Fish Ecology and Diversity

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture on fish ecology and diversity.

Assemblage

A group of species present in a specific environment that can be directly observed and sampled.

Community

A broader concept that includes the assemblage plus the interactions and shared environmental conditions among species.

Foraging Guild

Groups of species that exploit similar food resources in similar ways, regardless of their taxonomic relationships.

Predation

Biological interaction where one species (the predator) hunts and consumes another (the prey), influencing community composition.

Resource Partitioning

Differential use of resources by co-occurring species, minimizing direct competition among them.

Abiotic Filter

Environmental factors such as temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen that influence which species can survive in a habitat.

Biotic Filter

Biological interactions, including predation, competition, and symbiosis, that affect species survival and community structure.

Historical Filter

Framework that determines species presence based on evolutionary history, extinction events, and geographic barriers.

Ontogenetic Diet Shift

Changes in diet and habitat use as an organism grows and develops.

• Example: Larval fish eat plankton, juveniles consume small invertebrates, and adults become piscivores, potentially moving to different habitats.

Pharyngeal Teeth

Specialized teeth located in the throat of certain fish species, used to process food, mainly plant material or algae.