EARLY POSTSETTLEMENT PREDATION ON THREE REEF FISHES: EFFECTS ON SPATIAL PATTERNS OF RECRUITMENT

Abstract

Marine organisms suffer extensive mortality just after settling from the plankton, yet, little is known about the role that predators play in causing this mortality. We estimated the rates of predation in the first 24 h, and the first week, after settlement in three species of reef fish. To estimate these rates we compared the accumulation of recent settlers on plots from which predators were excluded (by caging) to settlement on unmanipulated control plots. The magnitude of predation varied greatly among our three focal species, even though they are ecologically similar (all are small gobies that inhabit the reef/sand interface). Within 24 h of settlement, predators apparently killed 92% of settled blackeye gobies, 26% of bridled gobies, and 6% of goldspot gobies. Within a week, predation had significantly reduced recruitment of all three species and was the main cause of death during this period. We also tested whether predation on new settlers affected spatial patterns of abundance at two scales. At sm...