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Large reef fishes may often be seen sheltering under tabular structures on coral reefs. There are two principle explanations for this behaviour: avoidance of predation or avoidance of solar irradiance. This study sought supporting evidence to distinguish between these two explanations by examining the usage of tabular structures on a shallow mid-shelf reef of the Great Barrier Reef at midday and sunset. If predation avoidance is most important, usage should increase towards sunset; conversely, if avoidance of solar radiation is most important, more fishes should use cover at midday. Underwater video observations revealed that tabular structures were extensively used by large reef fishes at midday, being characterised by numerous species, especially Lutjanidae and Haemulidae. In contrast, at sunset, tabular structures were used by significantly fewer large reef fishes, being characterised mostly by species of unicornfish (Naso spp.). Resident times of fishes using tabular structures were also significantly longer at midday (28:06 ± 5:55 min) than at sunset (07:47 ± 2:19 min). The results suggest that the primary function of tabular structures for large reef fishes is the avoidance of solar irradiance. This suggestion is supported by the position of fishes when sheltering. The majority of large reef fishes were found to shelter under the lip of tabular structure, facing outwards. This behaviour is thought to allow protection from harmful downwelling UV-B irradiance while allowing the fish to retain photopic vision and survey more of the surrounding area. These findings help to explain the importance of tabular structures for large reef fishes on coral reefs, potentially providing a valuable energetic refuge from solar irradiance.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

References

  • Almany GR (2004) Does increased habitat complexity reduce predation and competition in coral reef fish assemblages? Oikos 106:275–284

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blazer VS, Fabacher DL, Little EE, Ewing MS, Kocan KM (1997) Effects of Ultraviolet-B Radiation on Fish: Histologic Comparison of a UVB-Sensitive and a UVB-Tolerant Species. J Aquat Anim Health 9:132–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bshary R, Hohner A, Ait-el-Djoudi K, Fricke H (2006) Interspecific communicative and coordinated hunting between groupers and giant moray eels in the Red Sea. PLoS Biol 4:e431

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bunt CM, Kingsford MJ (2014) Movement, habitat utilization and behaviour of coral trout Plectropomus leopardus during and after the reproductive period on the southern Great Barrier Reef. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 496:33–45

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chambers SD, Sikkel PC (2002) Diel emergence patterns of ecologically important, fish-parasitic, gnathiid isopod larvae on Caribbean coral reefs. Caribb J Sci 38:37–43

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark RD, Pittman SJ, Caldow C, Christensen J, Roque B, Appeldoorn RS, Monaco ME (2009) Nocturnal fish movement and trophic flow across habitat boundaries in a coral reef ecosystem (SW Puerto Rico). Caribb J Sci 45:282–303

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark TD, Sandblom E, Jutfelt F (2013) Aerobic scope measurements of fishes in an era of climate change: respirometry, relevance and recommendations. J Exp Biol 216:2771–2782

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen JL (1990) Adaptations for scotopic vision in the lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris). J Exp Zool 256:76–84

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coile AM, Sikkel PC (2013) An experimental field test of susceptibility to ectoparasitic gnathiid isopods among Caribbean reef fishes. Parasitology 140:888–896

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cowman PF, Bellwood DR, van Herwerden L (2009) Dating the evolutionary origins of wrasse lineages (Labridae) and the rise of trophic novelty on coral reefs. Mol Phylogenet Evol 52:621–631

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cribb TH, Anderson GR, Dove ADM (2000) Pomphorhynchus heronensis and restricted movement of Lutjanus carponotatus on the Great Barrier Reef. J Helminthol 74:53–56

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Danilowicz BS, Sale PF (1999) Relative intensity of predation on the French grunt, Haemulon flavolineatum, during diurnal, dusk, and nocturnal periods on a coral reef. Mar Biol 133:337–343

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eckes MJ, Siebeck UE, Dove S, Grutter AS (2008) Ultraviolet sunscreens in reef fish mucus. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 353:203

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Falkowski PG, Jokiel PL, Kinzie R (1990) Irradiance and corals. In: Dubinsky Z (ed) Ecosystems of the world v 3: Coral reefs. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 89–107

    Google Scholar 

  • Farmer NA, Ault JS (2011) Grouper and snapper movements and habitat use in Dry Tortugas, Florida. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 433:169–184

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gardner RC, MacDonald PL (2000) Type I error rate comparisons of post hoc procedures for I J Chi square tables. Educ Psychol Meas 60:735–754

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graham NAJ, Nash KL (2013) The importance of structural complexity in coral reef ecosystems. Coral Reefs 32:315–326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gregg WW, Carder K (1990) A simple spectral solar irradiance model for cloudless maritime atmospheres. Limnol Oceanogr 35:1657–1675

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gruber SH, Nelson DR, Morrissey JF (1988) Patterns of activity and space utilization of lemon sharks, Negaprion Brevirostris, in a shallow bahamian lagoon. Bull Mar Sci 43:61–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Grutter AS (1998) Habitat-related differences in the abundance of parasites from a coral reef fish: an indication of the movement patterns of Hemigymnus melapterus. J Fish Biol 53:49–57

    Google Scholar 

  • Harborne A, Mumby P, Kennedy E, Ferrari R (2011) Biotic and multi-scale abiotic controls of habitat quality: their effect on coral-reef fishes. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 437:201–214

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heithaus MR, Wirsing AJ, Burkholder D, Thomson J, Dill LM (2009) Towards a predictive framework for predator risk effects: the interaction of landscape features and prey escape tactics. J Anim Ecol 78:556–562

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Helfman GS (1986) Fish behaviour by day, night and twilight. In: Pitcher TJ (ed) The behaviour of teleost fishes. Springer, USA, pp 366–387

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Hixon MA, Beets JP (1993) Predation, prey refuges, and the structure of coral-reef fish assemblages. Ecol Monogr 63:77–101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hobson ES (1972) Activity of Hawaiian reef fishes during the evening and morning transitions between daylight and darkness. Fish Bull 70:715–740

    Google Scholar 

  • Hobson ES (1974) Feeding relationships of teleostean fishes on coral reefs in Kona, Hawaii. Fish Bull 72:915–1031

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoey AS, Bellwood DR (2009) Limited functional redundancy in a high diversity system: single species dominates key ecological process on coral reefs. Ecosystems 12:1316–1328

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karkarey R, Kelkar N, Lobo AS, Alcoverro T, Arthur R (2014) Long-lived groupers require structurally stable reefs in the face of repeated climate change disturbances. Coral Reefs 33:289–302

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kerry JT, Bellwood DR (2012) The effect of coral morphology on shelter selection by coral reef fishes. Coral Reefs 31:415–424

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kerry JT, Bellwood DR (2014) Do tabular corals constitute keystone structures on coral reefs? Coral Reefs 33:289–302

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loew E, McFarland W (1990) The underwater visual environment. In: Douglas R, Djamgoz M (eds) The Visual System of Fish. Springer, Netherlands, pp 1–43

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Losey GS, Cronin TW, Goldsmith TH, Hyde D, Marshall NJ, McFarland WN (1999) The UV visual world of fishes: a review. J Fish Biol 54:921–943

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacNeil MA, Graham NAJ, Polunin NVC, Kulbicki M, Galzin R, Harmelin-Vivien M, Rushton SP (2009) Hierarchical drivers of reef-fish metacommunity structure. Ecology 90:252–264

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marshall NJ (2000) The Visual Ecology of Reef Fish Colours. In: Espmark Y, Amundsen T, Rosenquist G (eds) Animal Signals. Tapir Academic Press, Trondheim, pp 83–120

    Google Scholar 

  • Marshell A, Mills JS, Rhodes KL, McIlwain J (2011) Passive acoustic telemetry reveals highly variable home range and movement patterns among unicornfish within a marine reserve. Coral Reefs 30:631–642

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCormick MI, Manassa R (2008) Predation risk assessment by olfactory and visual cues in a coral reef fish. Coral Reefs 27:105–113

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McFarland WN (1990) Light in the sea: the optical world of elasmobranchs. J Exp Zool 256:3–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McFarland WN, Munz FW (1975) Part II: the photic environment of clear tropical seas during the day. Vision Res 15:1063–1070

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McFarland WN, Ogden JC, Lythgoe JN (1979) The influence of light on the twilight migrations of grunts. Env Biol Fish 4:9–22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McFarland WN, Wahl C, Suchaneck T, McLary F (1999) The behaviour of animals around twilight with emphasis on coral reef communities. In: Archer S, Djamgoz MB, Loew ER, Partridge JC, Vallerga S (eds) The Adaptive Mechanisms in the Ecology of Vision. Kluwer Academic, London, pp 583–628

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • McKibben JN, Nelson DR (1986) Patterns of movement and grouping of gray reef sharks, Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos, at Enewetak, Marshall Islands. Bull Mar Sci 38:89–110

    Google Scholar 

  • Munz FW, McFarland WN (1973) The significance of spectral position in the rhodopsins of tropical marine fishes. Vision Res 13:1829-IN1821

  • Nagelkerken I, Dorenbosch M, Verberk WC, Cocheret de la Moriniere E, van Der Velde G (2000) Day-night shifts of fishes between shallow-water biotopes of a Caribbean bay, with emphasis on the nocturnal feeding of Haemulidae and Lutjanidae. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 194:55–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • NOAA (2014) NOAA Solar Calculator. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/grad/solcalc/

  • Pittman SJ, McAlpine CA (2003) Movements of marine fish and decapod crustaceans: process, theory and application Advances in Marine Biology. Academic Press, pp 205–294

  • Pratchett MS, Hoey AS, Wilson SK (2014) Reef degradation and the loss of critical ecosystem goods and services provided by coral reef fishes. Curr Opin Environ Sustain 7:37–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pratchett MS, Munday PL, Wilson SK, Graham NAJ, Cinner JE, Bellwood DR, Jones GP, Polunin NVC, McClanahan TR (2008) Effects of climate-induced coral bleaching on coral-reef fishes - ecological and economic consequences. Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 46:251–296

    Google Scholar 

  • Randall JE, Allen GR, Steene RC (1997) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford Publishing House, Bathurst

    Google Scholar 

  • Shulman MJ (1985) Recruitment of coral reef fishes: effects of distribution of predators and shelter. Ecology:1056–1066

  • Smith R, Prezelin B, Baker K, Bidigare R, Boucher N, Coley T, Karentz D, MacIntyre S, Matlick H, Menzies D, Ondrusek M, Wan Z, Waters K (1992) Ozone depletion: ultraviolet radiation and phytoplankton biology in antarctic waters. Science 255:952–959

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sweet M, Kirkham N, Bendall M, Currey L, Bythell J, Heupel M (2012) Evidence of melanoma in wild marine fish populations. PLoS One 7:e41989

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vail AL, Manica A, Bshary R (2013) Referential gestures in fish collaborative hunting. Nat Commun 4:1765

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vergés A, Vanderklift MA, Doropoulos C, Hyndes GA (2011) Spatial patterns in herbivory on a coral reef are influenced by structural complexity but not by algal traits. PLoS One 6:e17115

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vianna GMS, Meekan MG, Meeuwig JJ, Speed CW (2013) Environmental influences on patterns of vertical movement and site fidelity of grey reef sharks (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) at aggregation sites. PLoS One 8:e60331

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wetherbee BM, Crow GL, Lowe CG (1997) Distribution, reproduction and diet of the gray reef shark Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos in Hawaii. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 151:181–189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitney NM, Papastamatiou YP, Holland KN, Lowe CG (2007) Use of an acceleration data logger to measure diel activity patterns in captive whitetip reef sharks, Triaenodon obesus. Aquat Living Resour 20:299–305

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson SK, Graham NAJ, Pratchett MS, Jones GP, Polunin NVC (2006) Multiple disturbances and the global degradation of coral reefs: are reef fishes at risk or resilient? Glob Chang Biol 12:2220–2234

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Young MAL, Bellwood DR (2012) Fish predation on sea urchins on the Great Barrier Reef. Coral Reefs 31:731–738

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zamzow JP, Losey GS (2002) Ultraviolet radiation absorbance by coral reef fish mucus: photo-protection and visual communication. Environ Biol Fish 63:41–47

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zamzow JP, Siebeck UE, Eckes MJ, Grutter AS (2013) Ultraviolet-B wavelengths regulate changes in UV absorption of cleaner fish Labroides dimidiatus mucus. PLoS One 8:e78527

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zeller DC (1997) Home range and activity patterns of the coral trout Plectropomus leopardus (Serranidae). Mar Ecol Prog Ser 154:65–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was conducted on Jiigurru in the traditional sea country of the Dingaal people. Thanks to S. Bainbridge, L. Grutter, A. Hoey and N. J. Marshall for helpful discussions, Alastair Harborne and two anonymous reviewers for constructive feedback, E. McClure for assistance in the field and helpful discussions, and the staff of Lizard Island Research Station (A facility of the Australian Museum) for invaluable support and facilities. Funding for the project was provided by the Australian Research Council (DRB) and a James Cook University GRS grant (JTK). Research was conducted under GBRMPA permit #G11/33857.1.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia

    J. T. Kerry & D. R. Bellwood

Authors
  1. J. T. Kerry
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. R. Bellwood
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. T. Kerry.

Additional information

Communicated by Ecology Editor Alastair Harborne

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 94 kb)

Supplementary material 2 (WMV 15467 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kerry, J.T., Bellwood, D.R. The functional role of tabular structures for large reef fishes: avoiding predators or solar irradiance?. Coral Reefs 34, 693–702 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-015-1275-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-015-1275-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation