Anguilliform fishes and sea kraits: neglected predators in coral-reef ecosystems |
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Authors: | I Ineich X Bonnet F Brischoux M Kulbicki B Séret R Shine |
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Institution: | 1.Département de Systématique et Evolution, USM 602,Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle,Paris Cedex 05,France;2.Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS,Villiers en Bois,France;3.Biological Sciences A08,University of Sydney,Sydney,Australia;4.Université Fran?ois Rabelais,Tours Cedex 1,France;5.IRD, c/o EPHE,Université de Perpignan,Perpignan,France;6.Département Systématique et Evolution-Taxonomie & Collections,Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle,Paris Cedex 05,France |
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Abstract: | Despite intensive sampling efforts in coral reefs, densities and species richness of anguilliform fishes (eels) are difficult
to quantify because these fishes evade classical sampling methods such as underwater visual census and rotenone poisoning.
An alternative method revealed that in New Caledonia, eels are far more abundant and diverse than previously suspected. We
analysed the stomach contents of two species of sea snakes that feed on eels (Laticauda laticaudata and L. saintgironsi). This technique is feasible because the snakes return to land to digest their prey, and (since they swallow their prey whole)
undigested food items are identifiable. The snakes’ diet consisted almost entirely (99.6%) of eels and included 14 species
previously unrecorded from the area. Very large populations of snakes occur in the study area (e.g. at least 1,500 individuals
on a small coral islet). The snakes capture approximately 36,000 eels (972 kg) per year, suggesting that eels and snakes play
key roles in the functioning of this reef ecosystem. |
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