Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Feeding guild structure of a rocky intertidal fish assemblage in central Chile

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

Abstract

The identification and analysis of the guild structure of vertebrate assemblages has played a fundamental role in the understanding of the underlying mechanisms responsible for their community organization and structuring. This approach generally has not been undertaken for temperate water intertidal fish assemblages. In central Chile, fishes are important components of the intertidal community, but no studies attempting to understand their organization and structuring have been done. In the present study, the diets of 13 of the most abundant species which inhabit tidepools in the rocky intertidal zone of central Chile were determined. A total of 660 fishes was collected at 5 sites: Los Molles, Con-Cón, Quintay, El Tabo, and Las Cruces. Dietary overlap between all species pairs was calculated and a phenogram of dietary similarity was constructed and analyzed using a bootstrapping technique to objectively determine guild membership. The results showed that the intertidal fish assemblage of central Chile can be divided into three feeding guilds: two guilds consisting of carnivorous species and one guild of omnivorous and herbivorous species. The possible causes and implications of the resulting guild structure and the potential effects of predation by these fishes on other components of the intertidal community are discussed.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References cited

  • Barry, J.P., M.M. Yorlavich, G.M. Calliet, D.A. Ambrose & B.S. Antrim. 1996. Trophic ecology of the dominant fishes in Elkhorn Slough, California, 1974–1980. Estuaries 19: 115–138.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beckley, L.E. 1985. Tide-pool fishes: recolonization after experimental elimination. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 85: 287–295.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bennett, B.A. & C.L. Griffiths. 1984. Factors affecting the distribution, abundance and diversity of rock pool fishes on the Cape Peninsula, South Africa. S. Afr. J. Zool. 12: 97–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bennett, B.A., C.L. Griffiths & M.L. Penrith. 1983. The diets of littoral fish from the Cape Peninsula (South Africa). S. Afr. J. Zool. 18: 343–352.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradley, R.A. & D.W. Bradley. 1985. Don non-random patterns of species in niche space imply competition? Oikos 45: 443–446.

    Google Scholar 

  • Castilla, J.C. & R.T. Paine. 1987. Predation and community organization on eastern Pacific temperate zone, rocky intertidal shores. Revista Chilena Historia Natural 60: 131–151.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cervigón, F., G. Pequeño & C.A. Moreno. 1979. Descripción de Calliclinus nudiventris nov. sp. y notas adicionales sobre C. geniguttatus (Pisces: Clinidae) de Chile. Medio Ambiente (Chile) 4: 40–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Choat, J.H. 1982. Fish feeding and the structure of the benthic communities in temperate waters. Ann. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 13: 423–449.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collette, B.B. 1986. Resilience of the fish assemblage in New England tidepools. U.S. Fish. Bull. 84: 200–204.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dethier, M.N. 1980. Tidepools as refuges: predation and the limits of the harpacticoid copepod Tigriopus californicus (Baker) J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 42: 99–111.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibson, R.N. 1982. Recent studies on the biology of intertidal fishes. Oceanogr. Mar. Biol. Ann. Rev. 20: 367–414.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grossman, G.D. 1982. Dynamics and organization of a rocky intertidal fish assemblage: the persistence and resilience of taxocene structure. Amer. Nat. 119: 611–637.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grossman, G.D. 1986. Food resource partitioning in a rocky intertidal fish assemblage. J. Zool. London (B) 1: 317–355.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holmes, R.T., R.E. Bonney & S.W. Pacala. 1979. Guild structure of the Hubbard Brook bird community: a multivariate approach. Ecology 60: 512–520.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horn, M.H. & R.N. Gibson. 1988. Intertidal fishes. Scientific American 258: 54–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Inzunza, A.J. & G. Pequeño. 1988. Aspectos trófico-adaptativos y reafirmación de dos especies en el genero Calliclinus Gill 1860 (Osteichthys, Clinidae). Boletín de la Sociedad de Biología de Concepción (Chile) 59: 69–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaksic, F.M. 1981. Abuse and misuse of the term ”guild” in ecological studies. Oikos 37: 397–400.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaksic, F.M. & R. Medel. 1987. El acuchillamiento de datos como método de obtención de intervalos de confianza y de prueba de hipótesis para índices ecológicos. Medio Ambiente (Chile) 8: 95–103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaksic, F.M. & R. Medel. 1990. Objective recognition of guilds: testing for statistically significant species clusters. Oecologia 82: 87–92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaksic, F.M., P. Feinsinger & J.E. Jiménez. 1993. A long-term study on the dynamics of guild structure among predatory vertebrates at a semi-arid Neotropical site. Oikos 67: 87–96.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, G.D. & R.A. Fritzche. 1989. Graus nigra: a non-herbivorous Girellid, with comments on the relationships of the Girellidae (Pisces: Perciformes) Proceed. Acad. Nat. Sci. (Philadelphia) 141: 1–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kotrschal, K. & D.A. Thompson. 1986. Feeding patterns in eastern tropical Pacific blennioid fishes (Teleostei: Tripterygiidae, Labrisomidae, Chaenopsidae, Blenniidae). Oecologia 70: 367–378.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawlor, L.R. 1980. Structure and stability in natural and randomly constructed competitive communities. Amer. Nat. 116: 394–408.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levins, R. 1968. Evolution in changing environments. Princeton University Press. Princeton, New Jersey. 120 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakamura, R. 1976. Experimental assessment of factors influencing microhabitat selection by the two tidepool fishes Oligocottus maculosus and O. snyderi. Mar. Biol. 37: 97–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oyarzún, F. & G. Pequeño. 1989. Sinopsis de Blenniidae de Chile (Osteichthyes, Perciformes). Gayana Zoología (Chile) 53: 3–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pianka, E.R. 1973. The structure of lizard communities. Ann. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 4: 53–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pianka, E.R. 1980. Guild structure in desert lizards. Oikos 35: 194–201.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prochazka, K. & C.L. Griffiths. 1992. The intertidal fish fauna of the west of South Africa: species, community and biogeographic patterns. S. Afr. J. Zool. 27: 115–120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Root, R.B. 1967. The niche exploitation pattern of the blue-gray gnatcatcher. Ecol. Monogr. 37: 317–350.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ross, S.T. 1986. Resource partitioning in fish assemblages: a review of field studies. Copeia 1986: 352–388.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schoener, T.W. 1974. Resource partitioning in ecological communities. Science 185: 27–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Siegel, S. & N.J. Castellan. 1988. Nonparametric statistics for the behavioral sciences. McGraw Hill, New York. 399 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stephens, J.S. Jr, R.K. Johnson, G.S. Key & J.E. McCosker. 1970. The comparative ecology of three sympatric species of California blennies of the genus Hypsoblennius Gill (Teleostomi, Blenniidae). Ecol. Monogr. 40: 213–233.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stephens, J.S. Jr. & V.G. Springer. 1973. Clinid fishes of Chile and Peru, with descriptions of a new species, Myxodes ornatus from Chile. Smith. Contr. Zool. 159: 1–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stepien, C.A. 1990. Population structure, diets and biogeographic relationships of a rocky intertidal fish assemblage in central Chile: high levels of herbivory in a temperate system. Bull. Mar. Sci. 47: 598–612.

    Google Scholar 

  • Strauss, R.E. 1982. Statistical significance of species clusters in association analysis. Ecology 63: 634–639.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomson, D.A. & C.E. Lehner. 1976. Resilience of a rocky intertidal fish community in a physically unstable environment. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 22: 1–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Varas, E. & F.P. Ojeda. 1990. Intertidal fish assemblages of the central Chilean coast: diversity, abundance and trophic patterns. Revista de Biología Marina (Valparaíso) 25: 59–70

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, J.T. 1990. Phylogenetic relationships and revision of the blenniid fish genus Scartichthys. Smith. Contr. Zool. 492: 1–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yoshiyama, R.M. 1980. Food habits of three species of rocky intertidal sculpins (Cottidae) in central California. Copeia 1980: 515–525.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yoshiyama, R.M. 1981. Distribution and abundance patterns of rocky intertidal fishes in central California. Env. Biol. Fish. 6: 315–332.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yoshiyama, R.M., C. Sassaman & R.N. Lea. 1986. Rocky intertidal fish communities of California: temporal and spatial variation. Env. Biol. Fish. 17: 23–40.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile

    Alejandro A. Muñoz & F. Patricio Ojeda

Authors
  1. Alejandro A. Muñoz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. F. Patricio Ojeda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Muñoz, A.A., Ojeda, F.P. Feeding guild structure of a rocky intertidal fish assemblage in central Chile. Environmental Biology of Fishes 49, 471–479 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007305426073

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007305426073

Search

Navigation