Food webs and energy transfer within platform artificial reefs

Abstract

Platform reefs are allochthanous, obtaining the majority of their energy from the plankton.

The diet of Paranthias furcifer (creolefish, family Serranidae) at platforms contained bothplankton and epifaunal fouling community invertebrates and varied with light level and season.

Paranthias furcifer diet displayed a decrease in plankton community organisms during winter and spring.

Balistes capriscus (gray triggerfish, family Balistidae) and Epinephelus adscensionis (rockhind, family Serranidae) obtained virtually all of their energy requirements from sessile and motile fouling community invertebrates and small fishes.

Both structures appear to be at or near carrying capacity for the species P. furcifer and E. adscensionis.

At HI389A B. capriscus may be part of a population that moves between the platform structure and the nearby Flower Garden Banks reef.

Food chains on platforms EB165A and HI389A were generally short, containing 4 to 5 nodes and 3 to 4 links.

The shortest food chains were those containing planktivorous fishes as secondary consumers.