PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - DeBose, Jennifer L. AU - Lema, Sean C. AU - Nevitt, Gabrielle A. TI - Dimethylsulfoniopropionate as a Foraging Cue for Reef Fishes AID - 10.1126/science.1151109 DP - 2008 Mar 07 TA - Science PG - 1356--1356 VI - 319 IP - 5868 4099 - http://science.sciencemag.org/content/319/5868/1356.short 4100 - http://science.sciencemag.org/content/319/5868/1356.full SO - Science2008 Mar 07; 319 AB - Coral reefs resemble islands of productive habitats where fishes aggregate, forage, and spawn. Although it has been suggested that some reef fishes use biogenic chemicals as aggregation cues, specific chemicals have not been identified. Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), a secondary metabolite of many marine algal species, is released during foraging by higher-order consumers. DMSP has been studied intensively for its role in oceanic sulfur cycles and global climate regulation, but its ecological importance to marine fishes is unknown. We present evidence that planktivorous reef fishes will aggregate to experimental deployments of DMSP over coral reef habitats in the wild.