Atividade de forrageamento de tres especies sintopicas de Sparisoma (Perciformes: Scaridae) no Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco / Foraging of three syntopic species of Sparisoma (Perciformes: Scaridae) at Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, tropical western Atlantic

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2005

RESUMO

Parrotfishes are important components of the herbivore and detritivore guilds of tropical and subtropical reefs. These fishes are protogynous hermaphrodites which change colour and sex, from initial phase females or males (IP) to terminal phase males (TP). The foraging of Sparisoma amplum, S. axillare and S. frondosum was studied at Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, tropical West Atlantic, where these parrotfishes are syntopic. The three species differed in substrate selection and preference, but IP and TP individuals of the same species preferred the same substrate type, except for S. amplum. Feeding rates of IP individuals were higher than those of TP ones but the distribution of feeding frequencies throughout the day of IP and TP individuals of the same species was similar. Initial phase individuals of all three species foraged in groups at shallow sites, whereas terminal phase ones defended territories there. Terminal phase individuals of S. amplum and S. frondosum were recorded foraging in groups at deeper sites. The suggestion is made that for TP individuals, shallow sites are mostly reproductive areas and deeper sites are foraging areas. The three parrotfish species also associate with other reef species, such as the Noronha-wrasse (Thalassoma noronhanum), a fish that follows the scarids during the foraging and cleans them when they interrupt momentarily their feeding. At the study site, the parrotfishes are also cleaned at fixed cleaning stations of gobies, wrasses and shrimps. Initial individuals were followed more often by the Noronha wrasse and posed at fixed cleaning stations less frequently than the terminal ones. Initial phase fishes probably are followed more often by the Noronha wrasse because they forage more than the terminal ones. Since the IP individuals were cleaned by T. noronhanum while foraging, they have no need to stop this activity to pose at cleaning stations as the TP individuals have to do

ASSUNTO(S)

foraging fish fish ecology peixes-papagaio peixe - alimentação fernando de noronha archipelago (pe) parrotfishes peixe - ecologia

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