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Science 15 August 1997:
Vol. 277. no. 5328, pp. 946 - 949
DOI: 10.1126/science.277.5328.946
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Reports

Synergistic Predation, Density Dependence, and Population Regulation in Marine Fish

Mark A. Hixon, Mark H. Carr *

Understanding natural causes of density dependence is essential for identifying possible sources of population regulation. Field experiments on a model system of coral reef fishes showed that small juveniles of Chromis cyanea suffer heavy mortality that is spatially density-dependent only in the presence of two suites of predators: transient piscivores attacking from above, and reef-resident piscivores attacking from below. In the absence of either kind of predator, early mortality of Chromis is virtually density-independent. Because piscivores may have regulatory roles in this and similar marine systems, overfishing these predators may have ramifications for the remainder of the exploited community.

M. A. Hixon, Department of Zoology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-2914, USA.
M. H. Carr, Department of Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
*   Authorship sequence determined by a coin toss.

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