Thursday, November 23, 2017

Reef Shark Competition - Paper!

Reeftop hunters: Blacktip Reefies. Fantastic image by Tom!

And talking of those Reefies.

Here's another great paper.
Assuming I understand it correctly, it illustrates how Grey and Blacktip Reefies segregate spatially and are thus able to partition their habitat and consequently, its resources = prey. 
Whereas I've always believed that the Greys would always outcompete the Blacktips based on size and aggression, the paper conclusively illustrates how the segregation is based on the the fact that each species derives a competitive advantage by being better adapted to specific spatial niches, i.e. the forereef for the Greys and the backreef and lagoon for the Blacktips - incidentally, much like is being illustrated at Shark Reef!

Once again, I'm impressed by the scope and the rigor.
Well done Yannis and Co - and impressive lineup, too! :)

Required reading - enjoy!
 

No comments: