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Resource Use by a Mediterranean Rocky Slope Fish Assemblage
M. Fasola,
L. Canova,
F. Foschi,
O. Novelli,
M. Bressan,
M. Fasola
Dipartimento Biologia Animale, Pz. Botta 9,1–27100 Pavia, Italy.
Search for more papers by this authorL. Canova
Dipartimento Biologia Animale, Pz. Botta 9,1–27100 Pavia, Italy.
Search for more papers by this authorF. Foschi
Dipartimento Biologia Animale, Pz. Botta 9,1–27100 Pavia, Italy.
Search for more papers by this authorO. Novelli
Dipartimento Biologia Animale, Pz. Botta 9,1–27100 Pavia, Italy.
Search for more papers by this authorM. Bressan
Dipartimento Biologia, Via Trieste 75, 1–35121 Padova, Italy.
Search for more papers by this authorM. Fasola,
L. Canova,
F. Foschi,
O. Novelli,
M. Bressan,
M. Fasola
Dipartimento Biologia Animale, Pz. Botta 9,1–27100 Pavia, Italy.
Search for more papers by this authorL. Canova
Dipartimento Biologia Animale, Pz. Botta 9,1–27100 Pavia, Italy.
Search for more papers by this authorF. Foschi
Dipartimento Biologia Animale, Pz. Botta 9,1–27100 Pavia, Italy.
Search for more papers by this authorO. Novelli
Dipartimento Biologia Animale, Pz. Botta 9,1–27100 Pavia, Italy.
Search for more papers by this authorM. Bressan
Dipartimento Biologia, Via Trieste 75, 1–35121 Padova, Italy.
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Abstract. Resource partitioning has been intensely studied in fish assemblages of tropical reefs, whereas surprisingly little research has been conducted on the benthic Mediterranean. Here we describe the composition of a fish assemblage of the rocky slopes at Tremiti Islands, southern Adriatic Sea, the vertical distribution at depths from 0 to 42 m, habitat choice and food use of the different species, and we identify the resources along which species are ecologically segregated. Species composition and fish density showed high similarities with the few other assemblages that have been censused on the rocky coasts of the Mediterranean. We observed a wide overdispersion among species in their use of food and habitat, while very little segregation occurred at the level of depth distribution. No coincident use of food, habitat or active periods occurred among fish species, and no trophic guilds exist in the three-dimensional niche.
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