From coexistence to competitive exclusion: can overfishing change the outcome of competition in skates (Chondrichthyes, Rajidae)?

Abstract

Competition for food could be a major force driving changes in the community structure of skates (Rajidae) subjected to fishing exploitation. Under this hypothesis, small skates are released from competition with larger skates after fishing has depleted the larger species. Here, we compare the abundance patterns of two sympatric skates with similar niches but different life histories, Bathyraja albomaculata (larger and slow-reproducing) and Bathyraja macloviana (smaller and faster-reproducing), before (1971, 1978) and after (1998-2004) a 108% increase in industrial bottom trawling on the southeastern South American shelf in order to test the prediction that B. macloviana should competitively exclude B. albomaculata after the increase in fishing mortality. In 1971 and 1978, there was no relationship between the abundance of both species, indicating that they coexisted over large scales. In 1998-2004, the relationship between the abundances of these skates was bell-shaped, indicating that both species increased in abundance at low densities until peaking, after which B. albomaculata decreased when B. macloviana became more abundant, consistent with resource competition. We tested whether food may be a potential limiting resource by comparing the diet of both species. The two species consumed mostly polychaetes, differing only in the consumption of polychaetes from the family Nephthyidae, which was much higher for B. macloviana. Bathyraja macloviana could replaceBathyraja albomaculata (larger and slow-reproducing) and Bathyraja macloviana (smaller and faster-reproducing), before (1971, 1978) and after (1998-2004) a 108% increase in industrial bottom trawling on the southeastern South American shelf in order to test the prediction that B. macloviana should competitively exclude B. albomaculata after the increase in fishing mortality. In 1971 and 1978, there was no relationship between the abundance of both species, indicating that they coexisted over large scales. In 1998-2004, the relationship between the abundances of these skates was bell-shaped, indicating that both species increased in abundance at low densities until peaking, after which B. albomaculata decreased when B. macloviana became more abundant, consistent with resource competition. We tested whether food may be a potential limiting resource by comparing the diet of both species. The two species consumed mostly polychaetes, differing only in the consumption of polychaetes from the family Nephthyidae, which was much higher for B. macloviana. Bathyraja macloviana could replaceBathyraja macloviana (smaller and faster-reproducing), before (1971, 1978) and after (1998-2004) a 108% increase in industrial bottom trawling on the southeastern South American shelf in order to test the prediction that B. macloviana should competitively exclude B. albomaculata after the increase in fishing mortality. In 1971 and 1978, there was no relationship between the abundance of both species, indicating that they coexisted over large scales. In 1998-2004, the relationship between the abundances of these skates was bell-shaped, indicating that both species increased in abundance at low densities until peaking, after which B. albomaculata decreased when B. macloviana became more abundant, consistent with resource competition. We tested whether food may be a potential limiting resource by comparing the diet of both species. The two species consumed mostly polychaetes, differing only in the consumption of polychaetes from the family Nephthyidae, which was much higher for B. macloviana. Bathyraja macloviana could replaceB. macloviana should competitively exclude B. albomaculata after the increase in fishing mortality. In 1971 and 1978, there was no relationship between the abundance of both species, indicating that they coexisted over large scales. In 1998-2004, the relationship between the abundances of these skates was bell-shaped, indicating that both species increased in abundance at low densities until peaking, after which B. albomaculata decreased when B. macloviana became more abundant, consistent with resource competition. We tested whether food may be a potential limiting resource by comparing the diet of both species. The two species consumed mostly polychaetes, differing only in the consumption of polychaetes from the family Nephthyidae, which was much higher for B. macloviana. Bathyraja macloviana could replaceB. albomaculata decreased when B. macloviana became more abundant, consistent with resource competition. We tested whether food may be a potential limiting resource by comparing the diet of both species. The two species consumed mostly polychaetes, differing only in the consumption of polychaetes from the family Nephthyidae, which was much higher for B. macloviana. Bathyraja macloviana could replaceB. macloviana. Bathyraja macloviana could replace B. albomaculata at high densities when food resources may become scarce. These results support the hypothesis that competition release is an important factor explaining the changes in skate communities in overexploited areas.at high densities when food resources may become scarce. These results support the hypothesis that competition release is an important factor explaining the changes in skate communities in overexploited areas.

La competencia por el alimento podría ser una fuerza importante detrás de los cambios en la estructura de las comunidades de rayas (Rajidae) bajo explotación pesquera. Según esta hipótesis, las rayas pequeñas son liberadas de la competencia por las rayas de mayor tamaño, al disminuir la abundancia de éstas últimas por la pesca. En este trabajo, se comparan los patrones de abundancia de dos rayas simpátricas con nichos similares pero con diferentes historias de vida, Bathyraja albomaculata (mayor y de reproducción lenta) y Bathyraja macloviana (más pequeña y de reproducción más rápida), antes (1971, 1978) y después (1998-2004) de un incremento del 108% en el arrastre de fondo industrial en la plataforma sudeste de América del Sur, para evaluar la predicción que B. macloviana excluiría competitivamente a B. albomaculata después del aumento en la mortalidad por pesca. En 1971 y 1978, no hubo relación entre las abundancias de ambas especies, indicando que, a escalas grandes, coexistían. En 1998-2004, la relación entre las abundancias de ambas especies tuvo forma de campana, indicando que ambas incrementaron su abundancia a densidades bajas hasta alcanzar un máximo, a partir del cual la abundancia de B. albomaculata disminuyó a medida que aumentaba la de B. macloviana, patrón consistente con la competencia por uso de recursos. Se evaluó si el alimento puede ser un recurso limitante mediante la comparación de la dieta de ambas especies. Ambas especies consumieron predominantemente poliquetos y difirieron sólo en el consumo de poliquetos Nephthyidae, mucho mayor en B. macloviana. B. macloviana remplazaría a B. albomaculata a altas densidades, cuando el alimento podría ser escaso. Estos resultados apoyan la hipótesis de que la liberación de la competencia es un factor importante en los cambios en las comunidades de rayas sobreexplotadas.