Anatomical description of the Cortés damselfish Stegastes rectifraenum (Perciformes: Pomacentridae). Key structures for omnivore feeding
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Abstract:
Pomacentridae is one of the most abundant fish families in coral and rocky reefs of tropical and temperate waters. Stegastes rectifraenum (Gill, 1862), as other members of the genus, is territorial and actively farm algae on its territory, helping in the regulation of the algal community structure and the reef productivity. It is endemic and one of the most abundant species along the Mexican Pacific coast. Even with its strong relationship with algae, this species is omnivorous. In this analysis, we present the first complete anatomical description of a species of Pomacentridae, focusing in one research question: which structures allow S. rectifraenum to have an omnivorous diet? Through the analysis of the skeletal, muscular and digestive systems, the anatomy of the species was described. The complex anatomy of S. rectifraenum shows a set of characters previously described for grazers (mandibular muscles), herbivorous (mandibular teeth), omnivorous with preference for algae (general skull osteology) and zooplanktivorous species (intestine shape and pharyngeal teeth). According to our results, S. rectifraenum is a grazer, omnivorous with preference for algae. Finally, the key character that facilitates S. rectifraenum access to a wider range of resources is the shape of the pharyngeal teeth, which can effectively grind, fasten and tear.Keywords:
Pomacentridae
Damselfish
Omnivore
Perciformes
Pomacentridae is one of the most abundant fish families in coral and rocky reefs of tropical and temperate waters. Stegastes rectifraenum (Gill, 1862), as other members of the genus, is territorial and actively farm algae on its territory, helping in the regulation of the algal community structure and the reef productivity. It is endemic and one of the most abundant species along the Mexican Pacific coast. Even with its strong relationship with algae, this species is omnivorous. In this analysis, we present the first complete anatomical description of a species of Pomacentridae, focusing in one research question: which structures allow S. rectifraenum to have an omnivorous diet? Through the analysis of the skeletal, muscular and digestive systems, the anatomy of the species was described. The complex anatomy of S. rectifraenum shows a set of characters previously described for grazers (mandibular muscles), herbivorous (mandibular teeth), omnivorous with preference for algae (general skull osteology) and zooplanktivorous species (intestine shape and pharyngeal teeth). According to our results, S. rectifraenum is a grazer, omnivorous with preference for algae. Finally, the key character that facilitates S. rectifraenum access to a wider range of resources is the shape of the pharyngeal teeth, which can effectively grind, fasten and tear.
Pomacentridae
Damselfish
Omnivore
Perciformes
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Damselfish
Pomacentridae
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Pomacentridae
Damselfish
Archipelago
Philopatry
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A new species of Amblypomacentrus is described from the South China Sea off Vietnam. It differs from congeners in scale and gill-raker counts, slightly protruding snout, and coloration. This is the first record of this genus from the mainland Asia.
Perciformes
Teleostei
Pomacentridae
Damselfish
Actinopterygii
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The present study aims to analyze concerned karyotyping and idiograming of the three-spot damselfish (Dascyllus trimaculatus) in Thailand. Chromosomes were prepared from kidney tissues of fish reared at Institute of Marine Science, Burapha University, Chonburi Province. The mitotic chromosomes were harvested by the colchicine-hypotonic-fixation-air drying method. Conventional and Ag-NOR staining techniques were applied to stain the chromosomes. The results showed that D. trimaculatus had 2n=48, and the fundamental number (NF) was 50 without heteromorphic sex chromosomes. The types of chromosomes are 2 large acrocentric, 36 large terocentric and 10 medium telocentric chromosomes. The Ag-NOR banding exhibited that a single pair of NORs was presented on the short arm region of the large acrocentric chromosome. Basic knowledge on cytogenetics of D. trimaculatus would be applied for support of further studies on breeding, conservation and chromosome evolution in this fish. The karyotype formula of D. trimaculatus is as follows:
Pomacentridae
Damselfish
Perciformes
Chromomycin A3
Microchromosome
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Demographically open communities are often viewed as stochastically structured assemblages because most colonizing juveniles arrive via unpredictable dispersal mechanisms. However, interactions between established residents and incoming juveniles may affect juvenile persistence in species-specific ways and could therefore impose a degree of determinism on future community structure. Using 16 spatially isolated communities of coral reef fishes, I conducted two experiments to determine how prior residency by two guilds of fishes affected juvenile recruitment. Each experiment factorially manipulated the presence and absence of two guilds: resident piscivores (groupers and moray eels) and interference competitors (territorial damselfishes). In the first experiment, guilds were manipulated via selective removals, and subsequent recruitment (larval settlement minus mortality) was monitored for 44 days. In the second experiment, guilds were placed within large cages to prevent direct resident–juvenile interactions, while allowing for any cues produced by enclosed fishes, thereby testing whether incoming larvae used resident-derived cues to select or reject settlement sites. Colonizing juveniles were collected from each reef over 42 days to prevent confounding resident- and recruit-derived cues. In the first experiment, piscivores inhibited recruitment of a damselfish (Pomacentridae) and a surgeonfish (Acanthuridae), and enhanced recruitment of a wrasse (Labridae). In contrast, territorial damselfishes inhibited recruitment of the damselfish and the wrasse, and enhanced recruitment of the surgeonfish. Observations of early recruitment patterns suggested that recruitment differences were established rapidly during the night or dawn periods shortly after settlement and before each daily census. In the second experiment, there was no evidence that larvae used resident-derived cues to select settlement sites, suggesting that recruitment differences in the first experiment resulted from differential mortality caused by direct resident–recruit interactions rather than differential larval settlement. These results demonstrate that interactions between established residents and newly arrived juveniles can have a strong influence on juvenile persistence, and that such interactions appear to be strongest within hours of larval settlement. Furthermore, because resident effects were species specific, the present composition of these communities may impose a previously undocumented degree of determinism on their future structure.
Pomacentridae
Damselfish
Wrasse
Guild
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Damselfish
Pomacentridae
Perciformes
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Abstract Identifying patterns of larval dispersal within marine metapopulations is vital for effective fisheries management, appropriate marine reserve design, and conservation efforts. We employed genetic markers (microsatellites) to determine dispersal patterns in bicolour damselfish (Pomacentridae: Stegastes partitus ). Tissue samples of 751 fish were collected in 2004 and 2005 from 11 sites encompassing the Exuma Sound, Bahamas. Bayesian parentage analysis identified two parent–offspring pairs, which is remarkable given the large population sizes and 28 day pelagic larval duration of bicolour damselfish. The two parent–offspring pairs directly documented self‐recruitment at the two northern‐most sites, one of which is a long‐established marine reserve. Principal coordinates analyses of pair‐wise relatedness values further indicated that self‐recruitment was common in all sampled populations. Nevertheless, measures of genetic differentiation ( F ST ) and results from assignment methods suggested high levels of gene flow among populations. Comparisons of heterozygosity and relatedness among samples of adults and recruits indicated spatially and temporally independent sweepstakes events, whereby only a subset of adults successfully contribute to subsequent generations. These results indicate that self‐recruitment and sweepstakes reproduction are the predominant, ecologically‐relevant processes that shape patterns of larval dispersal in this system.
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Pomacentridae
Metapopulation
Marine reserve
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Abstract The extent of dispersal between populations of Caribbean reef fish remains largely unknown. Resolution of this issue is critical for managing populations and designing marine reserves. As part of a larger study of reef fish dispersal, we developed and characterized 11 polymorphic microsatellite loci for the bicolor damselfish ( Stegastes partitus ), an abundant reef fish found throughout the Caribbean. These loci will be useful for population genetic and relatedness studies of this species and also appear to be useful in other Caribbean members of the Pomacentridae.
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Pomacentridae
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