Variability in composition of parrotfish bite scars across space and over time on a central Pacific atoll

Abstract Parrotfishes are conspicuous herbivores, microvores, and detritivores in coral reef ecosystems, the impacts of their feeding, particularly capacity to expose carbonate, have received much attention. In many cases, parrotfish assemblages been shown control algal proliferation promote settlement corals crustose coralline algae (CCA). extreme high densities parrotfishes may negatively affect net accretion through bioerosion targeted predation. Most evidence describing foraging on benthic community structure is based upon correlations between composition behavior or abundance, with less known about process-based change individual bite scars time. Here, we estimated selectivity determined within relative overall reefscape using data collected over a 12-month duration from fore habitat at Palmyra Atoll. We identified 2150 which appeared most frequently turf covered substrata but also coral, CCA, encrusting macroalgae. Of those bites taken live 96% returned 12 months. Notably, adult survivorship was higher than randomly sampled coral-covered locations not affected by bites. The exposed substrate commonly colonized dominant functional group area immediately surrounding scar. found little recruitment (1/2150); however, CCA growth initially increased 18.4 32.9% across two time intervals. Our results suggest that areas were more likely undergo successional shift calcified state unaffected areas, indicating grazing helps maintain highly ecosystems.