Jump to main content or area navigation.

Contact Us

ReefLink Database

Small Herbivorous Fish

Small Herbivorous Fish

Small herbivorous fish are small bodied fish species, such as damselfish, tangs, and surgeonfish that primarily feed on algae.

CMap

Apex Fish Predators, are fish that are at the top of the food chain with virtually no predators of their own, such as sharks, barracudas, morays, and jacks. Aquarium Stock is aquatic life that humans collect for sale to commercial aquariums or individual hobbyists. Biocriteria are narrative expressions or numeric values that describe the biological condition (structure and function) of aquatic communities inhabiting waters of a designated aquatic life use. Biological Addition refers to anthropogenic inputs of a biological nature into the reef ecosystem, including artificial habitat, domestic animal waste, supplemental feeding, and escape or release of non-native species. Biological Harvest is the collection of living things from the ecosystem for recreation, consumption, or sale of marine products. Biological monitoring is the use of a biological entity as a detector and its response as a measure to determine environmental conditions. Biological monitoring, mapping, and scientific research are activities to track the condition of populations, communities, and habitat, and to understand the processes, stressors, and ecological interactions that affect that condition. Complex habitat and resources reflects the complex architecture of sessile, plant-like organisms, such as octocoral and sponges, which provides shelter and protection for small fish and other invertebrates from predators. Contact Uses, such as biological additions, physical damage, and biological harvesting, are activities in which humans create pressures through direct contact with the ecosystem. Coral is a colonial marine animal consisting of polyps. Corallivorous fish are fish whose diet primarily consists of live coral. Cultural services are the nonmaterial benefits people obtain from ecosystems through spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, recreational opportunities, aesthetic experiences, sense of place, and educational and research opportunities. Designating protected species is the process of legally establishing a species as threatened, endangered, or of special concern, often requiring that critical habitat must be designated as well and recovery plans implemented. Discharges are the intentional or unintentional distribution of chemicals, debris, or other pollution, into the environment as a consequence of human activities. Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems . Finfish and shellfish stock are fish (e.g., groupers and snappers) and invertebrates (e.g., lobster, crab, conch, octopus, squid, and bivalves) that are harvested for human consumption as seafood. Fish are cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates that breathe through gills and usually have scales. Fleshy macroalgae is any large algae which does not deposit calcium carbonate in it's tissues. Invasive species are plants, animals, or other organisms that are foreign to a particular environment, and whose introduction may be detrimental when invasives compete with or consume native species. An Invertebrate is any animal that lacks a backbone. Invertivorous fish are fish that primarily feed on invertebrates. Landscape Changes are alterations of the natural landscape through human activities, including coastal development, shoreline armoring, impervious surfaces, deforestation, or soil disturbance, which can alter water flow patterns and lead to pollutant runoff into coastal systems. Large herbivorous fish are any large bodied fish that primarily feed on algae, such as parrotfish and chubs. Marine products are non-food goods derived from reefs that promote human well-being (e.g, aquarium fish or ornamental resources) and human health (e.g., pharmaceuticals and cosmetics). Marine vertebrates are aquatic animals with a backbone, such as sea turtles, whales, dolphins and marine birds. Microorganisms are microscopic plants or animals, such as cyanobacteria and disease-causing pathogens that live in coral reef ecosystems. The Reef Ecosystem includes a suite of abiotic variables that form the physical and chemical environment. Piscivorous fish are fish that primarily feed on other fish, such as snapper and grouper. Planktivorous Fish are fish that feed primarily on plankton. Plankton are any plants or animals that are too small to actively move against ocean currents. Pressures are human activities that create stress on the environment. Provisioning services are the products or ecosystem goods obtained from ecosystems, including seafood, genetic and biochemical resources, pharmaceuticals, ornamental resources, and water resources. The state of the Reef Ecosystem is the condition, in terms of quantity and quality, of the abiotic and biotic components including physical, chemical, and biological variables. Reef Habitat is the abundance, distribution, and condition of the benthic components of the reef ecosystem. Reef Inhabitants are all of the motile components of the reef ecosystem, including fish, invertebrates, marine reptiles and mammals, and are quantified by their abundance, distribution, and condition. Reef Life is the abundance, distribution, and condition of the biological components of the coral reef ecosystem. Responses are actions taken by groups or individuals in society and government to prevent, compensate, ameliorate or adapt to changes in Ecosystem Services or their perceived value. Small herbivorous fish are small bodied fish species, such as damselfish, tangs, and surgeonfish that primarily feed on algae. Socio-Economic Drivers include the sectors that fulfill human needs for Food & Raw Materials, Water, Shelter, Health, Culture, and Security, and the Infrastructure that supports the sectors. Sponges are sessile colonial animals with soft porous bodies supported by a fibrous skeletal framework. Supporting services are ecological processes that indirectly benefit humans by maintaining a functional ecosystem for the production of other ecosystem goods and services. Turf algae is a type of low growing algae in reefs. Wetland and reef restoration are activities to directly improve, reestablish, or repair degraded ecosystems. A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with moisture either permanently or seasonally.

CMap Description

The fish found on coral reefs are essential for coastal communities and extremely important in the wider world. Small herbivorous fish, such as damselfish, tangs, and surgeonfish, graze turf algae. Many small herbivorous fish species are important as aquarium stock and all species are important to cultural services of coral reefs. Small herbivorous fish are unique in the use of complex habitat & resources provided by the reef; unlike their larger counterparts, small herbivorous fish guard algal patches and will sometimes even cultivate them. Wetlands provide nursery habitat that supports the fish community. Small herbivorous fish provide a valuable link in the trophic food web as they are consumed by piscivorous fish, apex fish predators, and marine mammals and reptiles. Like all fish species, small herbivorous fish are stressed and killed by competing invasive species, disease-causing microorganisms, and disturbances of the physical & chemical environment. Socio-economic drivers lead to the removal & mortality of small herbivorous fish through harvesting pressures and to behavior modifications through supplemental feeding. Biological monitoring, mapping, research, and restoration is paramount to ensure the flow of services from reef fish.

Citations

More than 50 citations. Click here to load.

Citation Year Study Location Study Type Database Topics

Management Options

Management Option Description Sources Database Topics
Monitor & Research: Fisheries Sampling Improved fisheries sampling programs require improving the spatial resolution of commercial and recreation fisheries-dependent and fisheries-independent sampling programs to provide statistics on catch and effort. Improved sampling can be achieved through evaluating and enhancing census programs by using smaller sampling areas. Also, fishery pre-recruitment monitoring efforts should be continued for long-term prediction of fishery stocks. Last, investigating life histories of fishery species needs to be conducted because it is currently a gap. NOAA Marine Sanctuary Program. 2007. Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary revised management plan. National Ocean Service, Key West, FL.

Apex Fish Predators; Biological Harvest; Biological Monitoring & Restoration; Biological Monitoring, Mapping, & Scientific Research; Corallivorous Fish; Decision Support; Ecosystem Monitoring & Restoration; Finfish & Shellfish Stock; Fish; Fishing & Harvesting Management; Fishing Sector; Invertivorous Fish; Large Herbivorous Fish; Piscivorous Fish; Planktivorous Fish; Provisioning Services; Reef Inhabitants; Reef Life; Security & Public Administration Policies; Small Herbivorous Fish
Monitor & Research: Biological Status and Trends Monitoring This activity produces long-term comprehensive information on sanctuary-wide status and trends of biological resources. Data that could be collected on coral reef communities includes but is not limited to species abundance and density, biodiversity, benthic cover, coral condition, growth, recruitment, predation, and grazing. Mangroves and seagrasses should also be monitored. With adequate baseline data, changes in community structure and biocriteria can be identified and restoration or protection efforts can be taken. NOAA Marine Sanctuary Program. 2007. Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary revised management plan. National Ocean Service, Key West, FL.

Algae; Anemones & Zooanthids; Apex Fish Predators; Aquaculture; Aquarium Stock; Biochemical & Genetic Resources; Biocriteria; Biological Harvest; Biological Monitoring & Restoration; Biological Monitoring, Mapping, & Scientific Research; Bivalves; Calcareous Macroalgae; Contact Uses; Coral; Coralline Algae; Cyanobacteria; Decision Support; Echinoderms; Ecosystem Monitoring & Restoration; Finfish & Shellfish Stock; Fish; Fishing Sector; Food & Energy Policies; Hydrocoral; Invasive Species; Invertebrates; Large Herbivorous Fish; Lobster, Crab, & Shrimp; Mangroves; Marine Birds; Marine Products; Marine Vertebrates; Marine Worms; Microorganisms; Molluscs; Octocoral; Octopus & Squid; Ornamental Jewelry & Art; Pathogens; Pharmaceuticals & Cosmetics Sources; Physical Damage; Primary Production; Provisioning Services; Resource Use Management; Sea Turtles; Sea Urchins; Seagrasses; Seastars; Skeletal Coral; Small Herbivorous Fish; Snails & Conch; Sponges; Stony Coral; Tunicates; Wetlands; Whales & Dolphins
Resource Use Management: Seasonal Fisheries and Harvesting Finfish and shellfish stocks may be more or less susceptible to fishing pressures during certain times of the year. This may be due to seasonality of recruitment and/or changes in food/predation pressures. If fishing restrictions may be more successful if this seasonality is taken into consideration and fishing pressure adjusted accordingly. Accidental & Illegal Harvest; Apex Fish Predators; Artisanal Fishing; Biochemical & Genetic Resources; Biological Harvest; Bivalves; Commercial Fisheries; Corallivorous Fish; Decision Support; Echinoderms; Finfish & Shellfish Stock; Finfish Harvest; Fish; Fisheries & Hunting Policies; Fishing & Harvesting Management; Fishing Sector; Food & Energy Policies; Invertebrate Harvest; Invertivorous Fish; Large Herbivorous Fish; Live Collection; Lobster, Crab, & Shrimp; Marine Products; Molluscs; Octopus & Squid; Permitting & Zoning; Piscivorous Fish; Planktivorous Fish; Provisioning Services; Recreational Fishing; Small Herbivorous Fish; Snails & Conch; Sponges; Tourism & Recreation Policies
Restoration: Removal of Invasive Algae Benthic organisms on reefs maintain a delicate balance competing for space. In many areas, the competition between coral and algae has fallen out of balance due to confounding factors. Factors such as decreased herbivorous fish and invertebrates, and invasive algae species have allowed faster growing algae to take over many reefs, often growing into smothering mats that cover and kill coral. In Hawaii, there has been some success physically removing invasive algae such as Kappaphycus using underwater vacuums extended down from barges or volunteer events in shallower areas. The Nature Conservancy. 2010.Two Million Pounds of Invasive Algae Removed From Maunalua Bay.

(not cited)

Algae; Aquaculture; Biological Addition; Biological Harvest; Biological Monitoring & Restoration; Biological Monitoring, Mapping, & Scientific Research; Calcareous Macroalgae; Collaboration & Partnering; Coral; Coralline Algae; Decision Support; Ecosystem Monitoring & Restoration; Escape & Release of Non-natives; Fishing & Harvesting Management; Fishing Sector; Fleshy Macroalgae; Hydrocoral; Invasive Species; Large Herbivorous Fish; Octocoral; Reef Habitat; Skeletal Coral; Small Herbivorous Fish; Stony Coral; Turf Algae; Wetland & Reef Restoration; Zooxanthellae

Laws

Legal Citation Purpose of Law Management Organization Database Topics

Jump to main content.