The Ecology of Temperate Herbivorous Fishes

与普遍的想法相反，人们发现，食草性鱼类，特别是两个物种--双鱼和菱形鱼--是整个美国东南部沿海和大陆架生境中最常见的鱼类，它们的食性可以极大地影响硬底质底栖动物群落的结构。这些鱼也是商业上重要的物种，如笛卡尔和石斑鱼的主要猎物物种，并可能是能量从浅海近岸水域转移到更深的近海珊瑚礁的重要途径。将进行实地实验研究，以评估1)不同草食性鱼类之间的相互作用，鱼类与其他草食性鱼类之间的相互作用，以及这些相互作用对底栖群落结构的影响；以及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社区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.