Variable density dependence and the restructuring of coral-reef fisheries across 25 years of exploitation.

ABSTRACT: Variable density dependence within multispecies fisheries results in species restructuring as exploitation intensifies that is poorly understood. We examined unique species-based records across 25 years of exploitation to evaluate patterns, consequences, and predictions of species replacements within three coral-reef fisheries. Body-size was an expected determinant of species replacements, as larger fishes were consistently replaced by smaller, faster-growing counterparts. However, many species with similar sizes and growth rates responded differently. Naso unicornis, a primary component of coral-reef fisheries across the Pacific, was one of the most resilient species to exploitation despite having a similar maximum size and growth as many large parrotfishes that slowly disappeared from la

SUBMITTER: Houk P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5893587 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature