Appendix B. Recruitment model, parameterization and projections.

Recruitment model, parameterization and projections

Appendix A. Experimental design and map of study site.

Experimental design and map of study site

Appendix A. Non-manipulated community structure in the interspecific study examining intracohort priority effects.

Non-manipulated community structure in the interspecific study examining intracohort priority effects

Appendix C. Standard lengths of focal individuals and prior residents.

Standard lengths of focal individuals and prior residents

Appendix D. Partitioning the effect on recruitment.

Partitioning the effect on recruitment

Appendix E. Results for each species.

Results for each species

Appendix B. Non-manipulated community structure in the intraspecific study examining intracohort priority effects.

Non-manipulated community structure in the intraspecific study examining intracohort priority effects

ESM2:Plots showing mean abundance of Dascyllus flavicadus and Chromis viridis as they relate to hawkfish presence (small hawkfish = < 4 cm; large hawkfish = > 4 cm) or absence (None) from the in-situ field surveys. Due to the zero-inflated nature of the data, we opted to treat all prey survey data as binary for modeling purposes in the manuscript. (see attached figure) from Intraspecific variation in body size does not alter the effects of mesopredators on prey

As humans continue to alter the species composition and size structure of marine food webs, it is critical to understand size-dependent effects of predators on prey. Yet, how shifts in predator body size mediate the effect of predators is understudied in tropical marine ecosystems, where anthropogenic harvest has indirectly increased the density and size of small-bodied predators. Here, we combine field surveys and a laboratory feeding experiment in coral reef fish communities to show that small and large predators of the same species can have similar effects. Specifically, surveys show that the presence of a small predator (<i>Paracirrhites arcatus</i>) was correlated with lower chances of prey fish presence, but these correlations were independent of predator size. Experimental trials corroborated the size-independent effect of the predator; attack rates were indistinguishable between small and large predators, suggesting relatively even effects of hawkfish in various size classes on the same type of prey. Our results indicate that the effects of small predators on coral reefs can be size-independent, suggesting that variation in predator size-structure alone may not always affect the functional role of these predators

Appendix C. Predator foraging behavior analysis and figure.

Predator foraging behavior analysis and figure

Appendix B. Species lists and rank abundance diagrams for 60- and 120-day censuses.

Species lists and rank abundance diagrams for 60- and 120-day censuses