What ecological role do soft-substrate tide pools play for fishes? Difference in community structures between estuarine and coastal tidal flats in subtropical Japan
Taiga Kunishima
A C D and Katsunori Tachihara B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Graduate School of Engineering and Science, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Nakagami, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan.
B Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Nakagami, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan.
C Present address: Wakayama Prefectural Museum of Natural History, 370-1 Funoo, Kainan, Wakayama 642-0001, Japan.
D Corresponding author. Email: taigakunishima@gmail.com
Marine and Freshwater Research 71(7) 737-749 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF19019
Submitted: 15 January 2019 Accepted: 24 July 2019 Published: 23 October 2019
Abstract
Soft-substrate tide pools are considered important habitats for fishes from an ecological perspective. However, the ecological roles of such pools and use patterns by fish remain unclear, especially regarding differences between estuarine and coastal tidal flats. In this study, quantitative sampling using the quadrat method was performed in the estuarine and coastal tidal flats on Okinawa-jima Island of subtropical Japan during four seasons. Ecological roles of soft-substrate tide pools were classified as follows: (1) permanent habitat for residents; (2) nursery ground for transients; and (3) waiting area until high tide for accidental species. Within these classifications, the ecological role and value of tide pools for transient fishes varied between the tidal flat types. The habitat value of tide pools is higher for residents than for transient species because the habitat is not replaceable for residents because of their specific ability to survive there. By contrast, transient and accidental species use the tide pools as temporary habitats; however, their high diversity affects the variation in community structure on Okinawa-jima Island. Our results suggest that we should consider not only species diversity, but also habitat use patterns of individual species, together with their life history, when evaluating habitat value with regard to conservation and management of each tidal flat.
Additional keywords: habitat use, life history, nursery ground, permanent habitat, seasonal variation.
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