New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts
Short communication
Diet of subtropical herbivorous fishes in northeastern New Zealand
Kendall D. Clements
W. Lindsey Zemke-White*
School of Biological Sciences
Private Bag 92019
University of Auckland
Auckland, New Zealand
email: k.clements@auckland.ac.nz
*Present address: Division of Applied Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Private Bag 92006, Auckland, New Zealand.
Abstract Diet was examined in four species of marine herbivorous fishes in northeastern New Zealand, which for three species represents the southern end of their range. Aplodactylus etheridgii (Aplodactylidae) and Girella cyanea (Girellidae) are restricted to the subtropical southwest Pacific region, whereas Kyphosus bigibbus (Kyphosidae) is distributed antitropically in the Indian and Pacific oceans. The temperate Australasian herbivore A. arctidens was also examined for comparative purposes. Aplodactylus etheridgii and A. arctidens predominantly consumed rhodophytes (91.22% ± 4.12 SE and 72.50% ± 6.63 SE, respectively), with A. arctidens also consuming a significant proportion of chlorophytes (22.65% ± 6.91 SE), mainly Ulva spp. Kyphosus bigibbus consumed predominantly phaeophytes (91.50% ± 2.69 SE), mainly Carpophyllum spp., with the remainder consisting of rhodophytes. Girella cyanea was omnivorous, consuming some animal material (12.45% ± 7.29 SE), mainly sponges and hydroids.
Keywords marine; algae; Kyphosidae; Girellidae; Aplodactylidae
New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2008, Vol. 42: 47–55
0028–8330/08/4201–0047 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2008
M07041; Online publication date 21 February 2008
Received 31 August 2007; accepted 24 November 2007
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