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Patterns of Local Distribution of Labroides Dimidiatus in French Polynesian Atolls

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Abstract

Cleaning behaviour by fishes has been described to be either facultative or specialised. If being specialised in cleaning is more advantageous than to be a facultative cleaner, cleaner fishes would prefer to settle on reefs were ecological conditions promote specialisation. To test this hypothesis, we looked at the influence of physical and ecological factors on cleaner wrasse abundance, studying variations in L. dimidiatus density between 10 atolls of French Polynesia. We used a multiple regression method based on permutations of distance matrices. Our study reveals that L. dimidiatus are significantly more numerous at sites where ecological factors, such as the species richness of the fish community, may promote their cleaning activity. Moreover, they were significantly more abundant in atolls presenting a large number of sedentary fish species, few predators and few fishes living in large groups. Finally, physical factors, such as the distance between atolls, the lagoon surface, the mean percentage of hard substrate, the mean current index, and the mean depth, play a minor role in the occurrence of L. dimidiatus.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre de Biologie et d'Ecologie Tropicale et Méditerranéenne, Laboratoire de Biologie Animale (UMR 5555 CNRS), Université de Perpignan, F-66860, Perpignan Cedex, France

    Céline Arnal & Serge Morand

  2. IRD, B.P.A5, 98845, Nouméa, New Caledonia

    Michel Kulbicki

  3. Centre d'Océanologie de Marseille, UMR 6540 CNRS, Station Marine d'Endoume, F-13007, Marseille, France

    Mireille Harmelin-Vivien

  4. Ecole pratique des Hautes Etudes, URA 1453 CNRS, Université de Perpignan, F-66860, Perpignan, France

    René Galzin

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  1. Céline Arnal
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  4. René Galzin
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  5. Serge Morand
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Arnal, C., Kulbicki, M., Harmelin-Vivien, M. et al. Patterns of Local Distribution of Labroides Dimidiatus in French Polynesian Atolls. Environmental Biology of Fishes 63, 9–15 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1013811205742

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