Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (9)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Martinez, F. A.
Right arrow Articles by Marschall, E. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Martinez, F. A.
Right arrow Articles by Marschall, E. A.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Behavioral Ecology Vol. 10 No. 5: 572-577
© 1999 International Society for Behavioral Ecology

A dynamic model of group-size choice in the coral reef fish Dascyllus albisella

Felix A. Martinez and Elizabeth A. Marschall

Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, Aquatic Ecology Laboratory, The Ohio State University, 1314 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212-1156, USA

Address correspondence to F. A. Martinez. E-mail: martinez.38{at}osu.edu .

We developed a dynamic programming model of group size choice for settling coral reef fish to help understand variability in observed group sizes. Rather than calculating optimal group size, we modeled optimal choice and calculated the acceptable group sizes that arose from this choice. In the model, settling individuals weigh the fitness value of settling in a group against the expected fitness of searching another day and encountering other groups, choosing the option with the higher value. Model results showed that individuals settling on any given day in the settling season have several acceptable group sizes in which they can settle. The range of acceptable group sizes also changes across the season. Early in the season, when there is still adequate time to grow, large groups (with higher survival) have the highest fitness. Late in the season, when the ability to grow fast becomes more important, small groups, which convey fast growth rates (although riskier), have higher fitness. Thus, according to our model, even when fish all make the same, simple decisions, a variety of outcomes are possible, depending on the specific options encountered and temporally changing ecological pressures. Even when all fish behave optimally, initial variability in group sizes will persist.

Key words: coral reef fish, coral reef fish settling, dynamic programming, group size variability, growth-survival trade-off, optimal group size, recruitment.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Behav EcolHome page
G. Beauchamp and E. Fernandez-Juricic
The group-size paradox: effects of learning and patch departure rules
Behav. Ecol., March 1, 2005; 16(2): 352 - 357.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Behav EcolHome page
P. Buston
Forcible eviction and prevention of recruitment in the clown anemonefish
Behav. Ecol., July 1, 2003; 14(4): 576 - 582.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.