Cultivation mutualism and species-specific interactions betweenherbivorous fishes and algae

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Network structure between algae (primary producers in aquatic ecosystems) and herbivorous fishes were analyzed in an African Great Lake, Lake Tanganyika. At Kasenga Point in Zambia, 14 herbivorous cichlids coexist. Algae were collected from the territories of these cichlids and from their stomachs. Using metagenomics analysis on 16SrDNA algal species compositions of the algal matrices were surveyed. As a result, these fishes utilized mainly on cyanobacteria and diatoms. Detailed classification of micro-algae using by molecular techniques revealed that each cichlid species defended specific algal composition in its territory and utilized specific mixture of algae, even among species belonging to a similar guild.