Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Lay Summary
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 (6)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Hamilton, I. M.
Right arrow Articles by Dill, L. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Hamilton, I. M.
Right arrow Articles by Dill, L. M.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Behavioral Ecology Vol. 14 No. 4: 561-568
© 2003 International Society for Behavioral Ecology

The use of territorial gardening versus kleptoparasitism by a subtropical reef fish (Kyphosus cornelii) is influenced by territory defendability

Ian M. Hamilton and Lawrence M. Dill

Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada

Address correspondence to I.M. Hamilton, who is now at the Zoological Institute, University of Bern, CH-3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland. E-mail: ian.hamilton{at}esh.unibe.ch.

Many territorial herbivorous animals increase the productivity or quality of the prey community on their territory. However, this gardening tactic may be vulnerable to kleptoparasitism unless gardeners can exclude others from the patch. We investigated the influence of territory defendability on the decision of western buffalo bream (Kyphosus cornelii) to defend an algal garden or to leave their territories and invade those of conspecifics. Fish monitored while away from their territories did kleptoparasitize the gardens of conspecifics. We manipulated the structural complexity of territories through the addition of short or tall simulated vegetation. Increasing the height of simulated vegetation on the territory decreased the defendability of territories but increased their safety for fish; territories with tall vegetation were more easily invaded by conspecifics, but fish returned more rapidly to these territories after being disturbed. In a paired experiment, fish spent more time away from their territories (roving) when tall vegetation was added than when short vegetation was added. However, this effect was influenced by depth, with a greater difference between treatments on deeper territories, and by body size, with a greater difference for larger fish. These results support the prediction that territory-holding individuals faced with a trade-off between defending their own garden or kleptoparasitizing from others adjust their use of these tactics based on the defendability of resources.

Key words: kleptoparasitism, Kyphosidae, resource defense, territorial gardening, western buffalo bream.


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
A. Kun, G. Boza, and I. Scheuring
Asynchronous snowdrift game with synergistic effect as a model of cooperation
Behav. Ecol., July 1, 2006; 17(4): 633 - 641.
[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.