RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article
T1 Reef fish assemblages associated to new mat-forming zoantharian communities in the Canary Islands
A1 Moreno-Borges, Sergio
A1 López, Cataixa
A1 Clemente Martín, María Sabrina
A2 Biología Animal y Edafología y Geología
A2 BiodiversidadEcología Marina y Conservación (BIOECOMAC)
K1 Palythoa caribaeorum
K1 Zoanthus pulchellus
K1 Fish communities
K1 Benthic ecology
K1 Habitat complexity
K1 Tropicalization
K1 Trophic structure
K1 Ecosystem change
K1 Coastal zone
AB Proliferations of zoantharians along tropical and subtropical regions are increasingly common and usually associated with anthropogenic impacts and ecosystem degradation. In the Canary Islands, we studied how the dominance in the substrate of Palythoa caribaeorum and Zoanthus pulchellus affected fish communities. For that purpose, we recorded the composition and biodiversity of fish assemblages associated to both zoantharian and macroalgae dominated habitats. In general terms, we found significant reductions of total fish abundance and richness at P. caribaeorum dominated habitats compared with macroalgae stands. However, in terms of trophic structure, there were significant changes within both zoantharian habitats depending on their coverages of the substrate. Herbivores and small invertebrate feeders, which are more adapted to forage in the macroalgae canopy, were less abundant in zoantharian habitats. This study demonstrates that the increasing dominance of zoantharians throughout the archipelago restructure the ecosystems and impact the native fish communities, that may offer a positive feedback for invasive tropical species to thrive.
SN 0141-1136
YR 2022
FD 2022
LK http://riull.ull.es/xmlui/handle/915/40770
UL http://riull.ull.es/xmlui/handle/915/40770
LA Inglés
NO Marine Environmental Research 177 (2022) 105623
DS Repositorio institucional de la Universidad de La Laguna
RD 13-abr-2025