RESULTS 



Removal of Algal Biomass 



Herbivores removed between 0.88 and 2.10 g dry wt. m day , 

 which represents between 32 and 84% of the daily production of 

 algal biomass (Table 1). The temporal variation in the total biomass 

 removed was mainly the result of variation in the amount removed by 

 the herbivorous fish component. The percent of the total biomass re- 

 moved by all herbivores that was taken by fishes varied between 3 and 

 39%. The percent removed by Pi adema only varied from 41 to 68%, and 

 micro-herbivores removed from 11 to 28% of the biomass. 



Table 1. Mean decalcified dry wt. removed (g m'^d"^) + S.D. 

 by each functional herbivore group; the % of daily algal produc- 

 tion that this represents; and, in parentheses, the % of the 

 total amount removed (N=4). Note that the biomass removed by all 

 herbivore groups is an independent estimate, not the sum of the 

 removals by the three separate groups. 



GROUP 



JUNE 



JULY 



AUGUST 



wt 



% 

 19(38) 

 26(51) 

 6(11) 



51 



wt 



% 



wt 



% 



1 



2 



3 



ALL 



0.4 5+0. 12 

 0.65+0.05 

 0.09+0.07 

 1.27+0.28 



0.78+0. 18 33(39) 



0.85+0.14 35(41) 



0.31+0.20 16(20) 



2.10+0.61 84 



0.03+0.05 1(3) 



0.59+0.11 22(68) 



0.25+0.17 9(28) 



0.88+0.26 32 



Based on herbivore densities in the study area 

 sible for approximately 50% of the herb ivory, fishes 

 herbivores the remaining 20-30% of the biomass removed 



D i a d e m a is respon- 

 20-30%. and micro' 



Algal Species Composition 



Alga 

 were pr 

 p 1 e t e, s 

 presenc 

 reg ime . 

 Pi adema 

 domi nat 

 with mi 

 Ch 1 orop 

 wel 1 re 

 of thes 

 by a si 

 u 1 o i d e s 

 that th 

 and oth 



I n c 

 a commu 

 of the 

 Amp hi ro 

 b e n t h i c 



1 spe 

 esent 

 o per 

 e/abs 

 Plat 

 show 

 ed by 

 nute 

 hyta, 

 prese 

 e pi a 

 ncl e 

 ) tha 

 is sp 

 er f i 

 ontra 

 nity 

 f a m i 1 

 a f ra 



ci es c 

 , and 

 cent r 

 ence a 

 es gra 

 s i m i 1 

 crust 

 (10-50 

 Phaeo 

 nted . 

 tes. P 

 specie 

 t form 

 eci es 

 1 ament 

 st , pi 

 domi na 

 y Gel i 

 g i 1 i s s 



ompo 

 thei 

 elat 

 nd d 

 zed 

 ar p 

 ose 

 urn 

 phyt 

 No 1 

 late 

 s of 

 ed p 

 i s a 

 s we 

 ates 

 ted 

 di ac 

 ima ) 



foraminifera. 



si ti 

 r re 

 i ve 

 omi n 

 by a 

 atte 

 form 

 di am 

 a an 

 arge 

 s f r 



fil 

 atch 

 ct i v 

 re a 



gra 



by 1 



eae, 



to 



This 



on d 

 lati 

 abun 

 ance 

 11 h 

 rns 

 s (U 

 eter 

 d Rh 

 cor 

 om t 

 amen 

 es o 

 ely 

 1 so 

 zed 

 arge 

 the 

 one 

 shi 



iffe 

 ve a 

 danc 

 dat 

 erbi 

 of a 

 lvel 



red bo 

 bundan 

 e can 

 a s how 

 vore g 

 Igal c 

 la Ten 



Tfi 

 odop 

 ti ca 

 he f 

 tous 

 f va 

 avoi 

 of p 

 only 

 r al 

 upr 

 com 

 ft i 



1 ament 

 hyta . 

 ted al 

 i s h g r 



brown 

 rying 

 ded by 

 ri mary 



by mi 

 gae (C 

 i g h t c 

 prised 

 n comm 



th in 

 ce . An 

 not be 



a pat 

 roups 

 ommuni 

 s_ and 

 ous re 

 Cyano- 

 gal sp 

 a z i n g 



algae 

 size. 



herbi 



impor 

 cro-he 

 oel oth 



term 

 alys 

 gi v 

 tern 

 and 

 ty s 

 crus 

 pres 

 bact 

 eci e 

 trea 



(S_£ 



Obse 

 voro 

 tanc 

 rbi v 

 r i x 



s of what species 

 es are not yet corn- 

 en ; however, 



related to grazing 

 those grazed by 

 tructure. Each is 

 tose corallines) 

 entatives of the 

 eria were also 

 s were found on any 

 tment were dominated 

 h a c e 1 a r i a t r i b - 

 rv at ions suggest 

 us fishes. Crusts 

 e on these pi ates . 

 ores fluctuated from 

 i rregul ari s , species 



oral 1 i 

 prima 

 uni ty 



nes 

 ri ly 

 stru 



J a n i a adherens and 

 of crust 

 c t u r e c o i 



s and 



n c i d e d with 



115 



