Diversification in algal farming by herbivorous damselfishes, a mechanism of multispecies-coexistence

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25840159
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Ecology/Environment
• Research Institution: Ehime University
• Principal Investigator: Hata Hiroki 愛媛大学, 理工学研究科, 助教 (00510512)
• Research Collaborator: HORI Michio ; KOHDA Masanori ; OCHI Haruki ; TADA Shinya ; MASUHARA Hiroyuki
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 適応放散 / 藻食・植物食 / 多種共存 / 生態学 / タンガニイカ湖のシクリッド科魚類

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aims to reveal the adaptation for herbivory by fish and its diversification that enables multiple herbivorous-fishes to coexist. We surveyed five species of damselfishes on coral reefs and found that farming by damselfish varies from extensive mode to intensive mode, and intensive farmer defends their smaller territory thoroughly, whereas extensive damselfishes have larger territories paying less cost to defend territories per area.
In Lake Tanganyika, 16 species of the herbivorous cichlids coexist on a rocky shore. We demonstrated that these cichlids had first specialized their feeding morphs and have been diversified into several niches such as grazer, browser, sucker. Then, species in the same ecomorphs have diversified their functional traits around snout, jaws and intestine that closely related to feeding. This diversification enables ecologically similar species within the ecomorphs to specialize on different microhabitats and segregate their niches in finer scale.

Free Research Field

生態学