Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Comparative analysis of habitat use and ontogenetic habitat-shifts among coral reef damselfishes

  • Published:
Environmental Biology of Fishes Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Habitat characteristics play an important role in determining the structure of fish communities. The decline in fish diversity and abundance with the decline in coral diversity and cover may be explained by habitat specialisation and partitioning among reef fishes and/or preferences for particular corals that are susceptible to disturbance. These preferences may develop at different life history stages. Here, we investigated patterns of habitat specialisation and ontogenetic shifts in habitat preference among 14 co-existing damselfish species at Lizard Island lagoon on the Great Barrier Reef. Although live coral cover contributed only 26% of the substratum, 28% of adults and 57% of new settlers were mostly found on live coral, indicating a strong preference for live coral habitat by new settlers. Only a few species exhibited a high degree of habitat specialisation and low overlap in habitat use with other species. Specialisation differed among species and life stages. New settlers were more commonly associated with finely branched corymbose corals and using those habitats with higher frequency than expected based on habitat availability alone. Adults were more commonly linked to more open branching morphologies or non-coral substrata. Our results suggest that habitat loss may not uniformly impact on all life stages. While adult individuals may not be as reliant as juveniles on corals, detrimental effects of habitat loss on juvenile survival may have longer-term impacts on adult populations. As juveniles show preferential associations with particular coral species, such as corymbose corals, the loss of these growth forms is likely to have the most significant negative impacts on this critical life history stage.

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
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Attum O, Eason P, Cobbs G, Baha El Din SM (2006) Response of a desert lizard community to habitat degradation: Do ideas about habitat specialists/generalists hold? Biol Conserv 133:52–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bell JD, Galzin R (1984) Influence of live coral cover on coral-reef fish communities. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 15:265–274

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bellwood DR, Hoey AS, Ackerman JL, Depczynski M (2006) Coral bleaching, reef fish community phase shifts and the resilience of coral reefs. Glob Chang Biol 12:1587–1594

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ben-Tzvi O, Abelsont A, Polak O, Kiflawi M (2008) Habitat selection and the colonization of new territories by Chromis viridis. J Fish Biol 73(4):1005–1018

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beukers JS, Jones GP (1997) Habitat complexity modifies the impact of piscivorous on a coral reef fish population. Oecologia 114:50–59

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bonin MC (2012) Specializing on vulnerable habitat: Acropora selectivity among damselfish recruit and the risk of bleaching-induced habitat loss. Coral Reefs 31:287–297

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bonin M, Srinivasan M, Almany GR, Jones GP (2009) Interactive effects of interspecific competition and microhabitat on early post-settlement survival in a coral reef fish. Coral Reefs 28:265–274

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Booth DJ, Wellington G (1998) Settlement preferences in coral reef fishes: effects on patterns of adult and juvenile distributions, individual fitness and population structure. Aust J Ecol 23:274–279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bouchon-Navaro Y, Bouchon C (1989) Correlations between chaetodontid fishes and coral communities of the Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea). Environ Biol Fish 25(1–3):47–60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ceccarelli DM, Jones GP, McCook LJ (2001) Territorial damselfishes as determinants of the structure of benthic communities on coral reefs. Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 39:355–389

    Google Scholar 

  • Ceccarelli DM, Jones GP, McCook LJ (2005) Foragers versus farmers: contrasting effects of two behavioural groups of herbivores on coral reefs. Oecologia 145(3):445–453

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chabanet P, Ralambondrainy H, Amanieu M, Faure G, Galzine R (1997) Relationships between coral reef substrata and fish. Coral Reefs 16:93–102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chan S-W (2007) Ontogenetic changes in feeding ecology and habitat of the damselfish Neoglyphidodon melas at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection 146. https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/146

  • Cheal AJ, Macneil MA, Emslie MJ, Sweatman H (2017) The threat to coral reefs from more intense cyclones under climate change. Glob Chang Biol 23:1511–1524

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Coker DJ, Wilson SK, Pratchett MS (2014) Importance of live coral habitat for reef fishes. Rev Fish Biol Fish 24:89–126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De’ath G, Fabricius KE, Sweatman H, Puotinen M (2012) The 27–year decline of coral cover on the great barrier reef and its causes. PNAS 109(44):17995–17999

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Dean RL, Connell JH (1987) Marine invertebrates in an algal succession. III. Mechanisms linking habitat complexity with diversity. J Exp Mar Biol 109(3):249–273

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eurich JG, McCormick MI, Jones GP (2018) Habitat selection and aggression as determinants of fine-scale partitioning of coral reef zone in a guild of territorial damselfishes. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 587:201–215

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fabricius KE, De’ath G, Puotinen ML, Done T, Cooper TF, Burgess SC (2008) Disturbance gradients on inshore and offshore coral reefs caused by a severe tropical cyclone. Limnol Oceanogr 53:690–704

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feary DA, Almany GR, McCormick MI, Jones GP (2007) Habitat choice, recruitment and the response of coral reef fishes to coral degradation. Oecologia 153(3):727–737

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ford HA, Barrett GW, Saunders DA, Recher HF (2001) Why have birds in the woodlands of Southern Australia declined? Biol Conserv 97:71–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gardiner NM, Jones GP (2005) Habitat specialisation and overlap in a guild of coral reef cardinalfishes (Apogonidae). Mar Ecol Prog Ser 305:163–175

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giffin AL, Rueger T, Jones GP (2019) Ontogenetic shifts in microhabitat use and coral selectivity in three coral reef fishes. Environ Biol Fish 102(1):55–67

    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 

  • Graham NAJ, Wilson SK, Jennings S, Polunin NVC, Robinson J, Bijoux JP, Daw TM (2007) Lag effects in the impacts of mass coral bleaching on coral reef fish, fisheries, and ecosystems. Conserv Biol 21(5):1291–1300

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Graham NAJ, McClanahan TR, MacNeil MA, Wilson SK, Polunin NVC, Jennings S, Chabanet P, Clark S, Spalding MD, Letourneur Y, Bigot L, Galzin R, Ӧhman MC, Garpe KC, Edwards AJ, Sheppard CRC (2008) Climate warming, marine protected areas and the ocean-scale integrity of coral reef ecosystems. PLoS One 3(8):e3039. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0003039

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Herzon I, O’Hara RB (2007) Effects of landscape complexity on farmland birds in the Baltic States. Agricult Ecosyst Environ 118:297–306

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hixon MA, Beets JP (1989) Shelter characteristics and Caribbean fish assemblages – experiments with artificial reefs. Bull Mar Sci 44(2):666–680

    Google Scholar 

  • Hixon MA, Beets JP (1993) Predation, prey refuges, and the structure of coral reef fish assemblages. Ecol Mongr 63(1):77–101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoey AS, Bellwood DR (2010) Damselfish territories as a refuge for macroalgae on coral reefs. Coral Reefs 29:107–118

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holbrook SJ, Schmitt RJ, Ambrose RF (1990) Biogenic habitat structure and characteristics of temperate reef fish assemblages. Aust J Ecol 15(4):489–503

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holbrook SJ, Forrester GE, Schmitt RJ (2000) Spatial patterns in abundance of a damselfish reflect availability of suitable habitat. Oecologia 122(1):109–120

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Holbrook SJ, Brooks AJ, Schmitt RJ (2002a) Predictability of fish assemblages on coral patch reefs. Mar Freshw Res 53:181–188

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holbrook SJ, Brooks AJ, Schmitt RJ (2002b) Variation in structure attributes of patch-forming corals and in patterns of abundance of associated fishes. Mar Freshw Res 53:1045–1053

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Honda K, Nakamura Y, Nakaoka M, Uy WH, Fortes MD (2013) Habitat use by fishes in coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangrove habitats in the Philippines. PLoS One 8(8):e65735

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Hughes TP, Kerry JT, Álvarez-Noriega M, Álvarez-Romero JG, Anderson KD, Baird AH, Babcock RC, Beger M, Bellwood DR, Berkelmans R, Bridge TC, Butler IR, Byrne M, Cantin NE, Comeau S, Connolly SR, Cumming GS, Dalton SJ, Diaz-Pulido G, Eakin CM, Figueira WF, Gilmour JP, Harrison HB, Heron SF, Hoey AS, Hobbs JPA, Hoogenboom MO, Kennedy EV, Kuo CY, Lough JM, Lowe RJ, Liu G, McCulloch MT, Malcolm HA, McWilliam MJ, Pandolfi JM, Pears RJ, Pratchett MS, Schoepf V, Simpson T, Skirving WJ, Sommer B, Torda G, Wachenfeld DR, Willis BL, Wilson SK (2017) Global warming and recurrent mass bleaching of corals. Nature 543:373–377

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jankowski MW (2015) Relationships among depth distributions, habitat specialisation and demography in coral reef fish communities. PhD Thesis. James Cook University

  • Johns PM, Mann KH (1987) An experimental investigation of juvenile lobster habitat preference and mortality among habitats of varying structural complexity. J Exp Mar Biol 109(3):275–285

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johns KA, Osborne KO, Logan M (2014) Contrasting rates of coral recovery and reassembly in coral communities on the great barrier reef. Coral Reefs 33:553–563

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones GP (1991) Postrecruitment processes in the ecology of coral reef fish populations: a multifactorial perspective. In: Sale PF (ed) The ecology of fishes on coral reefs. Academic Press, San Diego, pp 294–328

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Jones GP (1997) Relationships between recruitment and postrecruitment processes in lagoonal populations of two coral reef fishes. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 213(2):231–246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones GP, McCormick MI, Srinivasan M, Eagle JV (2004) Coral decline threatens fish biodiversity. PNAS 101(21):8251–8253

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Jones GP, Santana L, McCook LJ, McCormick MI (2006) Resource use and impact of three herbivorous damselfishes on coral reef communities. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 328:215–224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kimirei IA, Nagelkerken I, Griffioen B, Wagner C, Mgaya YD (2011) Ontogenetic habitat use by mangrove/seagrass associatedcoral reef fishes shows flexibility in time and space. Estuar Coast Mar Sci 92(1):47–58

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kokita T, Nakazono A (2001) Rapid response of an obligatory corallivorous filefish Oxymonacanthus longirostris (Monacanthidae) to a mass coral bleaching event. Coral Reefs 20:155–158

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Komyakova V, Munday PL, Jones GP (2013) Relative importance of coral cover, habitat complexity and diversity in determining the structure of reef fish communities. PLoS One 8(12):e83178. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0083178

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Komyakova V, Jones GP, Munday PL (2018) Strong effects of coral species on the diversity and structure of reef fish communities: a multi-scale analysis. PLoS One 13(8):e0202206

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Krebs CJ (1999) Ecological methodology. 2nd edition. Addison Wesley Longman, Inc. Sydney. pp. 440-445

  • Lecchini D, Planes S, Galzin R (2007) The influence of habitat characteristics and conspecifics on attraction and survival of coral reef fish juveniles. J Exp Mar Biol 341:85–90

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacNally RC (1995) Ecological versatility and community ecology. Cambridge University Press, 435pp

  • Manly BFJ, McDonald LL, Thomas DL, McDonald TL, Erickson WP (2002) Resource selection by animals: statistical design and analysis for field studies, 2nd edn. Kluwer, Dordrecht

    Google Scholar 

  • McKinney ML (1997) Extinction vulnerability and selectivity: combining ecological and paleontological views. Annu Rev Ecol Evol Syst 28:495–516

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Messmer V, Jones GP, Munday PL, Holbrook SJ, Schmitt RJ, Brooks AJ (2011) Habitat biodiversity a determinant of fish community structure on coral reefs. Ecol 92:2285–2298

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Munday PL (2001) Fitness consequences of habitat use and competition among coral-dwelling fishes. Oecologia 128:585–593

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Munday PL (2002) Does habitat availability determine geographical-scale abundances of coral-dwelling fishes? Coral Reefs 21:105–116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Munday PL (2004) Habitat loss, resource specialization, and extinction on coral reefs. Glob Chang Biol 10:1642–1647

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Munday PL, Jones GP, Caley MJ (1997) Habitat specialisation and the distribution and abundance of coral-dwelling gobies. Mar Ecol Prog Ser1 52:227–239

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nakazawa T (2015) Ontogenetic niche shifts matter in community ecology: a review and future perspectives. Popul Ecol 5:347–354

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Öhman MC, Munday PL, Jones GP, Caley MJ (1998) Settlement strategies and distribution patterns of coral–reef fishes. J Exp Mar Biol 225:219–238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pandolfi JM, Jackson JBC, Baron N, Bradbury RH, Guzman HM et al (2005) Are U.S. coral reefs on the slippery slope to slime? Science 307:1725–1726

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pratchett MS, Wilson SK, Baird AH (2006) Declines in the abundance of Chaetodon butterflyfishes following extensive coral depletion. J Fish Biol 69:1269–1280

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pratchett MS, Berumen ML, Marnane MJ, Eagle JV, Pratchett DJ (2008b) Habitat associations of juvenile versus adult butterflyfishes. Coral Reefs 27:541–551

    Article  Google Scholar 

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

    Google Scholar 

  • Risk MJ (1972) Fish diversity on a coral reef in the Virgin Islands. Atoll Res Bull 153:1–6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmitt RJ, Holbrook SJ (2002) Correlates of spatial variation in settlement of two tropical damselfishes. Mar Freshw Res 53(2):329–337

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Snover ML (2008) Ontogenetic habitat shifts in marine organisms: influencing factors and the impact of climate variability. Bull Mar Sci 83(1):53–67

    Google Scholar 

  • Spalding MD, Jarvis GE (2002) The impact of the 1998 coral mortality on reef fish communities in the Seychelles. Mar Pollut Bull 44(4):309–321

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sweatman HPA (1983) Influence of conspecifics on choice of settlement sites by larvae of 2 Pomacentrid fishes (Dascyllus aruanus and Dascyllus reticulatus) on coral reefs. Mar Biol 75(2–3):225–229

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sweatman HPA (1985) The influence of adults of some coral-reef fishes on larval recruitment. Ecol Mongr 55(4):469–485

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson S, Bellwood DR (1997) Cryptic dietary components of territorial damselfishes (Pomacentridae, Labroidei). Mar Ecol Prog Ser 153:299–310

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

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

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson SK, Burgess SC, Cheal AJ, Emslie M, Fisher R, Miller I, Polunin NVC, Sweatman HPA (2008) Habitat utilization by coral reef fish: implications for specialists vs. generalists in a changing environment. J Anim Ecol 77:220–228

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was conducted in accordance with Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority requirements for non-extractive research and was compliant with James Cook University Code of Conduct for Research in the Great Barrier Reef. An authorisation for this limited impact, non-extractive research in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park was obtained from James Cook University (Authorisation letter number: MBA5). This study was conducted in compliance with the James Cook University Ethics Review Committee regulations (Ethics approval project number: A1124). We are grateful for the assistance in the field provide by K. Markey, A. Downing, O. O’shea and C. Johansson. We also thank M. Sheaves for his invaluable help with statistical analysis, Nikos Nikolioudakis for assistance with data visualisation and T. Coughlin for editorial comments. Financial support was provided by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia

    V. Komyakova, P. L. Munday & G. P. Jones

  2. Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia

    V. Komyakova

  3. School of Life and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia

    V. Komyakova

Authors
  1. V. Komyakova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. L. Munday
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. G. P. Jones
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to V. Komyakova.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Komyakova, V., Munday, P.L. & Jones, G.P. Comparative analysis of habitat use and ontogenetic habitat-shifts among coral reef damselfishes. Environ Biol Fish 102, 1201–1218 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-019-00903-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-019-00903-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation