Fig. 4: Effect of mysids on farmed algae and overview of damselfish-mysid relationship.
From: Domestication via the commensal pathway in a fish-invertebrate mutualism
(a) The impact of mysid presence on the predicted probabilities (model predicted probabilities ±95% confidence intervals) of low (<10%), medium (10–30%), and high (>30%) brown algae (Ochrophyta) coverage in longfin damselfish farms. Farms with associated mysids (n = 30) were more likely to have medium (P = 0.004) or high (P = 0.005) coverage than farms without associated mysids (n = 30) based on a multinomial logistic regression model (see Table S3). Asterisks indicate significant differences (P < 0.05 = *, P < 0.01 = **, P < 0.001 = ***). (b) The damselfish-mysid relationship, where (1) the niche created by the territorial, algae farming longfin damselfish provides (2) a protective refuge to mysids, leading to (3) increased survival. In turn, mysids provide (4) a predictable supply of nutrients, enriching the algae community and thus the quality of food available for damselfish.
