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Differences in population parameters and behaviour of the herbivorous fish Sarpa salpa between protected and unprotected seagrass meadows in the north-western Mediterranean

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 May 2009

N. Raventos ,
B. Ferrari  and
S. Planes
N. Raventos*
Affiliation:
UMR 5244 EPHE CNRS UPVD, Centre de Biologie et d'Ecologie Tropicale et Méditerranéenne, Université de Perpignan, 52, Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860 Perpignan, France
B. Ferrari
Affiliation:
UMR 5244 EPHE CNRS UPVD, Centre de Biologie et d'Ecologie Tropicale et Méditerranéenne, Université de Perpignan, 52, Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860 Perpignan, France
S. Planes
Affiliation:
UMR 5244 EPHE CNRS UPVD, Centre de Biologie et d'Ecologie Tropicale et Méditerranéenne, Université de Perpignan, 52, Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860 Perpignan, France
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: N. Raventos, UMR 5244 EPHE CNRS UPVD, Centre de Biologie et d'Ecologie Tropicale et Méditerranéenne, Université de Perpignan, 52, Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan, France email: nuria@ceab.csic.es
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Abstract

Population parameters and behaviour of the herbivorous fish Sarpa salpa, present differences between protected and non-protected seagrass meadows of the north-western Mediterranean Sea. Larger individuals are more abundant inside protected areas, where their grazing pressure on seagrass is disproportionately greater than that of smaller fish feeding on algae and seagrass in unprotected areas. The feeding rate (bites per minute per individual) of smaller fish in unprotected areas is relatively high; however, the denser populations of larger fish in protected areas consume more forage because individual mouth gape is greater and larger fish remove more forage per bite. All these differences suggest a higher impact on seagrass meadows inside protected areas.

Keywords

Posidonia oceanicaMarine Protected Areasreserve effectgrazing activity
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 89 , Issue 6 , September 2009 , pp. 1153 - 1159
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2009

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