Comparative analysis of foraging and habitat use by the sympatric Caribbean parrotfish Scarus vetuta and Sparisoma viride (Scaridae)

Abstract

On the fringing reef of Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, a comparative study was made of habitat use, diet selection, foraging behaviour and food acquisition of the parrotfish species Scarus vetula and Sparisoma viride. The species are sympatric and live in the same reef habitats (depth zones). Both species show similar foraging selectivity, but exploit algal resources differently. Preferred food items are turf algae on substrates infested with endolithic algae, whereas crustose corallines are avoided. Foraging preferences are related to yield, i.e. the amount of AFDW (ash-free dry weight), protein and energy that can be harvested per bite. Foraging behaviour differs between the species. S. vetula takes more bites in long forays, has higher bite rates (no, of bites s(-1)), and makes fewer and smaller scars on grazing substrates than S. viride. Furthermore, S. vetula prefers flat substrate surfaces while adult S. viride graze by preference on concave surfaces. Species-specific differences in preference and utilization of grazing substrates are related to feeding mode. S. vetula employs a scraping feeding mode by which mainly epilithic algae are ingested. In contrast, S. viride is an excavating grazer that ingests large amounts of endolithic and crustose algae. Intake and assimilation of algal AFDW, protein and energy were quantified through a combination of laboratory feeding trials and field observations. S. vetula has lower food intake (mg AFDW bite(-1)) than S. viride (0.8 x 10(-3) x fish wet wt, FWW, and 2.3 x 10(-3) x FWW respectively), resulting from smaller (shallower) bites. Assimilation efficiencies of total AFDW, protein and energy by S. vetula were higher than in S. viride grazing on the same dead coral substrates, In spite of different feeding modes and different fractions of the primary production harvested, daily amounts of assimilated nutrients and energy are similar for both species, resulting from higher feeding rates (no. of bites h(-1)) and higher assimilation efficiency in S. vetula.