Effects of the sand tilefish Malacanthus plumieri on the structure and dynamics of a rhodolith bed in the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, tropical West Atlantic

Researchers discovered that the sand tilefish Malacanthus plumieri plays a significant role as an ecological engineer in rhodolith beds within the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago. By constructing mounds with these calcareous nodules, the fish contributes to seascape heterogeneity, supporting higher fish richness (mean = 9.4 ± SE 1.7) compared to non-mounded areas (5.5 ± SE 2.7). The study used benthic and fish assemblage assessments, along with video analysis of marked rhodoliths, to compare mounds and control areas. Findings revealed distinct benthic assemblages between the two habitats, with crustose coralline algae, Dictyota species, and sand being key contributors to this dissimilarity. The presence of these mounds is suggested as an important variable in predicting biodiversity within rhodolith beds.

Pereira-Filho, G., Veras, P., Francini-Filho, R., Moura, R., Pinheiro, H., Gibran, F., Matheus, Z., Neves, L., & Amado-Filho, G. (2015). Effects of the sand tilefish Malacanthus plumieri on the structure and dynamics of a rhodolith bed in the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, tropical West Atlantic. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 541, 65–73. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps11569