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The effects of distance from coral reefs on seagrass nursery use by 5 emperor fishes at the southern Ryukyu Islands, Japan

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Abstract

Whilst the importance of seagrass beds as nurseries for coral reef fishes has been clearly recognized, the vast majority of early studies on fish nursery habitats emphasized the close proximity of the latter to coral reefs. To determine the potential nursery role of isolated seagrass beds, we investigated the degree to which juvenile emperor fishes (Lethrinidae) utilized seagrass beds in the presence/absence of adjacent coral habitats at Ishigaki Island (southern Japan), such fishes being known to use seagrass beds as nurseries. Seagrass beds in close proximity to coral habitats (distance between the two habitats of 50–200 m) had greater densities of lethrinid juveniles than those without adjacent coral habitats (2.5–4 km) for 3 different sites investigated, although a significant difference was obtained only for 1 site. Juveniles of Lethrinus atkinsoni, L. obsoletus, L. harak, and L. nebulosus were observed in seagrass beds with and without adjacent coral habitats, whereas L. ornatus occurred only in the former. Overall, most lethrinid juveniles utilize seagrass beds irrespective of the presence of adjacent adult coral habitat, suggesting that both types of seagrass beds would contribute to lethrinid adult populations. Therefore, management efforts for lethrinid populations should be applied not only to contiguous coral-seagrass habitat systems but also to isolated habitats.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Yoshitake Takada, Osamu Abe, Miyako Kobayashi, Hiroyoshi Kohno, Ken Sakihara, the Seikai National Fisheries Research Institute, and Okinawa Regional Research Center (Tokai University) for assistance in the fieldwork. Constructive comments on the manuscript from G. Hardy and anonymous reviewers were much appreciated. This study was undertaken as project “F-5 Study on the selection of biodiversity conservation area of the coral reef (FY2003-FY2005),” funded by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment and supported in part by the 21st Century COE Program of the University of the Ryukyus.

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Author notes

  1. Yohei Nakamura

    Present address: Graduate School of Kuroshio Science, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8502, Japan

  2. Mitsuhiko Sano

    Present address: Department of Ecosystem Studies, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan

  3. Takuro Shibuno

    Present address: National Research Institute of Aquaculture, Minami-ise, Mie, 516-0193, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Ecology and Systematic, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa, 903-0213, Japan

    Yohei Nakamura

  2. Research Center for Coastal Lagoon Environments, Shimane University, Matsue, Shimane, 690-8504, Japan

    Masahiro Horinouchi

  3. Department of Global Agricultural Sciences, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan

    Mitsuhiko Sano

  4. Ishigaki Tropical Station, Seikai National Fisheries Research Institute, Ishigaki, Okinawa, 907-0451, Japan

    Takuro Shibuno

Authors
  1. Yohei Nakamura
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  2. Masahiro Horinouchi
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  3. Mitsuhiko Sano
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  4. Takuro Shibuno
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Correspondence to Yohei Nakamura.

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Nakamura, Y., Horinouchi, M., Sano, M. et al. The effects of distance from coral reefs on seagrass nursery use by 5 emperor fishes at the southern Ryukyu Islands, Japan. Fish Sci 75, 1401–1408 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-009-0163-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-009-0163-4

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