Work

Attraction of settlement-stage coral reef fishes to reef noise

Year: 2004

Type: article

Abstract: We compared catches of settlement-stage reef fishes in light traps attached to underwater speakers playing reef sounds with those of silent traps during a summer recruitment season at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia.Of the total 40 191 reef fishes we collected, significantly more (67%; Wilcoxon and Binomial tests: p < 0.001) appeared in the traps with broadcast reef noise.Traps deployed with speakers consistently caught a greater diversity of species (Wilcoxon test: p< 0.001, total 81 vs 68) than did silent traps.This study provides a clear demonstration that the settlement-stages of a broad range of families of coral reef fishes are attracted to reef sounds.

Source: Marine Ecology Progress Series

DOI: 10.3354/meps276263

Authors: SD Simpson, MG Meekan, RD McCauley, A Jeffs

Institutions: University of York, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Curtin University, University of Edinburgh, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research

Language: English

Topic: Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies

Subfield: Ecology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Life below water

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: Australian Institute of Marine Science, Natural Environment Research Council, Marsden Fund