10.5061/DRYAD.MK361
PĂ©rez-Matusa, Alejandro
Tala, Fadia
Catholic University of the North
Data from: The herbivorous fish, Aplodactylus punctatus, as a potential
facilitator of dispersal of the bottom kelp, Lessonia trabeculata, in
Chile
Dryad
dataset
2019
Temperate reef fish
Lessonia trabeculata
Zoospore
Aplodactylus punctatus
National Science Foundation
https://ror.org/021nxhr62
Fondecyt 1151094
2019-01-08T00:00:00Z
2019-01-08T00:00:00Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2017.12.007
30183 bytes
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Kelp forests are productive marine habitats known to facilitate many
trophic and non-trophic interactions. While much of our understanding
comes from positive effects of kelp on associated fauna, few studies focus
on potential feedbacks that such fauna may provide to benefit kelp. This
study aims to analyze the positive interactions between two closely
associated fish and kelp species. Lessonia trabeculata, the bottom kelp,
and the herbivorous fish, Aplodactylus punctatus, were sampled at four
sites off northern-central Chile to evaluate the following: interactions
during the ontogeny of the fish, the availability of reproductive tissue
of the kelp blades, the effects of digestion by A. punctatus on L.
trabeculata reproductive tissue, and the viability of zoospores after
digestion. Our results show a network of direct and indirect positive
interactions between these species. There was a positive correlation in
their densities, possibly due to kelp functioning as a refuge and indirect
food source. Juvenile A. punctatus feed on epifaunal species within the
kelp, reducing grazer load and in turn generating a potential positive
indirect effect on the kelp. Adult herbivorous fish consume kelp tissue as
sustenance; when this kelp tissue is reproductive, digestion reduces
epiphytic algal densities on the sori. Zoospores were found to remain
viable after digestion, and microscopic sporophytes were produced at rates
similar to those of undigested reproductive tissue. We conclude that
positive links between A. punctatus and L. trabeculata occur along the
geographic range distribution of both species and that this herbivorous
fish could serve as a dispersal mechanism for L. trabeculata. To our
knowledge, this is the first study that suggests that an herbivorous fish
may have the potential to be a facilitator of kelp zoospore transport, and
this may contribute positively to the recovery of natural kelp populations
that are being intensively harvested in the region.
JEMBE 50994_DataThe entire file is the data associated to the manuscript.
The first sheet (Fish and Kelp Abundance) is the census data from two
different sampling seasons in 4 sites (transects 50 m long). The second
sheet is size over algae in which was counted the size of fish along with
different kelp habitat use (in holdfast, baldes or outside). The third
sheet is the epiphyte presence/absence from the digested tissue by
herbivorous fish. The fourth sheet is the sporophytes count from digested
and undigested tissue. The fish and last sheet is the data presented in
the supplementary information.
Central Chile