Refining the trophic diversity, network structure, and bottom‐up importance of prey groups for temperate reef fishes

S. Zarco-Perello; S. Bennett; J. Goetze; T. H. Holmes; R. D. Stuart-Smith; E. R. White

doi:10.1002/ecs2.70193

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Refining the trophic diversity, network structure, and bottom‐up importance of prey groups for temperate reef fishes

Journal article

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Refining the trophic diversity, network structure, and bottom‐up importance of prey groups for temperate reef fishes

S. Zarco-Perello, S. Bennett, J. Goetze, T. H. Holmes, R. D. Stuart-Smith and E. R. White

Ecosphere (Washington, D.C), Vol.16(2), e70193

2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70193

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Abstract

diet

ecological network

ecosystem function

feeding ecology

functional groups

Great Southern Reef

herbivory

kelp forest

predation

rocky reefs

top predator

trophic guild

Marine fish communities are highly diverse and contribute significantly to ecosystem processes. However, understanding their specific functional roles and the importance of different prey groups for sustaining fish communities has been limited by the historical classification of fishes into a few coarse trophic guilds. Using diet information to perform a high‐resolution trophic classification of 298 temperate reef fish species distributed across south‐western Australia, we built metacommunity and subregional trophic networks to evaluate the most important trophic relationships and energy pathways in temperate reefs. We identified 26 specialized trophic guilds within the groups of herbivores, zoobenthivores, zooplanktivores, piscivores, and cleaners. Zoobenthivorous fishes had the highest species richness and trophic diversity with 191 species in nine guilds. Consumers of crustaceans showed greater species redundancy at the metacommunity level. In contrast, a low redundancy of echinodermivores could represent a risk to local capacity for top‐down control of sea urchins across the region. Finer scale analysis of prey at the family level showed that piscivorous guilds may influence different trophic pathways, with some guilds consuming other piscivorous fishes, while others consume lower trophic levels, particularly crustaceavores. Evidence of predation on herbivorous guilds was only found for turf grazers, suggesting that fish herbivory might not function as a major direct link between primary producers and higher trophic levels. Among the prey consumed by fishes, micro‐crustaceans and decapods accounted for 33% of all diet proportions. The importance of macrophytes to the fish community likely resides indirectly through the trophic pathway of herbivorous and detritivorous invertebrates, particularly crustaceans, which are more consumed by fishes than macrophytes themselves. Comparison of trophic networks in the region showed that warmer locations had higher species redundancy per node and higher strength in trophic interactions. Yet, all networks had structural properties consistent with the meta‐network regarding the importance of prey groups and modularity. Considering high‐resolution predator–prey interactions enhances our understanding of the blue‐print of ecosystem functions in shallow marine systems. Identifying the specific trophic significance of different consumers and prey groups is important for ecological forecasting and the prioritization of conservation and resource management regulations in our current fast‐changing world.

Details

Title: Refining the trophic diversity, network structure, and bottom‐up importance of prey groups for temperate reef fishes
Authors/Creators: S. Zarco-Perello - Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University Perth Western Australia Australia, College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, University of New Hampshire Durham North Carolina USA
S. Bennett - University of Tasmania
J. Goetze - Curtin University
T. H. Holmes - The University of Western Australia
R. D. Stuart-Smith - University of Tasmania
E. R. White - University of New Hampshire
Publication Details: Ecosphere (Washington, D.C), Vol.16(2), e70193
Publisher: Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Ecological Society of America.
Number of pages: 21
Grant note: Fulbright Australia (Fulbright Future Scholar)Fulbright Foreign Scholar Program, US Department of StateKinghorn FoundationCouncil of Australian University Librarians
Special thanks to Paul Day, Neville Barrett, Graham Edgar, and anonymous volunteers for organizing and conducting the RLS-ATRC surveys in western Australia. Data from RLS and ATRC used to generate the species list for this study were sourced from Australia's Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS)-IMOS is enabled by the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). Salvador Zarco-Perello gratefully acknowledges financial support for this research via the Fulbright Foreign Scholar Program, US Department of State, Australian-American Fulbright Commission, and the Kinghorn Foundation. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the aforementioned sponsors. Open access publishing facilitated by Murdoch University, as part of the Wiley - Murdoch University agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians.
Identifiers: 991005743936707891
Murdoch Affiliation: Harry Butler Institute
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Citation topics: 6 Social Sciences; 6.115 Sustainability Science; 6.115.1661 Ecosystem Dynamics
Web Of Science research areas: Ecology
ESI research areas: Environment/Ecology