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It is not yet clear how variability in food delivery onto a reef interacts with reef depth and slope, and may affect the productivity of reef fish communities. Here we test the hypothesis that with increased proximity to deep-water oceanic allochthonous nutrient sources, or at sites where transportation of these water bodies onto reefs is facilitated by shallower reef slopes, parameters of fish growth and condition will be higher, and this pattern will be further emphasised in areas naturally higher in primary production.

Within low-nutrient tropical oceans, islands and atolls with higher primary production support higher fish biomass and reef organism abundance. External energy subsidies can be delivered onto reefs via a range of physical mechanisms. However, the influence of spatial variation in primary production on reef fish growth and condition is largely unknown. It is not yet clear how energy subsidies interact with reef depth and slope. Here we test the hypothesis that with increased proximity to deep-water oceanic nutrient sources, or at sites with shallower reef slopes, parameters of fish growth and condition will be higher. Contrary to expectations, we found no association between fish growth rate and sites with higher mean chlorophyll-a values. There were no differences in fish δ15N or δ13C values between depths. The relationship between fish condition and primary production was influenced by depth, driven by increased fish condition at shallow depths within a primary production ‘hotspot’ site. Carbon δ13C was depleted with increasing primary production, and interacted with reef slope. Our results indicate that variable primary production did not influence growth rates in planktivorous Chromis fieldi within 10–17.5 m depth, but show site-specific variation in reef physical characteristics influencing fish carbon isotopic composition.

Within low-nutrient tropical oceans, islands and atolls with higher primary production support higher fish biomass and reef organism abundance. External energy subsidies can be delivered onto reefs via a range of physical mechanisms. However, the influence of spatial variation in primary production on reef fish growth and condition is largely unknown. It is not yet clear how energy subsidies interact with reef depth and slope. Here we test the hypothesis that with increased proximity to deep-water oceanic nutrient sources, or at sites with shallower reef slopes, parameters of fish growth and condition will be higher. Contrary to expectations, we found no association between fish growth rate and sites with higher mean chlorophyll-a values. There were no differences in fish δ15N or δ13C values between depths. The relationship between fish condition and primary production was influenced by depth, driven by increased fish condition at shallow depths within a primary production ‘hotspot’ site. Carbon δ13C was depleted with increasing primary production, and interacted with reef slope. Our results indicate that variable primary production did not influence growth rates in planktivorous Chromis fieldi within 10–17.5 m depth, but show site-specific variation in reef physical characteristics influencing fish carbon isotopic composition.

Additional file 4. Search Strategy. Lists the search strings and search terms to be used in selected bibliographic databases, organizational websites and online search engines.

Additional file 3. Scoping search strategy. Summarises the main steps taken to identify search terms and construct the complex search string through scoping.