Long-Term Effects of the Cleaner Fish Labroides dimidiatus on Coral Reef Fish Communities
Long-Term Effects of the Cleaner Fish Labroides dimidiatus on Coral Reef Fish Communities
复制标题
清洁鱼 Labroides dimidiatus 对珊瑚礁鱼类群落的长期影响
作者：
Peter A. Waldie;S. Blomberg;K. L. Cheney;A. Goldizen;A. Grutter
清洁行为被认为是一种互惠互利，然而清洁互动对客户个人的好处是未知的。此外，在清洁生物存在的情况下可能改变鱼类群落结构的机制尚不清楚。本研究表明，在61-285 m2的带状珊瑚礁上，实验清除了所有的清洁濑鱼Labroides dimidiatus (Labridae)(1 - 5个成年礁- 1)，然后在8.5年的时间里保持无清洁鱼，两种附着（常驻）客户豆娘鱼（Pomacentridae）的个体比对照珊瑚礁小。此外，与对照珊瑚礁相比，每个珊瑚礁的常驻鱼类数量减少37%，物种丰富度减少23%。附着地点的鱼类的这种变化可能反映了鱼类生长速度和/或存活率的降低。此外，访客（可能在珊瑚礁之间移动的鱼）的幼鱼在移除珊瑚礁上的数量减少了65%，这表明清洁工也可能影响招募。这可能在一定程度上解释了我们观察到的迁移珊瑚礁上的外来鱼类丰度和物种丰富度分别降低23%和33%，以及外来食草动物（棘鱼科）丰度降低66%的原因。这是第一个证明清洁行为对客户个体的好处的研究，其形式是增加尺寸，并阐明了导致整个社区对鱼类种群影响的潜在机制。许多受影响的鱼类群体也可能间接影响其他珊瑚礁生物，从而进一步影响珊瑚礁群落。这种相对较小和不常见的鱼对其他鱼类的大规模影响在珊瑚礁上是无与伦比的。
Cleaning behaviour is deemed a mutualism, however the benefit of cleaning interactions to client individuals is unknown. Furthermore, mechanisms that may shift fish community structure in the presence of cleaning organisms are unclear. Here we show that on patch reefs (61–285 m2) which had all cleaner wrasse Labroides dimidiatus (Labridae) experimentally removed (1–5 adults reef−1) and which were then maintained cleaner-fish free over 8.5 years, individuals of two site-attached (resident) client damselfishes (Pomacentridae) were smaller compared to those on control reefs. Furthermore, resident fishes were 37% less abundant and 23% less species rich per reef, compared to control reefs. Such changes in site-attached fish may reflect lower fish growth rates and/or survivorship. Additionally, juveniles of visitors (fish likely to move between reefs) were 65% less abundant on removal reefs suggesting cleaners may also affect recruitment. This may, in part, explain the 23% lower abundance and 33% lower species richness of visitor fishes, and 66% lower abundance of visitor herbivores (Acanthuridae) on removal reefs that we also observed. This is the first study to demonstrate a benefit of cleaning behaviour to client individuals, in the form of increased size, and to elucidate potential mechanisms leading to community-wide effects on the fish population. Many of the fish groups affected may also indirectly affect other reef organisms, thus further impacting the reef community. The large-scale effect of the presence of the relatively small and uncommon fish, Labroides dimidiadus, on other fishes is unparalleled on coral reefs.