Planktonic Duration, Distribution and Population Structure of Western and Central Pacific Damselfishes (Pomacentridae)

Thresher, Ronald E.; Colin, Patrick L.; Bell, Lori J.

doi:10.2307/1445439

Cited by 143 publications

(121 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Egg type from Leis & CarsonEwart (2000). Pelagic duration, from Leis (1989), Thresher et al (1989), Wellington & Victor (1989). Settlement requirements from Leis & Carson-Ewart (2002, unpubl.).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Orientation of pelagic larvae of coral-reef fishes in the ocean

Leis¹,

Carson-Ewart²

2003

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

112

105

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During the day, we used settlement-stage reef-fish larvae from light-traps to study in situ orientation, 100 to 1000 m from coral reefs in water 10 to 40 m deep, at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef. Seven species were observed off leeward Lizard Island, and 4 species off the windward side. All but 1 species swam faster than average ambient currents. Depending on area, time, and species, 80 to 100% of larvae swam directionally. Two species of butterflyfishes Chaetodon plebeius and Chaetodon aureofasciatus swam away from the island, indicating that they could detect the island's reefs. Swimming of 4 species of damselfishes Chromis atripectoralis, Chrysiptera rollandi, Neopomacentrus cyanomos and Pomacentrus lepidogenys ranged from highly directional to nondirectional. Only in N. cyanomos did swimming direction differ between windward and leeward areas. Three species (C. atripectoralis, N. cyanomos and P. lepidogenys) were observed in morning and late afternoon at the leeward area, and all swam in a more westerly direction in the late afternoon. In the afternoon, C. atripectoralis larvae were highly directional in sunny conditions, but nondirectional and individually more variable in cloudy conditions. All these observations imply that damselfish larvae utilized a solar compass. Caesio cuning and P. lepidogenys were non-directional overall, but their swimming direction differed with distance from the reef, implying the reef was detected by these species. Larvae of different species of reef fishes have differing orientations and apparently use different cues for orientation while in open, pelagic waters. Current direction did not influence swimming direction. Net movement by larvae of 6 of the 7 species differed from that of currents in either direction or speed, demonstrating that larval behaviour can result in non-passive dispersal, at least near the end of the pelagic phase.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Orientation of pelagic larvae of coral-reef fishes in the ocean

Leis¹,

Carson-Ewart²

2003

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

112

105

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“…Increments were always analysed along the longest radius of the otolith. It was assumed that the first increment closest to the core was formed at the time of hatching (Thresher et al 1989;Wellington and Victor 1989). Sagittal otoliths from 11 individuals were analysed three times to determine the error involved in counts and measurements of increments.…”

Section: Samplingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental influences on larval duration, growth and magnitude of settlement of a coral reef fish

et al. 2005

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The influence of environmental variables on the planktonic growth, pelagic larval duration and settlement magnitude was examined for the coral reef surgeonfish Acanthurus chirurgus. Newly settled fish were collected daily from patch reefs in the San Blas Archipelago, Caribbean Panama for 3.5 years. Environmental influences on growth were examined at three different life history stages: from 0 to 6 days, 7 to 25 days and from 26 to 50 days after hatching. Larval growth was correlated, using multiple regression techniques, with a combination of factors including solar radiation, rainfall, and along-shore winds. Depending on the life history stage, these accounted for 13-38% of the variation in growth rates when all the months were included in the analyses. Correlations between environmental variables and growth also varied among seasons and were stronger in the dry than in the wet season. During the dry season solar radiation, rainfall and along-shore winds described 57%, 86% and 74% of the variability in growth between 0 and 6 days, 7 and 25 days and 26 and 50 days, respectively. During the wet season rainfall, along-shore winds and temperature only described 38% of the variability in early growth and 27% of growth just before settlement. No significant model was found to describe growth 7-25 days after hatching during the wet season. Rainfall, solar radiation and along-shore winds were negatively correlated with growth up to 25 days after hatching but positively correlated as larvae approached settlement at a mean age of 52 days. Over 65% of the variability in pelagic larval duration was accounted for by a regression model that included solar radiation and along-shore winds. When data sets from wet and dry seasons were analysed separately, alongshore winds accounted for 67% of the change in larval duration in the dry season, and solar radiation accounted for 23% of the variation in larval duration in the wet season. Only 22% of the variability in settlement intensity could be described by solar radiation and temperature, when all months of the year were included in the analysis. Solar radiation and rainfall were included in a regression model that accounted for 40% of the variation in numbers of fish settling during the dry season. This study suggests that the levels of solar radiation, along-shore winds and rainfall during the early larval life can have important effects on the growth, larval duration and consequently, the settlement magnitude of marine fishes. Results also highlight the need to account for seasonality and ontogeny in studies of environmental influences.

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“…The maximum pelagic larval duration (PLD) of a species imposes a limit to dispersal that may impact range expansion in a species. However most studies that have attempted to correlate maximum larval duration and range size have found a minimal relationship between the two (Victor 1986, Thresher et al 1989, Wellington & Victor 1989, Jones et al 2002. The rare work that has been done on aging anguilliform species, other than anguillids, indicates that the duration to metamorphosis for most species ranges from 60 to 120 d (Brothers & Thresher 1985, Bishop et al 2000.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most of these analyses have concluded that geographic range sizes are minimally related to pelagic larval duration (Victor 1986, Wellington & Victor 1989, Thresher et al 1989, Victor 1991, Victor & Wellington 2000, Jones et al 2002, although there is some indication that pelagic larval durations must be above a certain threshold for a species to be distributed across major biogeographic boundaries (Brothers & Thresher 1985). These conclusions are based on a limited number of perciform taxa that differ in many relevant ways from the majority of elopomorph taxa.…”

Section: Resale or Republication Not Permitted Without Written Consenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diversity of leptocephalus larvae around the island of Barbados (West Indies): relevance to regional distributions

Richardson¹,

Cowen²

2004

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Planktonic Duration, Distribution and Population Structure of Western and Central Pacific Damselfishes (Pomacentridae)

Cited by 143 publications

References 20 publications

Orientation of pelagic larvae of coral-reef fishes in the ocean

Orientation of pelagic larvae of coral-reef fishes in the ocean

Environmental influences on larval duration, growth and magnitude of settlement of a coral reef fish

Diversity of leptocephalus larvae around the island of Barbados (West Indies): relevance to regional distributions

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