Community–environment interactions explain octopus-catshark spatial overlap
Autor/es
Puerta, P. (Patricia); Hunsicker, M.E. (Mary E.); Hidalgo, M. (Manuel); Reglero, P. (Patricia); Ciannelli, L. (Lorenzo); Esteban-Acón, A. (Antonio); González-Aguilar, M. (María); Quetglas, A. (Antoni)Data
2016Tipo
articlePalabras clave
benthic-pelagic couplingcoexistence
competition
Eledone cirrhosa
Mediterranean
Scyliorhinus canicula
spatial distribution
species interactions
Resum
The octopus Eledone cirrhosa and the catshark Scyliorhinus canicula present the same feeding habits and distributional preferences in the Mediterranean Sea. We explore patterns of spatial overlap between these species to address coexistence and infer possible competition from spatial patterns in the western Mediterranean Sea. A spatially explicit modelling approach revealed that spatial overlap mainly responded to the distribution of shared resources, where coexistence is allowed by different ecological processes. Catshark (k-strategy) was highly abundant and widely distributed. However, the fluctuating population dynamics of octopus (r-strategy) explained the variations in spatial patterns of overlap. Spatial structuring across the study area was observed both in population distributions and in species interactions (coexistence or exclusion). Areas with high resources in terms of specific prey items (Catalan Sea) or alternative supplies, such as niche opportunities and ecosystem functions ...
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