Title: COMPETITION FOR SHELTER SPACE CAUSES DENSITY-DEPENDENT PREDATION MORTALITY IN DAMSELFISHES
Abstract: EcologyVolume 83, Issue 10 p. 2855-2868 Regular Article COMPETITION FOR SHELTER SPACE CAUSES DENSITY-DEPENDENT PREDATION MORTALITY IN DAMSELFISHES Sally J. Holbrook, Sally J. Holbrook Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, and the Coastal Research Center, Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106 USASearch for more papers by this authorRussell J. Schmitt, Russell J. Schmitt Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, and the Coastal Research Center, Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106 USASearch for more papers by this author Sally J. Holbrook, Sally J. Holbrook Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, and the Coastal Research Center, Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106 USASearch for more papers by this authorRussell J. Schmitt, Russell J. Schmitt Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, and the Coastal Research Center, Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106 USASearch for more papers by this author First published: 01 October 2002 https://doi.org/10.1890/0012-9658(2002)083[2855:CFSSCD]2.0.CO;2Citations: 274Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Abstract The long-standing interest in density dependence in demographic rates of organisms stems from its influence in bounding population fluctuations and in shaping spatial patterns of abundance. Despite growing evidence that early mortality of marine reef fishes can be density dependent and can involve predation, the underlying biological mechanisms have not as yet been fully explored in any system. Here we examine the causes of density-dependent juvenile mortality for two tropical damselfishes, Dascyllus flavicaudus and D. trimaculatus. These species shelter in branching corals or anemones, and they feed on plankton above their microhabitats during the day. Field experiments confirmed that density-dependent juvenile mortality of both Dascyllus species arose from predation and that most of the density-dependent loss could be attributed to small-bodied, resident piscivores (e.g., sandperch, squirrelfish) rather than larger, transient species (e.g., jacks). Over the diel cycle, mortality was strongly density dependent during the dark when damselfish were sheltering but not during daylight when fish were actively foraging. Infrared video recordings revealed the species of predators responsible for most losses and indicated that most predatory events occurred from late twilight to early night, when damselfishes were in shelters and not feeding. Individuals were most at risk when located near or just outside the perimeter of a shelter. The proportion of a cohort in the riskiest areas of a microhabitat increased with density. 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