Specialized coral-dwelling damselfish consistently occupy colonies on time scales ranging from day to year

Mutualistic interactions between branching scleractinian corals and aggregating damselfishes on coral reefs create positive feedback loops, that enhance coral processes and functioning on local scales. However, the duration and stability of fishes’ occupations of individual coral colonies are poorly understood. In situ short- (17 days) and long-term (355 days) assessments of the occupation of Pocillopora damicornis coral colonies by adult damselfish Dascyllus aruanus were conducted within a reef lagoon on the southern Great Barrier Reef. Results revealed that across multiple sites, high average occupancy stability (> 85% of colonies maintained their status) and low levels of change in occupancy (only 10–15%) were observed and documented over both short- and long-term time frames. After experimentally removing fish from P. damicornis colonies during short-term occupancy quantification, re-colonization of previously occupied colonies occurred rapidly (< 3 days). Overall stability of coral occupancy over both short- and long-term periods provides novel insight into the functional significance, mutualistic nature, and resiliency of this interspecific interaction.

Environmental Biology of Fishes

Environmental Biology of Fishes

107

1573-5133

N/A

N/A

8