Food resource partitioning between two sympatric temperate wrasses
Mauro Sinopoli A C , Renato Chemello B , Antonino Vaccaro B and Marco Milazzo B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Palermo, Italy, c/o Residence Marbela, Via Salvatore Puglisi 9, I-98143 Palermo, Italy.
B Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 28, I-90123 Palermo, Italy.
C Corresponding author. Email: mauro.sinopoli@isprambiente.it
Marine and Freshwater Research 68(12) 2324-2335 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF16363
Submitted: 27 January 2017 Accepted: 26 April 2017 Published: 27 July 2017
Abstract
The present study analysed two sympatric wrasses, Thalassoma pavo and Coris julis, with similar sizes and morphologies, that are widespread in the reef habitats of the Mediterranean and the eastern Atlantic coast. Ocean warming has induced the northward movement of T. pavo, whereas C. julis has been moving to deeper habitats. In addition, under conditions of high slope of the sea bottom, T. pavo occupies shallow habitats and C. julis is in greater abundance in deeper habitats. By investigating stomach contents and prey availability in the benthos, we assessed whether the two wrasses exploit food resources by choosing different prey within the same habitat both under co-existence and segregation conditions. The results showed that T. pavo mainly feeds on gammarids and sipunculids, whereas C. julis mainly feeds on Alvania spp. and Paguroidea. The two wrasses also showed an intrinsic partitioning of food resources, independently of the condition of co-existence or segregation and benthic prey availability in the environment. The two wrasses fall in the ‘over dispersion of resource use’ model, in which species share numerous niche dimensions in a variable manner. Our findings may contribute to exclude a greater trophic competition between these labrid species in a projected warming scenario.
Additional keywords: benthic prey, diet, Labridae, trophic overlap and niche.
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