The Ecology of Temperate Herbivorous Fishes

人们发现，与普遍的看法相反，草食性鱼类，特别是两种——霍尔布鲁克双plodus holbrooki和蓝齿湖（Lagodon rhomboides）——是美国东南部沿海和大陆架栖息地中最常见的鱼类，它们的摄食习性可以极大地影响硬基质底栖生物群落的结构。这些鱼也是鲷鱼和石斑鱼等重要商业物种的主要猎物，可能是近岸浅水向更深的近海珊瑚礁转移能量的重要途径。本研究将对不同食草鱼类之间的相互作用、鱼类与其他食草动物之间的相互作用以及这些相互作用对底栖生物群落结构的影响进行实地研究；2)在草食性鱼类存在的情况下，导致难吃的棕色海藻数量急剧增加的机制。然后将这些数据与已经完成的关于热带群落草食性鱼类的研究进行比较。

It has been found, contrary to prevailing thought, that herbivorous fishes, particularly two species--Diplodus holbrooki and Lagodon rhomboides--are among the most common fishes of coastal and continental shelf habitats throughout the southeastern United States, and their feeding habits can dramatically affect the structure of hard-substrate benthic communities. These fish are also major prey species for commercially important species such as snapper and grouper, and may be a significant pathway of energy transfer from shallow nearshore waters to deeper offshore reefs. Experimental field studies will be conducted to assess 1) the interactions between different herbivorous fishes, the interactions between fishes and other herbivores, and the effects of these interactions on benthic community structure; and 2) the mechanisms that cause dramatic increases in the abundance of unpalatable brown seaweeds in the presence of herbivorous fishes. These data will then be compared with studies already completed on herbivorous fish in tropical communities.