The Role of Acanthurus guttatus (Bloch and Schneider 1801) in Cycling Algal Production to Detritus

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Abstract
Feces of the surgeon fish A. guttatus may be an important component of detritus in the shallow waters of the exposed windward reefs at Enewetak, Marshall Islands. The benthic algae grazed by these fish (predominately species of Microcoleus and Calothrix) was widespread on the intertidal reef flat. This algal mat had a gross productivity of 3.3 g C/m2 day-1 and a net productivity of 1.6 g C/m2 day-1 as measured by the dissolved O2 light and dark bottle method. Based on an average 24 h respiration rate of 190 ml O2/kg h-1, an assimilation efficiency of 11%, and a density of 46 g/m2, the fish apparently require 59% of the average net primary productivity along transects of the reef flat. Due to the low assimilation efficiency, about 0.83 g C/m2 day-1 is defecated on the reef flat by the fish population. This cycling of algae may provide an important autochthonous detritus source to the food web.

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