Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/20440
Title: Fifty million years of herbivory on coral reefs: fossils, fish and functional innovations
Contributor(s): Bellwood, D R (author); Goatley, Christopher  (author)orcid ; Brandl, S J (author); Bellwood, O (author)
Publication Date: 2014
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.3046Open Access Link
Handle Link: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/20440
Abstract: The evolution of ecological processes on coral reefs was examined based on Eocene fossil fishes from Monte Bolca, Italy and extant species from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Using ecologically relevant morphological metrics, we investigated the evolution of herbivory in surgeonfishes (Acanthuridae) and rabbitfishes (Siganidae). Eocene and Recent surgeonfishes showed remarkable similarities, with grazers, browsers and even specialized, long-snouted forms having Eocene analogues. These long-snouted Eocene species were probably pair-forming, crevice-feeding forms like their Recent counterparts. Although Eocene surgeonfishes likely played a critical role as herbivores during the origins of modern coral reefs, they lacked the novel morphologies seen in modern 'Acanthurus' and 'Siganus' (including eyes positioned high above their low-set mouths). Today, these forms dominate coral reefs in both abundance and species richness and are associated with feeding on shallow, exposed algal turfs. The radiation of these new forms, and their expansion into new habitats in the Oligocene-Miocene, reflects the second phase in the development of fish herbivory on coral reefs that is closely associated with the exploitation of highly productive short algal turfs.
Publication Type: Journal Article
Source of Publication: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 281(1781), p. 1-8
Publisher: The Royal Society Publishing
Place of Publication: United Kingdom
ISSN: 1471-2954
0962-8452
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: 060205 Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology)
060206 Palaeoecology
060302 Biogeography and Phylogeography
Fields of Research (FoR) 2020: 310305 Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology)
310306 Palaeoecology
310402 Biogeography and phylogeography
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: 960808 Marine Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2020: 180504 Marine biodiversity
Peer Reviewed: Yes
HERDC Category Description: C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal
Appears in Collections:Journal Article

Files in This Item:
2 files
File Description SizeFormat 
Show full item record

SCOPUSTM   
Citations

88
checked on Mar 9, 2024

Page view(s)

1,014
checked on Jun 18, 2023
Google Media

Google ScholarTM

Check

Altmetric


Items in Research UNE are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.