Widespread heterogeneity in density-dependent mortality of nearshore fishes

Widespread heterogeneity in density-dependent mortality of nearshore fishes | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL Ecology Letters This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 21 July 2025 V1 Latest version Share on Widespread heterogeneity in density-dependent mortality of nearshore fishes Authors : Adrian Stier 0000-0002-4704-4145 [email protected] and Craig Osenberg 0000-0003-1918-7904 Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175311045.56152783/v1 Published Ecology Letters Version of record Peer review timeline 257 views 234 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Debates over whether and how populations are regulated have recently shifted away from detecting and instead towards quantifying the strength of density-dependence and its variation among systems. Yet, the degree of variation in density-dependent mortality and the factors driving this variation remain poorly understood. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis of 38 reef fish species across 56 studies, which yielded 147 estimates of intraspecific density-dependent mortality, primarily during early or small life stages. The magnitude of density-dependent mortality (the increase in the per capita mortality rate due to one fish per unit area of habitat) was surprisingly inconsistent both within and among species. Several factors emerged as drivers of variation. Predators amplified the negative effects of density, and density-dependent mortality was greater for species that typically colonize at low densities or achieve larger maximum size. However, even within a single species, the strength of density-dependent mortality varied dramatically — often by several orders of magnitude — and sometimes changed sign. This remarkable heterogeneity suggests that environmental variation might overshadow species-specific traits or that methodological variation among studies constrains our ability to perceive drivers. Our results underscore the need for future efforts to identify the factors that drive this variability in population regulation. Supplementary Material File (stier-osenberg-dd-meta-main-text.docx) Download 2.15 MB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 21 July 2025 Peer review timeline Published Ecology Letters Version of Record 16 Nov 2025 Published Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Collection Ecology Letters Keywords beverton-holt cryptic density dependence intraclass competition intraspecific competition meta-analysis predation recruitment reef fish Authors Affiliations Adrian Stier 0000-0002-4704-4145 [email protected] University of California Santa Barbara View all articles by this author Craig Osenberg 0000-0003-1918-7904 University of Georgia View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 257 views 234 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Adrian Stier, Craig Osenberg. Widespread heterogeneity in density-dependent mortality of nearshore fishes. Authorea . 21 July 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175311045.56152783/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. 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