The relationship among microhabitat characteristics, recruitment and adult abundance in the stoplight parrotfish, Sparisoma Viride, at three spatial scales
Most of the fishes on coral reef produce pelagic larvae, and as a result, benthic, adult populations are dependent upon recruitment of individuals from the plankton. This study investigated the relationship between microhabitat characteristics and recruitment of Sparisoma viride
(Scaridae), across three spatial scales. Analysis of 1.0 m2 quadrats showed that within a habitat, S. viride recruits associated with club-finger coral, Porites porites (live + dead) more than would be expected at random. At a medium spatial scale, abundance of S.
viride recruits differed among 12 sites in four habitats on the Tague Bay reef, St. Croix, U.S.V.I. In general, recruitment was higher to the back reef that to the reef crest, reef slope and reef base. Recruitment was also higher to the reef slope than to the reef crest or reef base. Variation
in mean abundance of recruits among sites and habitats was correlated with the percent cover of Porites in 2 yrs. At a larger spatial scale, the percent cover of Porites at 10 sites located on three islands (St. Croix, St. John, and Virgin Gorda) explained 66–81% of the
variation in mean recruit abundance in 3 of 4 yrs. Contemporary adult abundance was correlated with mean recruitment at this spatial scale. These result suggest that the benthic environment plays a role in the replenishment of adult populations on local reef patches. Likewise, microhabitat
characteristics that affect recruitment may influence adult abundance at large spatial scales.
Document Type: Research Article
Publication date: 01 January 1998
- The Bulletin of Marine Science is dedicated to the dissemination of high quality research from the world's oceans. All aspects of marine science are treated by the Bulletin of Marine Science, including papers in marine biology, biological oceanography, fisheries, marine affairs, applied marine physics, marine geology and geophysics, marine and atmospheric chemistry, and meteorology and physical oceanography.
- Editorial Board
- Information for Authors
- Subscribe to this Title
- Terms & Conditions
- Ingenta Connect is not responsible for the content or availability of external websites
- Access Key
- Free content
- Partial Free content
- New content
- Open access content
- Partial Open access content
- Subscribed content
- Partial Subscribed content
- Free trial content