SPATIOTEMPORAL PATTERNS OF RECRUITMENT OF LABROID FISHES (PISCES, LABRIDAE AND SCARIDAE) TO DAMSELFISH TERRITORIES

Recent studies have shown that recruitment variability is an important process structuring reef fish assemblages. The aim of this study is t o describe the spatio-temporal patterns of recruitment of three abunda nt labroid taxa (Coris schroederi, Halichoeres melanurus and Scarus sp p.), using damselfish territories as replicate units of habitat. Tempo ral recruitment patterns of each taxa were consistent among three site s along 2 km of reef tract, with small differences among sites probabl y the result of hydrological or random factors operating at that scale . Recruitment of only one species (C. schroederi) showed consistent di fferences in the magnitude of recruitment among sites, which was proba bly due to an overriding effect of habitat selection for the location of the territories on the reef profile at one site. Two taxa, C. schro ederi and Scarus spp., recruited in low to moderate rates over many we eks with moderate recruitment peaks detected in one year only. This pa ttern may be characteristic of many labroid species that have protract ed periods of production of larvae. In contrast, H. melanurus recruite d in a single short pulse of high magnitude each summer, which suggest s that production of larvae by this species may occur over a more rest ricted period of time. No strong pattern of lunar entrainment of recru itment was detected for any taxa, which may be due to a lack of lunar periodicity in production of larvae. Further studies are now required to identify the processes that are important in determining patterns o f labroid recruitment.