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>I am working on fish-algae interactions in rocky shores and I've found
>bibliography regarding fish herbivory in rocky shores quite scarse comparing
>to coral reef herbivory.
>My question is: Does fish herbivory affect vertical distribution of
>macroalgae species in tropical rocky shores? Is there any other research
>about herbivorous fishes in rocky shore habitat being carried out?
>
>Thanks in advance,
>Sylvia Lima
>MSc Sylvia Niemeyer Pinheiro Lima
>Dpt. of Botany - Phycology lab.
>Instituto de Biociencias
>Universidede de Sao Paulo - Brazil
>e-mail:[log in to unmask]
Jane Lubchenko, I believe still at Oregon State University, has worked on
parrotfishes in the Gulf of California, where there is little coral growth.
She mentioned in a talk I heard that she was seeing herbivore effects.
The fishes she was watching were consuming coralline algae, much more
common in the Gulf. My own unpublished reaearch (class paper in 1976)
reached the same conclusion. The parrotfhshes in the Gulf were consuming
exclusively coralline algae. Not surprising, since that is all that was
available to eat. The areas I worked, and have often visited since, have
little macroalgae (Sargassum), leading me to suspect that there is
biological control.
Another reference is John, D M, and W Pople, 1973. The Fish Grazing of
rocky Shore Algae in the Gulf of Guinea. J. E. M. B. E. vol. 11: 81-90.
Hope this helps, Howard Teas
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