SOCIOBIOLOGY OF FEEDING BEHAVIOR OF CORAL FISH ALONG THE CORAL REEF OF THE GULF OF ELAT (=GULF OF 'Aqaba), RED SEA

Abstract

ABSTRACT Along the shallow-water coral reef habitats of the Gulf of Elat (=Gulf of 'Aqaba), Red Sea, various fish species form interspecific foraging ensembles, the composition of which changes during various tide situations and times of day. These aggregations are not only based on a common type of feeding and distribution, but also on interspecific behavioral mechanisms that elucidate the group-formation. One of these mechanisms is the readiness of one fish species to respond to the feeding motor pattern of another. In this way, typical foraging groups are found along the rocky intertidal, back reef lagoon, reef table and forereef coral walls. Cumulative counts of fish species and individuals along cross-reef transects in these regions showed that the highest diversity is found within the back reef lagoon, an intermediate diversity is found on the forereef and the lowest in the offshore waters. In each foraging type there are characteristic species that are primary initiators for group formation. For th...