Hiding in Plain Sight: Elopomorph Larvae Are Important Contributors to Fish Biodiversity in a Low-Latitude Oceanic Ecosystem

Moore, Jon A.; Fenolio, Danté B.; Coan, April; Sutton, Tracey

doi:10.3389/fmars.2020.00169

Cited by 8 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…Given their phylogenetic relationship, it is reasonable to believe that bonefish larvae have a similar diet in the wild. This research also supports the theory that leptocephali utilize GAGs for energy because these marine snow components contain the polysaccharide building blocks of the GAGs found within the mucinous pouch of leptocephalus bodies (Moore et al, 2020;Tsukamoto & Miller, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 80%

A comprehensive biochemical characterization of settlement stage leptocephalus larvae of bonefish (Albula vulpes)

Uribe

Wills

Shenker

et al. 2021

Journal of Fish Biology

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Little is known about early development of the near-threatened bonefish (Albula vulpes), a member of superorder Elopomorpha. Members of Elopomorpha are partially defined by their synapomorphic leptocephalus larval stage, for which the nutritional requirements are not well understood. Characterizing the nutritional profile, including major nutrients (such as lipids) used for energetic processes, can help to gain a better understanding of the nutritional requirements for leptocephalus larvae. A total of 24 settlement stage A. vulpes leptocephalus larvae were collected at Long Caye

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 80%

A comprehensive biochemical characterization of settlement stage leptocephalus larvae of bonefish (Albula vulpes)

Uribe

Wills

Shenker

et al. 2021

Journal of Fish Biology

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“…A biogeochemical component was added to directly measure the amount of petrogenic contamination in animal organs, muscle tissues, and eggs using polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as a proxy (Romero et al, 2018(Romero et al, , 2020. A molecular taxonomy component (DNA barcoding;Hebert et al, 2003) was added to help identify damaged, cryptic, and juvenile specimens where morphological characters do not yet exist or could not differentiate between species (e.g., Moore et al, 2020). The gene sequences analyzed are well established as robust markers for species identification of marine fishes (Ward et al, 2009) and invertebrates (Mantelatto et al, 2018).…”

Section: Survey Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Investigate Deep-Pelagic Ecosystem Dynamics in the Gulf of Mexico Following Deepwater Horizon

et al. 2020

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The pelagic Gulf of Mexico (GoM) is a complex system of dynamic physical oceanography (western boundary current, mesoscale eddies), high biological diversity, and community integration via diel vertical migration and lateral advection. Humans also heavily utilize this system, including its deep-sea components, for resource extraction, shipping, tourism, and other commercial activity. This utilization has had impacts, some with disastrous consequences. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DWHOS) occurred at a depth of ∼1500 m (Macondo wellhead), creating a persistent and toxic mixture of hydrocarbons and dispersant in the deep-pelagic (water column below 200 m depth) habitat. In order to assess the impacts of the DWHOS on this habitat, two large-scale research programs, described herein, were designed and executed. These programs, ONSAP and DEEPEND, aimed to quantitatively characterize the oceanic ecosystem of the northern GoM and to establish a time-series with which natural and anthropogenic changes could be detected. The approach was multi-disciplinary in nature and included in situ sampling, acoustic sensing, water column profiling and sampling, satellite remote sensing, AUV sensing, numerical modeling, genetic sequencing, and biogeochemical analyses. The synergy of these methodologies has provided new and unprecedented perspectives of an oceanic ecosystem with respect to composition, connectivity, drivers, and variability.

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“…However, species such as A. balearicum, A. infans, or C. oceanicus showed no evidence of DVM. Some species were also found to use DVM in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) (Moore et al 2020).…”

Section: Vertical Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some leptocephali were also likely caught at deeper depths at night in the GOM, which is similar to the findings of Ross et al (2007) along the southeast US coast that sampled using similar methodology. Movement of leptocephali to depths below 600 m was clearly documented in the GOM by Moore et al (2020), and some rare species such as synaphobranchids and notacanthids were suggested to remain at those deep depths. This deeper vertical distribution might explain why those two taxonomic groups are the only types of leptocephali that have what is referred to as telescopic eyes (Fig.…”

Section: Vertical Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The vertical distributions of leptocephali have not been adequately studied during both night and day using appropriate sampling gear (discrete depth-sampling net tows at different times of day), because most sampling was conducted at night (Miller 2015;Onda et al 2017), small mouth opening nets were used (Otake et al 1998), wide depth-range categories were used (Moore et al 2020), at least partly open nets were used (Ross et al 2007;Onda et al 2017;Munk et al 2018;Quattrini et al 2019), data were pooled from many different net deployments (Castonguay and McCleave 1987), and because net avoidance is likely high during the day (Castonguay and McCleave 1987;Miller et al 2013a). Understanding their vertical distribution is essential for obtaining a better understanding of their feeding ecology, because different isotopic compositions of leptocephali have been detected that might be related to feeding at different depths (Miyazaki et al 2011;Feunteun et al 2015;Quattrini et al 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The behavioral ecology and distribution of leptocephali: marine fish larvae with unforeseen abilities

Miller

Tsukamoto

2020

Mar Biol

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Leptocephali are the unique larvae of eels and their relatives of the teleost superorder Elopomorpha that have remained poorly understood despite their ubiquitous presence at tropical to temperate latitudes. This review examines recent advancements in understanding the behavioral ecology and distribution of leptocephali. Their regional distributions and abundance are determined by when and where the adults spawn and seemingly if the larvae use active behavior for retention, passively drift, or swim actively to facilitate recruitment, but there is little direct evidence about their possible use of dispersal/retention or swimming behaviors. They typically reside within or above the thermocline at night offshore (< 100 m), some vertically migrate deeper during daytime (< 300 m), and they may move considerably deeper near continental shelves, but some also reside at the surface, and there may be taxonomic differences in vertical distributions. At what depths or times of day they feed on marine snow-associated materials is unclear. The extreme transparency of leptocephali and use of shape-change behaviors or expandable chromatophores along with their gut swellings or external appendages may be adaptations for reducing predation rates through Batesian mimicry of gelatinous zooplankton. Many questions remain about their behavior and ecology, but the basic strategy of the leptocephalus larval form appears to be based on feeding on readily available marine snow, behavioral abilities and morphological features to reduce predation, a body filled with transparent gelatinous energy reserves for active swimming, and growth to large sizes that enable recruitment at larger sizes than typical fish larvae.

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Hiding in Plain Sight: Elopomorph Larvae Are Important Contributors to Fish Biodiversity in a Low-Latitude Oceanic Ecosystem

Cited by 8 publications

References 52 publications

A comprehensive biochemical characterization of settlement stage leptocephalus larvae of bonefish (Albula vulpes)

A comprehensive biochemical characterization of settlement stage leptocephalus larvae of bonefish (Albula vulpes)

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Investigate Deep-Pelagic Ecosystem Dynamics in the Gulf of Mexico Following Deepwater Horizon

The behavioral ecology and distribution of leptocephali: marine fish larvae with unforeseen abilities

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