Fish predation on the scleractinian coral Madracis mirabilis controls its depth distribution in the Florida Keys, USA

Abstract

We evaluated the role of f ~s h predation as the mechanism controlling the local distribution of the scleractin-]an coral Madracis mirabills on Conch Reef in the Florlda Keys, USA At many C a r ~b b e a n sltes, M m~rabilis is found at depths ranging from 1 to 63 m However, at Conch Reef t h ~s coral IS rarely found shallower than 20 m M ~nlrabilis fragments transplanted from 26 to 13 m depth suffered sign~ficantly hlgher levels of f ~s h predation than fragments transplanted from 26 to 20 m These results Indicate that fish p r e d a t ~o n potentially 11mits the v e ~ tlcal distribution of M mlrabllis on Canbbean reefs