
Coral Reefs, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 43(6), С. 1731 - 1748
Опубликована: Окт. 5, 2024
Abstract Small-sized invertebrates inhabiting hard substrates in coral reefs (a.k.a. cryptofauna) contribute substantially to reef biodiversity, but their patterns of distribution and ecological controls are poorly understood. Here, we characterized the cryptofauna community explored “bottom-up” “top-down” by benthic cover fish abundance, respectively. We sampled terrace from 13 sites along 200 km Jardines de la Reina (Cuba), a well-preserved protected area Caribbean. counted 23,959 14 higher taxa, being most abundant Copepoda (54%), Nematoda (21%), Mollusca (7%), Ostracoda (5%), Polychaeta Amphipoda (3%). Richness, structure varied across without any geographical gradient distribution. One-third variance occurred at site scale (~ 10 km), half quadrat 1 m). Algal promoted richness abundance likely providing substrate food, while live negatively influenced nematode abundances, potentially due defenses. Relationships between fishes were also present, with invertivores herbivores affecting direct or indirect predation pressures. This research highlights important roles bottom-up top-down controls, algal/coral fishes, respectively, on extension biodiversity. Current threats climate change expected alter these resulting changes diversity, trophodynamics energy flows reefs.
Язык: Английский