Cleaner Fish Labroides dimidiatus Presence Does Not Indirectly Affect Demersal Zooplankton

Coral reef mutualisms involve complex trophic ecological relationships that produce indirect effects. Excluding mutualistic cleaner fish Labroides dimidiatus from reefs indirectly increases the abundance of many fishes and reduces demersal stages their ectoparasitic prey (gnathiid isopods). Whether cleaners affect populations planktivorous consume zooplankton, consequently rest zooplankton community — via presumed changes in planktivory is unknown. Therefore, using a long-term manipulation on patch (July 2000 to December 2012, Great Barrier Reef), we tested whether treatment (removal or control) affects diversity, biomass, abundance, diversity. Fish surveys, 9 12 years after removing revealed fewer removal compared control for one three most abundant planktivores, but not total (Pomacentridae, 26 species), composition. Emerging were sampled during day night over nine sampling trips across years. There was no effect post-removal values, with pre-removal values July 2000, composition (34 taxa). Zooplankton showed diel differences, occasionally higher at night. also taxa contributing this dissimilarity [Cirripeda nauplii, Facetotecta (Arthopoda), Oikopleuridae (Chordata)]. diversity did differ among times, January 2002 relative differed all times. The lack detectable effects presence (non-gnathiid) may partly be due cleaners’ variable result invertebrate other processes investigated here. Nevertheless, pronounced temporal observed likely influence coral interactions.