Journal
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
Volume 69, Issue 3, Pages 883-891Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2006.01166.x
Keywords
equatorial west Atlantic; foraging associations; Mullidae; nuclear and follower fishes; Pseudupeneus maculatus; reef fishes
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The influence of a substratum-disturbing forager, the spotted goatfish Pseudupeneus maculatus on the assemblage of its escorting, opportunistic-feeding fishes was examined at Fernando de Noronha Archipelago (tropical west Atlantic). Followers attracted to spotted goatfish foraging singly differed from followers of spotted goatfish foraging in groups in several characteristics. The larger the nuclear fish group, the greater the species richness and number of individuals of followers. Moreover, groups of foraging spotted goatfish attracted herbivores, not recorded for spotted goatfish foraging singly. The size of follower individuals increased with the size and the number of foraging spotted goatfish. The zoobenthivorous habits of the spotted goatfish and its ability to disturb a variety of soft substrata render it an important nuclear fish for several follower species of the reef fish assemblage at Fernando de Noronha. (c) 2006 The Authors Journal compilation (c) 2006 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available