Body size and mortality rates in coral reef fishes: a three-phase relationship.

ABSTRACT: Body size is closely linked to mortality rates in many animals, although the overarching patterns in this relationship have rarely been considered for multiple species. A meta-analysis of published size-specific mortality rates for coral reef fishes revealed an exponential decline in mortality rate with increasing body size, however, within this broad relationship there are three distinct phases. Phase one is characterized by naive fishes recruiting to reefs, which suffer extremely high mortality rates. In this well-studied phase, fishes must learn quickly to survive the many predation risks. After just a few days, the surviving fishes enter phase two, in which small increases in body size result in pronounced increases in lifespan (estimated 11 d mm-1). Remarkably, approximately 50% of re

SUBMITTER: Goatley CH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5095387 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature