FAS Abstracts 2004 Meeting Page

Biological Sciences (BIO A): BIO-4

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Possible use of seagrass blowouts as refugia by parrotfishes of different sizes.  S. MACIÁ (1), M.P. ROBINSON (2).  (1) Barry University, 11300 NE 2 Ave., Miami Shores, FL 33161, (2) Dept. of Biology, Univ. Miami, Coral Gables FL 33124.  Seagrass beds provide food and shelter for many fish and invertebrate species.  Blowouts are bare areas with an edge that is often steep-sided or forms an overhang.  These areas increase habitat complexity within seagrass beds.  We compared parrotfish grazing intensity at different distances from the edge of blowouts by counting and measuring the number of bite marks on seagrass blades.  Grazing intensity, as measured by the % blades with bites and number of bites per blade, increased with increasing distance from the edge of the blowout.  The size of the bite marks, which is indicative of the size of the fish that made them, differed with distance from the edge of the blowout, but with no consistent pattern.  These data suggest that larger fishes feed in closer proximity to the shelter of the blowouts.