Journal article
Patterns of selective predation by juvenile, benthivorous fish on estuarine macrofauna
Marine Biology, Vol.125(2), pp.241-247
1996
Abstract
Benthic feeding on macrofauna was studied in juveniles of the sparids Lithognathus lithognathus and Rhabdosargus holubi in the upper reaches of the Gamtoos Estuary, South Africa. Fish and benthic macrofauna were sampled simultaneously, and the selection of invertebrate prey assessed. Both fish species strongly selected for corophioid amphipods and consumed other benthic taxa in low numbers. R. holubi also exploited aquatic autotrophs, while L. lithognathus had a narrow prey-spectrum, feeding almost exclusively on the tube-dwelling amphipod Grandidierella lignorum. G. lignorum was the most abundant prey species, both in the benthos and the fish's diet. This species also showed prominent behavioural differences between the sexes; males were markedly more active on the sediment surface than females, who rarely left their tubes during the day. Males switched from an infaunal to epifaunal microhabitat in search of receptive females, concurrently increasing their exposure to fish predators. Consequently, L. lithognathus selected significantly more males than female amphipods, causing a marked bias towards females in the sex ratio and age-structure of the amphipod population. Juvenile amphipods were less preyed upon, presumably as a result of lower prey-detection or capture efficiency by the predators. Accepting current notions about predation as an important structuring element for benthic communities, our data also stress the prominence of size- and sex-selective predation in structuring individual prey populations.
Details
- Title
- Patterns of selective predation by juvenile, benthivorous fish on estuarine macrofauna
- Authors
- Thomas Schlacher (Author) - University of Port Elizabeth, South AfricaT H Wooldridge (Author) - University of Port Elizabeth, South Africa
- Publication details
- Marine Biology, Vol.125(2), pp.241-247
- Publisher
- Springer
- Date published
- 1996
- DOI
- 10.1007/BF00346304
- ISSN
- 0025-3162
- Organisation Unit
- School of Science and Engineering - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Science, Technology and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99449751902621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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