111
4 Spawning Aggregations in Reef Fishes; Ecological and Evolutionary Processes
Acknowledgements I thank Y. Sadovy and P. Colin for their valuable comments on several earlier
versions of this chapter. The ideas were discussed with P. Munday, G. Russ and R. Robertson.
Research support was provided by The National Geographic Society, The Queensland Government/
Smithsonian Institution Collaborative Research Program on Reef Fishes. R. Robertson provided
major support in associated fi eld work. Thanks are also due to R.Hamilton and A.Hughes for
information on spawning aggregations in the Solomon Islands. Alex Vail, Lizard Island Research
Station, provided additional information on the spawning of Plectropomus leopardus, E. Trip
assisted with the analyses and V. Ward and K.Clements with the fi gure preparation.
References
Ackerman JL, Bellwood DR (2000) Reef fi sh assemblages: a re-evaluation using enclosed rotenone
stations. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 206:227–237
Ackerman JL, Bellwood DR, Brown JH (2004) The contribution of small individuals to densitybody size relationships: examination of energetic equivalence in reef fi shes. Oecologia
139:568–571
Allen GR (2007) Conservation hotspots of biodiversity and endemism for Indo-Pacifi c coral reef
fi shes. Aquat Conserv Mar Freshw Ecosyst. doi: 10.1002/aqc.880
Allen GR, Steene R, Allen M (1998) A guide to angelfi shes and butterfl yfi shes. Odyssey Publishing/
Tropical Reef Research, Perth
Almany GR, Berumen ML, Thorrold SR, Planes S, Jones GP (2007) Local replenishment of coral
reef fi sh populations in a marine reserve. Science 316:742–744
Bellwood DR, Wainwright PC (2002) The history and biogeography of fi shes on coral reefs. In:
Sale PF (ed) Coral reef fi shes. Dynamics and diversity in a complex ecosystem. Academic,
San Diego
Bolden SK (2000) Long-distance movement of a Nassau grouper ( Epinephelus striatus ) to a
spawning aggregation in the central Bahamas. Fish Bull 98:642–645
Brix O, Gruner R, Ronnestad I, Gemballa S (2009) Whether depositing fat or losing weight, fi sh
maintain a balance. Proc Biol Sci 276:3777–3782
Bshary R, Hohner A, Ait-El-Djoudi K, Fricke H (2006) Interspecifi c communicative and coordinated hunting between groupers and giant moray eels in the Red Sea. PLoS Biol 4:2393–2398
Bushnell ME, Claisse JT, Laidley CW (2010) Lunar and seasonal patterns in fecundity of an indeterminate, multiple-spawning surgeonfi sh, the yellow tang Zebrasoma fl avescens . J Fish Biol
76:1343–1361
Chiappone M, Sluka R, Sealy KS (2000) Groupers (Pisces: Serranidae) in fi shed and protected
areas of the Florida Keys, Bahamas and northern Caribbean. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 198:261–272
Choat JH, Axe LM (1996) Growth and longevity in acanthurid fi shes; an analysis of otolith
increments. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 134:15–26
Choat JH, Bellwood DR (1985) Interactions amongst herbivorous fi shes on a coral reef: infl uence
of spatial variation. Mar Biol 89:221–234
Choat JH, Bellwood DR (1991) Reef fi shes: their history and evolution. In: Sale PF (ed) The ecology
of coral reef fi shes. Academic Press San Diego
Choat JH, Clements KD (1998) Vertebrate herbivores in marine and terrestrial environments: a
nutritional ecology perspective. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 29:375–403
Choat JH, Robertson DR (2002) Age based studies. In: Sale PF (ed) Coral reef fi shes diversity and
dynamics in a complex system. Academic Press San Diego
Choat JH, Clements KD, Robbins WD (2002) The trophic status of herbivorous fi shes on coral
reefs. I. Dietary analyses. Mar Biol 140:613–623
Choat JH, Robbins WD, Clements KD (2004) The trophic status of herbivorous fi shes on coral
reefs II: food processing modes and trophodynamics. Mar Biol 145:445–454
4 Spawning Aggregations in Reef Fishes; Ecological and Evolutionary Processes
Acknowledgements I thank Y. Sadovy and P. Colin for their valuable comments on several earlier
versions of this chapter. The ideas were discussed with P. Munday, G. Russ and R. Robertson.
Research support was provided by The National Geographic Society, The Queensland Government/
Smithsonian Institution Collaborative Research Program on Reef Fishes. R. Robertson provided
major support in associated fi eld work. Thanks are also due to R.Hamilton and A.Hughes for
information on spawning aggregations in the Solomon Islands. Alex Vail, Lizard Island Research
Station, provided additional information on the spawning of Plectropomus leopardus, E. Trip
assisted with the analyses and V. Ward and K.Clements with the fi gure preparation.
References
Ackerman JL, Bellwood DR (2000) Reef fi sh assemblages: a re-evaluation using enclosed rotenone
stations. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 206:227–237
Ackerman JL, Bellwood DR, Brown JH (2004) The contribution of small individuals to densitybody size relationships: examination of energetic equivalence in reef fi shes. Oecologia
139:568–571
Allen GR (2007) Conservation hotspots of biodiversity and endemism for Indo-Pacifi c coral reef
fi shes. Aquat Conserv Mar Freshw Ecosyst. doi: 10.1002/aqc.880
Allen GR, Steene R, Allen M (1998) A guide to angelfi shes and butterfl yfi shes. Odyssey Publishing/
Tropical Reef Research, Perth
Almany GR, Berumen ML, Thorrold SR, Planes S, Jones GP (2007) Local replenishment of coral
reef fi sh populations in a marine reserve. Science 316:742–744
Bellwood DR, Wainwright PC (2002) The history and biogeography of fi shes on coral reefs. In:
Sale PF (ed) Coral reef fi shes. Dynamics and diversity in a complex ecosystem. Academic,
San Diego
Bolden SK (2000) Long-distance movement of a Nassau grouper ( Epinephelus striatus ) to a
spawning aggregation in the central Bahamas. Fish Bull 98:642–645
Brix O, Gruner R, Ronnestad I, Gemballa S (2009) Whether depositing fat or losing weight, fi sh
maintain a balance. Proc Biol Sci 276:3777–3782
Bshary R, Hohner A, Ait-El-Djoudi K, Fricke H (2006) Interspecifi c communicative and coordinated hunting between groupers and giant moray eels in the Red Sea. PLoS Biol 4:2393–2398
Bushnell ME, Claisse JT, Laidley CW (2010) Lunar and seasonal patterns in fecundity of an indeterminate, multiple-spawning surgeonfi sh, the yellow tang Zebrasoma fl avescens . J Fish Biol
76:1343–1361
Chiappone M, Sluka R, Sealy KS (2000) Groupers (Pisces: Serranidae) in fi shed and protected
areas of the Florida Keys, Bahamas and northern Caribbean. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 198:261–272
Choat JH, Axe LM (1996) Growth and longevity in acanthurid fi shes; an analysis of otolith
increments. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 134:15–26
Choat JH, Bellwood DR (1985) Interactions amongst herbivorous fi shes on a coral reef: infl uence
of spatial variation. Mar Biol 89:221–234
Choat JH, Bellwood DR (1991) Reef fi shes: their history and evolution. In: Sale PF (ed) The ecology
of coral reef fi shes. Academic Press San Diego
Choat JH, Clements KD (1998) Vertebrate herbivores in marine and terrestrial environments: a
nutritional ecology perspective. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 29:375–403
Choat JH, Robertson DR (2002) Age based studies. In: Sale PF (ed) Coral reef fi shes diversity and
dynamics in a complex system. Academic Press San Diego
Choat JH, Clements KD, Robbins WD (2002) The trophic status of herbivorous fi shes on coral
reefs. I. Dietary analyses. Mar Biol 140:613–623
Choat JH, Robbins WD, Clements KD (2004) The trophic status of herbivorous fi shes on coral
reefs II: food processing modes and trophodynamics. Mar Biol 145:445–454