Abstract
Examined interactions among newly recruited juvenile fishes and between juvenile fishes and transplanted resident damselfish on artificial reefs in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. Two kinds of priority effects occurred: 1) recruitment of 3 species of settling juveniles significantly decreased in the presence of the territorial damselfish, and 2) prior settlement of a juvenile predator lowered successful recruitment of 2 juvenile prey species. The 1st effect increases determinism in the structure of coral reef fish assemblages, while the 2nd decreased their predictability.
Original language | American English |
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Journal | Ecology |
Volume | 64 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 1 1983 |
Externally published | Yes |