Abstract
Benthic macroalgae often occur in close association with other macroalgae, yet the implications of such associations on coral reefs are unclear. We selected three pairs of commonly associated macroalgae on inshore reefs of the Great Barrier Reef and exposed them, either independently or paired, to herbivore assemblages. Pairing the palatable alga Acanthophora with the calcified and chemically defended Galaxaura resulted in a 69 % reduction in the consumption of Acanthophora, but had no effect on the consumption of Galaxaura. The reduced consumption of Acanthophora was related to 53–85 % reductions in the feeding rates of two herbivorous fish species, Kyphosus vaigiensis and Siganus doliatus. Neither Acanthophora nor Sargassum were afforded protection when paired with the brown macroalga Turbinaria. Although limited to one of the three species pairings, such associations between algae may allow the ecological persistence of palatable species in the face of intense herbivory, enhancing macroalgal diversity on coral reefs.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Atsatt PR, O’Dowd DJ (1976) Plant defense guilds. Science 193:24–29
Barbosa P, Hines J, Kaplan I, Martinson H, Szczepaniec A, Szendrei Z (2009) Associational resistance and associational susceptibility: having right or wrong neighbors. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 40:1–20
Bellwood DR, Hughes TP, Hoey AS (2006) Sleeping functional group drives coral-reef recovery. Curr Biol 16:2434–2439
Bittick SJ, Bilotti ND, Peterson HA, Stewart HL (2010) Turbinaria ornata as an herbivory refuge for associate algae. Mar Biol 157:317–323
Choat JC, Clements KC, Robbins WR (2002) The trophic status of herbivorous fishes on coral reefs. Mar Biol 140:613–623
Cronin G, Hay ME (1996) Susceptibility to herbivores depends on recent history of both the plant and animal. Ecology 77:1531–1543
Cvitanovic C, Bellwood DR (2009) Local variation in herbivore feeding activity on an inshore reef of the Great Barrier Reef. Coral Reefs 28:127–133
Duffy JE, Hay ME (1990) Seaweed adaptations to herbivory. Bioscience 40:368–375
Hay ME (1981) Spatial patterns of grazing intensity on a Caribbean barrier reef: Herbivory and algal distribution. Aquat Bot 11:97–109
Hay ME (1985) Spatial patterns of herbivore impact and their importance in maintaining algal species richness. Proc 5th Int Coral Reef Symp 4:29–35
Hay ME (1986) Associational plant defenses and the maintenance of species diversity: turning competitors into accomplices. Am Nat 128:617–641
Hay ME, Duffy JE, Fenical W (1990) Host-plant specialization decreases predation on a marine amphipod: an herbivore in plant’s clothing. Ecology 71:733–743
Hay ME, Pawlik JR, Duffy JE, Fenical W (1989) Seaweed-herbivore-predator interactions: host-plant specialization reduces predation on small herbivores. Oecologia 81:418–427
Hoey AS, Bellwood DR (2010) Damselfish territories as a refuge for macroalgae on coral reefs. Coral Reefs 29:107–118
Hoey AS, Bellwood DR (2011) Suppression of herbivory by macroalgal density: a critical feedback on coral reefs? Ecol Lett 14:267–273
Hoey AS, Brandl SJ, Bellwood DR (2013) Diet and cross-shelf distribution of rabbitfishes (f. Siganidae) on the northern Great Barrier Reef: implications for ecosystem function. Coral Reefs 32:973–884
Littler MM, Taylor PR, Littler DS (1986) Plant defense associations in the marine environment. Coral Reefs 5:63–71
Mantyka CS, Bellwood DR (2007) Macroalgal grazing selectivity among herbivorous coral reef fishes. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 352:177–185
Paul VJ, Hay ME (1986) Seaweed susceptibility to herbivory: chemical and morphological correlates. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 33:255–264
Pfister CA, Hay ME (1988) Associational plant refuges: convergent patterns in marine and terrestrial communities result from differing mechanisms. Oecologia 77:118–129
Poore AG, Hill NA (2005) Spatial associations among palatable and unpalatable macroalgae: a test of associational resistance with a herbivorous amphipod. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 326:207–216
Rasher DB, Hoey AS, Hay ME (2013) Consumer diversity interacts with prey defenses to drive ecosystem function. Ecology 94:1347–1358
Rasher DB, Stout EP, Engel S, Kubanek J, Hay ME (2011) Macroalgal terpenes function as allelopathic agents against reef corals. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 108:17726–17731
Reinthal PN, Macintyre IG (1994) Spatial and temporal variations in grazing pressure by herbivorous fishes: Tobacco Reef, Belize. Atoll Res Bull 425:1–11
Steneck R (1988) Herbivory on coral reefs: a synthesis. Proc 6th Int Coral Reef Symp 1:37–49
Targett NM, Mitsui A (1979) Toxicity of subtropical marine algae using fish mortality and red blood cell hemolysis for bioassays. J Phycol 15:181–185
Underwood N, Inouye BD, Hambäck PA (2014) A conceptual framework for associational effects: when do neighbors matter and how would we know? Q Rev Biol 89:1–19
Wahl M, Hay M (1995) Associational resistance and shared doom: effects of epibiosis on herbivory. Oecologia 102:329–340
Wylie CR, Paul VJ (1988) Feeding preferences of the surgeonfish Zebrasoma flavescens in relation to chemical defenses of tropical algae. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 45:23–32
Acknowledgments
We thank S. Brandl, C. Goatley, J. Kidgell, J. Welsh, and the Orpheus Island Research Station staff for assistance in the field and/or discussions. This research was supported by the Australian Research Council (ASH, DRB).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Communicated by Handling Editor Alastair Harborne
Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Loffler, Z., Bellwood, D.R. & Hoey, A.S. Associations among coral reef macroalgae influence feeding by herbivorous fishes. Coral Reefs 34, 51–55 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-014-1236-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-014-1236-0