Effect of Rock-surface Topography and Tidal Height on the Distribution of Intertidal Fauna in a Highly Rugose Habitat

• Noda Takashi

  Department of Marine Biological Science, Faculty of Fisheries, Hokkaido University

• Hanada Shohei

  Department of Marine Biological Science, Faculty of Fisheries, Hokkaido University

Bibliographic Information

Other Title

• Effect of rock-surface topography and t

Abstract

The distribution and abundance of benthic animals and their relationship with tidal height, large-scale (10-100cm) rock-surface topography, and small-scale (0.1-5cm) rock-surface topography were studied in the Intertidal community of an exposed rocky shore in northern Japan. Both scales of rock-surface topography strongly affected the distribution and abundance of most sessile and mobile species. Species-specific use-patterns were observed in both scales of rock-surface topography. Tidal height affected the largecale topographic use patterns of benthic animals, but not the small-scale topographic patterns. Chthamalus challengeri had a wider niche breadth and smaller niche overlap of rocksurface topography than the competitively superior species Septif er virgatus and Mytilus trossulus. This suggests that niche partition contributes to species coexistence in intertidal habitats where predation and disturbance rarely play an important role in reducing competition.

Journal

• BENTHOS RESEARCH

  BENTHOS RESEARCH 52 (2), 123-131, 1997

  JAPANESE ASSOCIATION OF BENTHOLOGY

Keywords

• intertidal rocky-shore
• niche analysis
• sessile organisms
• spatial distribution
• topography

Details

• CRID: 1390282680456962816
• NII Article ID: 10002095060
• NII Article ID: 130004997511
• NII Book ID: AN10565057
• DOI: 10.5179/benthos1996.52.2_123
• ISSN: 18838901
• ISSN: 02894548
• NDL BIB ID: 4460254
• Web Site: https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp/books/R000000004-I4460254
• Text Lang: en
• Data Source:
  • JaLC
  • NDL
  • Crossref
  • CiNii Articles
• Abstract License Flag: Disallowed