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Feeding association between reef fishes and the fire coral Millepora spp. (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 April 2012

Pedro Henrique C. Pereira ,
Isabela Carolina S. Leal ,
Maria Elisabeth de Araújo  and
Allan T. Souza
Pedro Henrique C. Pereira*
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Departamento de Oceanografia, Avenida Arquitetura, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife, PE, 50670-901, Brazil
Isabela Carolina S. Leal
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Departamento de Oceanografia, Avenida Arquitetura, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife, PE, 50670-901, Brazil
Maria Elisabeth de Araújo
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Departamento de Oceanografia, Avenida Arquitetura, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife, PE, 50670-901, Brazil
Allan T. Souza
Affiliation:
CIMAR/CIIMAR (Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental), Universidade do Porto, Rua dos Bragas 289, 4050-123, Portugal ICBAS (Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar), Universidade do Porto, Lg. Prof. Abel Salazar, 2, 4099-003 Porto, Portugal
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: P.H.C. Pereira, Departamento de Oceanografia, CTG, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Avenida Arquitetura, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife, PE, 50670-901, Brazil email: [email protected]
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Abstract

This study aimed to assess the feeding association between coral reef fishes and the hydrozoan Millepora spp. in two different reef systems (Tamandaré reefs and Fernando de Noronha archipelago) of Pernambuco State (north-eastern Brazil). A total of eight reef fish species, predominantly juveniles, were recorded feeding on colonies of Millepora spp. during 35 records. The highest recorded feeding rate was 1.72 ± 0.87 bites.minute-1 for Sparisoma axillare and the lowest was 0.18 ± 0.40 bites.minute-1 for Stegastes rocasensis. The colony structure of the genus Millepora supports a high diversity of microfaunal and macrofaunal invertebrates, which may result in the frequent foraging behaviour observed here.

Keywords

hydrocoralsforaging behaviourmacrofaunanorth-eastern Brazil
Type
Research Article
Information
Marine Biodiversity Records , Volume 5 , August 2012 , e42
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2012

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