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The fitness of the Brazilian damsel Stegastes fuscus is increased by sharing the territory with the dusky grouper Epinephelus marginatus

The fitness of the Brazilian damsel Stegastes fuscus is increased by sharing the territory with... Stegastes fuscus and Epinephelus marginatus are known for co-habiting shelters. The damselfish S. fuscus uses the territory for nesting and must protect its eggs from grazers; the grouper E. marginatus is an omnivorous sit-and-wait predator. This study aims to evaluate the effect of juvenile groupers on the reproductive success of the Brazilian damsel. Twenty-five hours of underwater observations were done in São Sebastião and Ilhabela, Northern shore of São Paulo, Brazil. Fitness increase was measured by the egg-clutch area and number of contributing females in 130 nests shared by groupers and another 130 where damselfishes stood alone. An egg predator crab was placed into the damselfish territory, and behavioural responses during 2 min were recorded for nests with or without E. marginatus, 80 replicates each. Nests shared by the dusky groupers had more eggs and received eggs from more females too. While fathers who were alone in the territory had to deal with the egg predator crab, in shared nests, the grouper would take care of the intruder, sometimes feeding on it. Therefore, the Brazilian damsel may benefit from the presence of the dusky grouper by increasing the fitness and diminishing the costs of parental care. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png acta ethologica Springer Journals

The fitness of the Brazilian damsel Stegastes fuscus is increased by sharing the territory with the dusky grouper Epinephelus marginatus

Bessa, Eduardo
acta ethologica , Volume 14 (2) – Mar 30, 2011
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Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2011 by Springer-Verlag and ISPA
Subject
Life Sciences; Behavioral Sciences; Zoology; Evolutionary Biology
ISSN
0873-9749
eISSN
1437-9546
DOI
10.1007/s10211-011-0094-9
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Stegastes fuscus and Epinephelus marginatus are known for co-habiting shelters. The damselfish S. fuscus uses the territory for nesting and must protect its eggs from grazers; the grouper E. marginatus is an omnivorous sit-and-wait predator. This study aims to evaluate the effect of juvenile groupers on the reproductive success of the Brazilian damsel. Twenty-five hours of underwater observations were done in São Sebastião and Ilhabela, Northern shore of São Paulo, Brazil. Fitness increase was measured by the egg-clutch area and number of contributing females in 130 nests shared by groupers and another 130 where damselfishes stood alone. An egg predator crab was placed into the damselfish territory, and behavioural responses during 2 min were recorded for nests with or without E. marginatus, 80 replicates each. Nests shared by the dusky groupers had more eggs and received eggs from more females too. While fathers who were alone in the territory had to deal with the egg predator crab, in shared nests, the grouper would take care of the intruder, sometimes feeding on it. Therefore, the Brazilian damsel may benefit from the presence of the dusky grouper by increasing the fitness and diminishing the costs of parental care.

Journal

acta ethologica – Springer Journals

Published: Mar 30, 2011

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