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Climate-driven coral reorganisation influences aggressive behaviour in juvenile coral-reef fishes

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Abstract

Globally, habitat degradation is altering the abundance and diversity of species in a variety of ecosystems. This study aimed to determine how habitat degradation, in terms of changing coral composition under climate change, affected abundance, species richness and aggressive behaviour of juveniles of three damselfishes (Pomacentrus moluccensis, P. amboinensis and Dischistodus perspicillatus, in order of decreasing reliance on coral). Patch reefs were constructed to simulate two types of reefs: present-day reefs that are vulnerable to climate-induced coral bleaching, and reefs with more bleaching-robust coral taxa, thereby simulating the likely future of coral reefs under a warming climate. Fish communities were allowed to establish naturally on the reefs during the summer recruitment period. Climate-robust reefs had lower total species richness of coral-reef fishes than climate-vulnerable reefs, but total fish abundance was not significantly different between reef types (pooled across all species and life-history stages). The nature of aggressive interactions, measured as the number of aggressive chases, varied according to coral composition; on climate-robust reefs, juveniles used the substratum less often to avoid aggression from competitors, and interspecific aggression became relatively more frequent than intraspecific aggression for juveniles of the coral-obligate P. moluccensis. This study highlights the importance of coral composition as a determinant of behaviour and diversity of coral-reef fishes.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Tessa Hempson, Aaron MacNeil and Karen Chong-Seng for assistance with building the patch reefs and for census data of fish on the patch reefs collected in early December 2013 and late January 2014. We also thank Grace Frank, Alex Vail, Kirsty Nash and staff of Lizard Island Research Station for assistance during fieldwork, and two anonymous reviewers whose comments helped to clarify the interpretation of our results. Funding for this project was provided by the Australian Research Council and James Cook University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia

    Judith E. Kok & Mia O. Hoogenboom

  2. Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK

    Nicholas A. J. Graham

  3. ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia

    Nicholas A. J. Graham & Mia O. Hoogenboom

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  1. Judith E. Kok
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  2. Nicholas A. J. Graham
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Correspondence to Judith E. Kok.

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Communicated by Ecology Editor Dr. Michael Berumen

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Kok, J.E., Graham, N.A.J. & Hoogenboom, M.O. Climate-driven coral reorganisation influences aggressive behaviour in juvenile coral-reef fishes. Coral Reefs 35, 473–483 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-016-1411-6

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