Abstract
Patterns of distribution and abundance of sessile marine epi-benthic invertebrates are controlled by three factors: (1) the presence and abundance of larvae which are competent to settle, (2) the choice of settling sites by recruiting larvae, and (3) the biotic and physical events occurring during and after settlement. Although there is much information on the distribution of larvae and seasons of recruitment 1–3, substratum selection 4–6 and post-settlement events 7–15, very little is known of the ecological and evolutionary relationships between these factors5,16–18. Natural selection acts on entire life cycles, thus information about these relationships is essential for understanding patterns of recruitment and survival. For example, sessile organisms can modify the course of post-recruitment events by selective settlement and directional growth19. Here, I present evidence that the larvae of several taxa of marine invertebrates avoid substrata where there is a high probability of death caused by a superior spatial competitor.
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Grosberg, R. Competitive ability influences habitat choice in marine invertebrates. Nature 290, 700–702 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/290700a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/290700a0
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