Download coral reef ecology

Coral Reef Ecology
Objectives:
1.
Describe symbiosis.
2.
Describe fish feeding guilds, the relationship of various reef
fish, and their food sources.
Symbiosis
•
a close
relationship
between two
species in which
at least one
organism benefits
3 Types of Symbiosis
1. Mutualism
•
both organisms benefit
•
ex: coral polyp and
zooxanthellae
•
Ex: goby and the blind
shrimp
•
http://animal.discovery.co
m/videos/top-10-oddanimal-couples-shrimp-agoby.html
2. Commensalism
• one organism benefits, the
other is neither harmed nor
benefited
• ex: remora fish and shark
• Ex: imperial shrimp on a sea
cucumber
3. parasitism
• one organism benefits, the
other is harmed
• ex: fish or mammals and
tapeworms
Cool Examples
• Ant and Butterfly
• Cleaner Gobies and Grouper
• Sea anemone and Clownfish
Fish Feeding Guilds
Definition: groups of species of fish
which exploit the same food
resource in a similar way
Main Types
a) benthic (bottom-dwelling) algae
feeders
• browsers – eat only plant material
• scrapers – eat plants and some
substratum
b) plankton feeders
• pickers
c) benthic animal feeders
• ambushers
• foragers
• coral polyp pickers
d) macro nekton (swimmers) feeders
• ambushers
• stalkers
Activity: Fish Feeding
Guilds
Fish Family
Butterflyfish
Surgeonfish
Hawkfish
Goatfish
Wrasse
Feeding Guild
Explanation
Coral Reef Food Web
• Using information from the fish ID book, draw a
coral reef food web that includes 2 different
species/types of fish.
• Start from the producers ---- which are?
• Then work your way up the consumer levels.