Fish Feces as Fish Food on a Pacific Coral Reef

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Abstract
The fates of 5975 feces produced by 88 spp. of reef fishes were monitored at Palau (western Pacific Ocean). At least 45 fishes ate fish feces in addition to other foods. Intraspecific coprophagy and autocoprophagy were very rare; most coprophagous interactions were between members of different trophic groups. Fecal material moved through a feeding network of fishes, from carnivores to herbivores with low carbonate diets (LCD) of fleshy (principally red) microalgae to herbivores with LCD of brown macroalgae to high carbonate diet (HCD) herbivores and detritivores. Intermediate links were often omitted. This network retained food material entering it, and, because herbivores ate piscivore feces, appeared to recycle some food. Fishes ate almost all the feces of zooplanktivores and other carnivores, and most of the feces produced by herbivores with LCD of microalgae and by coralivores with LCD of hard-coral tissue. Fishes ate few feces of LCD herbivores that fed on brown macroalgae and virtually no feces of herbivores and detritivores with HCD. A few fishes regularly associated with local concentrations of zooplanktivores and LCD microalgivores and consumed large amounts of the feces the latter produced. Although coprophagy is a common feeding tactic its importance to the average members of the fish community is unknown.

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