Herbivory on the Invasive Alga Caulerpa cylindracea: The Role of Omnivorous Fishes

Herbivory has long been considered an important component of biotic resistance against macroalgae invasions in marine habitats. However, most the studies on herbivory invasive algae refer only to consumption by strictly herbivorous organisms, whereas omnivorous species largely ignored and rarely quantified. In this study, we assess whether commonest sparid Mediterranean Sea are consuming highly alga, Caulerpa cylindracea , determine both, its importance their diet electivity toward it as a source food. Our results confirm that three four fish studied regularly consume C. but cases, is low. Indeed, low values indicate all avoid feeding alga probably consumed accidentally. despite animals detritus being main food for these species, several individual specimens were found have high amounts . This suggests potential role really abundant shallow rocky bottoms, may play controlling, some extent, abundance invader.