The Ecology of Fishes on Coral Reefs

Description

This book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the ecology of coral reef fishes presented by top researchers from North America and Australia. Immense strides have been made over the past twenty years in our understanding of ecological systems in general and of reef fish ecology in particular. Many of the methodologies that reef fish ecologists use in their studies will be useful to a wider audience of ecologists for the design of their ecological studies. Significant among the impacts of the research on reef fish ecology are the development of nonequilibrium models of community organization, more emphasis on the role of recruitment variability in structuring local assemblages, the development and testing of evolutionary models of social organization and reproductive biology, and new insights into predator-prey and plant-herbivore interactions. Front Cover The Ecology of Fishes on Coral Reefs Copyright Page Table of Contents Contributors Foreword Preface PART I: BASICS CHAPTER 1. Introduction I. Ecology of Coral Reef Fishes II. A Crash Course for the Nonspecialist III. Structure of This Book CHAPTER 2. The Visual World of Coral Reef Fishes I. Introduction II. Light in Tropical Seas: Attenuation and Hue III. The Vision of Fishes IV. Correlations of Scotopic Vision and Light V. Correlations of Photopic Vision and Light VI. Topics for Further Study CHAPTER 3. Reef Fishes: Their History and Evolution I. Introduction II. What Are Reef Fishes? III. Reefs as Habitats IV. Key Features of the Reef Fish-Habitat Relationship V. The Origin of Reef Fishes VI. Morphology, Phylogeny, and History: Reef Fishes Revisited PART II: TROPHIC ECOLOGY CHAPTER 4. Trophic Relationships of Fishes Specialized to Feed on Zooplankters above Coral Reefs I. Introduction II. Diurnal Planktivores III. Crepuscular Changeover IV. Nocturnal Planktivores V. Vulnerability of Zooplankters above Reefs VI. Topics for Further Study CHAPTER 5. Fish-Seaweed Interactions on Coral Reefs: Effects of Herbivorous Fishes and Adaptations of Their Prey I. Introduction II. Refuges in Space or Time III. Seaweed Characteristics That Deter Feeding by Reef Fishes IV. Tolerance of Herbivory V. Summary CHAPTER 6. The Biology of Herbivorous Fishes on Coral Reefs I. Introduction II. Significance of Previous Studies III. General Features of Herbivorous Fishes and Their Resources IV. Summary V. Review Topics VI. Discussion CHAPTER 7. Fish Predation and Its Impact on the Invertebrates of Coral Reefs and Adjacent Sediments I. Introduction II. Patterns in Carnivore Diets and Feeding Selectivity III. Patterns in Carnivore Abundance and Foraging IV. Impact on Coral Reef Invertebrate Assemblages V. Impact on Soft-Sediment Assemblages VI. Critique of Methodologies Employed to Assess Impacts VII. Fish Predation as Functional Explanation of Prey Characteristics VIII. Conclusions PART III: LARVAL AND JUVENILE ECOLOGY CHAPTER 8. The Pelagic Stage of Reef Fishes: The Larval Biology of Coral Reef Fishes I. Introduction II. Larval Fish Morphology and Identification III. Where Are the Pelagic Stages of Reef Fishes? IV. What Are Reef Fishes Doing while Pelagic? V. The End of the Pelagic Stage VI. Why a Pelagic Stage? VII. Use of Larvae in Zoogeographie Analyses VIII. Conclusions CHAPTER 9. Settlement Strategies and Biogeography of Reef Fishes I. Introduction II. Settlement Strategies of Reef Fishes III. Planktonic Larval Duration and Biogeography IV. Daily Otolith Increments and Early Life History Studies CHAPTER 10. Spatial and Temporal Patterns in Recruitment I. Introduction to Nonequilibrial Systems II. Why Study Recruitment? III. Methods IV. Spatial and Temporal Patterns in Recruitment V. Synthesis VI. Future Directions Addendum CHAPTER 11. Postrecruitment Processes in the Ecology of Coral Reef Fish Populations: A Multifactorial Perspective I. Introduction II. Patterns in the Postrecruitment Phase III. Evidence for Recruitment Modification IV. Demographic Parameters V. Ecological Processes VI. Multiple Causality and Ecological Importance VII. Looking to the Future PART IV: REPRODUCTIVE AND LIFE HISTORY PATTERNS CHAPTER 12. Intraspecific Variability in Social Systems of Coral Reef Fishes I. Introduction II. Types of Variation within Social Systems III. Settlement Models for Individual and Group Spacing and Their Application to Social System Variation IV. Conclusions CHAPTER 13. The Role of Adult Biology in the Timing of Spawning of Tropical Reef Fishes I. Introduction II. Diel Spawning Patterns III. Lunar Spawning Patterns IV. Seasonal Spawning Patterns CHAPTER 14. The Use of Phenotypic Plasticity in Coral Reef Fishes as Tests of Theory in Evolutionary Ecology I. Introduction II. Examples of Intraspecific Variability III. Discussion PART V: COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION CHAPTER 15. Geographic Variability in the Ecology of Coral Reef Fishes: Evidence, Evolution, and Possible Implications I. Introduction II. Previous Geographic Comparisons of Reef Fish Assemblages III. An Analysis of Interoceanic and Regional Variation in Assemblage Structure IV. Life History Features and the Evolution of Geographic Variation in Indo-Pacific Reef Fish Communities V. Ecological Consequences of Regional Variation in Assemblage Structure VI. Summary, Conclusions, and Even More Unsubstantiated Speculations CHAPTER 16. Patterns and Processes in the Distribution of Coral Reef Fishes I. Introduction II. Patterns III. Processes IV. Conclusions CHAPTER 17. Predation as a Process Structuring Coral Reef Fish Communities I. Introduction II. Circumstantial Evidence III. Correlative Evidence IV. Experimental Evidence V. Synthesis CHAPTER 18. Tropical and Temperate Reef Fishes: Comparison of Community Structures I. Introduction II. Comparison of Environments III. Environment-Induced Sampling Constraints and Bias IV. Description of Community Structure V. Regulation of Community Structure VI. Future Research CHAPTER 19. Reef Fish Communities: Open Nonequilibrial Systems I. Introduction II. Difficulty in Evaluating Current Data III. Survey of the Data: Patterns IV. Survey of the Data: Processes V. Conclusions PART VI: FISHERIES AND MANAGEMENT CHAPTER 20. Coral Reef Fisheries: Effects and Yields I. Introduction II. Basic Concepts of Stock Assessment and Effects of Fishing on Stocks III. Effects of Fishing on Coral Reef Fishes IV. Some Comments on Yields of Fishes from Coral Reefs V. Conclusions and Recommendations for Future Research References Index