TERRITORIALITY IN THE BUTTERFLYFISH CHAETODON-AUSTRIACUS

T J Wrathall; C M Roberts; R F G Ormond

TERRITORIALITY IN THE BUTTERFLYFISH CHAETODON-AUSTRIACUS

T J Wrathall, C M Roberts, R F G Ormond

Environment and Geography

Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate › peer-review

Abstract

The ranging and feeding behaviour of the butterflyfish Chaetodon austriacus (Chaetodontidae) was studied at eight sites along the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. This species was strongly paired and was found to defend territories intraspecifically, predominantly by display and non-aggressive 'advertisement'. Frequencies of overt aggression were relatively low. Two other species of butterflyfish were aggressed against occasionally, but this did not appear to be space-related. C. austriacus fed entirely on scleractinian corals, primarily Acropora, but included a variety of other genera in the diet. Territories appeared to be defended primarily for feeding and were significantly larger (1.6 times) at 10-15 m on the fore-reef slope than at the 1-2 m deep reef-edge. The availability of coral differed by a similar amount between depths, cover being 1.7 times greater in shallow water. Feeding rates did not differ significantly between depths.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	305-308
Number of pages	4
Journal	Environmental biology of fishes
Volume	34
Issue number	3
Publication status	Published - Jul 1992

Keywords

CHAETODONTIDAE
AGGRESSION
CORAL REEF FISH
RED SEA
FORAGING BEHAVIOR
FISHES
CORALS
SPACE

Cite this

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title = "TERRITORIALITY IN THE BUTTERFLYFISH CHAETODON-AUSTRIACUS",

abstract = "The ranging and feeding behaviour of the butterflyfish Chaetodon austriacus (Chaetodontidae) was studied at eight sites along the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. This species was strongly paired and was found to defend territories intraspecifically, predominantly by display and non-aggressive 'advertisement'. Frequencies of overt aggression were relatively low. Two other species of butterflyfish were aggressed against occasionally, but this did not appear to be space-related. C. austriacus fed entirely on scleractinian corals, primarily Acropora, but included a variety of other genera in the diet. Territories appeared to be defended primarily for feeding and were significantly larger (1.6 times) at 10-15 m on the fore-reef slope than at the 1-2 m deep reef-edge. The availability of coral differed by a similar amount between depths, cover being 1.7 times greater in shallow water. Feeding rates did not differ significantly between depths.",

keywords = "CHAETODONTIDAE, AGGRESSION, CORAL REEF FISH, RED SEA, FORAGING BEHAVIOR, FISHES, CORALS, SPACE",

author = "Wrathall, {T J} and Roberts, {C M} and Ormond, {R F G}",

year = "1992",

month = jul,

language = "English",

volume = "34",

pages = "305--308",

journal = "Environmental biology of fishes",

issn = "0378-1909",

publisher = "Springer",

number = "3",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - TERRITORIALITY IN THE BUTTERFLYFISH CHAETODON-AUSTRIACUS

AU - Wrathall, T J

AU - Roberts, C M

AU - Ormond, R F G

PY - 1992/7

Y1 - 1992/7

N2 - The ranging and feeding behaviour of the butterflyfish Chaetodon austriacus (Chaetodontidae) was studied at eight sites along the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. This species was strongly paired and was found to defend territories intraspecifically, predominantly by display and non-aggressive 'advertisement'. Frequencies of overt aggression were relatively low. Two other species of butterflyfish were aggressed against occasionally, but this did not appear to be space-related. C. austriacus fed entirely on scleractinian corals, primarily Acropora, but included a variety of other genera in the diet. Territories appeared to be defended primarily for feeding and were significantly larger (1.6 times) at 10-15 m on the fore-reef slope than at the 1-2 m deep reef-edge. The availability of coral differed by a similar amount between depths, cover being 1.7 times greater in shallow water. Feeding rates did not differ significantly between depths.

AB - The ranging and feeding behaviour of the butterflyfish Chaetodon austriacus (Chaetodontidae) was studied at eight sites along the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. This species was strongly paired and was found to defend territories intraspecifically, predominantly by display and non-aggressive 'advertisement'. Frequencies of overt aggression were relatively low. Two other species of butterflyfish were aggressed against occasionally, but this did not appear to be space-related. C. austriacus fed entirely on scleractinian corals, primarily Acropora, but included a variety of other genera in the diet. Territories appeared to be defended primarily for feeding and were significantly larger (1.6 times) at 10-15 m on the fore-reef slope than at the 1-2 m deep reef-edge. The availability of coral differed by a similar amount between depths, cover being 1.7 times greater in shallow water. Feeding rates did not differ significantly between depths.

KW - CHAETODONTIDAE

KW - AGGRESSION

KW - CORAL REEF FISH

KW - RED SEA

KW - FORAGING BEHAVIOR

KW - FISHES

KW - CORALS

KW - SPACE

M3 - Comment/debate

SN - 0378-1909

VL - 34

SP - 305

EP - 308

JO - Environmental biology of fishes

JF - Environmental biology of fishes

IS - 3

ER -