Diet as a mechanism of coexistence between intertidal fish species of the U.K.

Barrett, C. J.; Johnson, M. L.; Hull, S. L.

Abstract

While the syntopic nature of many intertidal fish communities suggest that resources such as food are shared, little has been done to assess the importance of diet on the coexistence of intertidal fish of the U.K. In this study, six intertidal fish species (shanny, Lipophrys pholis, Blenniidae; long-spined scorpion fish, Taurulus bubalis, Cottidae; two-spotted goby, Gobiusculus flavescens, Gobiidae; rock goby, Gobius paganellus, Gobiidae; plaice, Pleuronectes platessa, Pleuronectidae; butterfish, Pholis gunnellus, Pholidae) were collected from two sites along the east coast of England (Filey and Thornwick Bay) and two sites around the coast of the Isle of Anglesey, North Wales (Rhosneigr and Penrhos), during summer and winter. A comparison of the diets of those in the highest abundances (L. pholis, T. bubalis and G. flavescens) found that, in general, prey preferences were dissimilar between species, albeit with some slight overlap, and therefore it could be said that diet acts as an important mechanism of interspecific coexistence.

Citation

Barrett, C. J., Johnson, M. L., & Hull, S. L. (2016). Diet as a mechanism of coexistence between intertidal fish species of the U.K. Hydrobiologia, 768(1), 125-135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-015-2537-1

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 6, 2015
• Online Publication Date: Oct 15, 2015
• Publication Date: Mar 1, 2016
• Deposit Date: May 15, 2017
• Journal: Hydrobiologia
• Print ISSN: 0018-8158
• Electronic ISSN: 1573-5117
• Publisher: Springer Verlag
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 768
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 125-135
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-015-2537-1
• Keywords: Intertidal environment; Fish; Rock pools; Diet; Coexistence; Interspecific relationships
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/451394
• Publisher URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10750-015-2537-1
• Additional Information: This is the author's accepted manuscript of an article published in Hydrobiologia, 2016, v.768 issue 1.