| multidimensional polarization sensitivity in damselfishes. | using electroretinogram recording and microspectrophotometry we investigated spectral sensitivity and ultraviolet polarization sensitivity in three species of coral reef fishes commonly known as damselfishes. here we show that three species of damselfishes (three-spot damselfish, dascyllus trimaculatus; blacktail damselfish, d. melanurus; and blue-green chromis, chromis viridis) have four classes of cone photoreceptors (lambda(max) ranges: ultraviolet 357-367 nm; short wavelength-sensitive 469-4 ... | 2003 | 12664097 |
| specialization in habitat use by coral reef damselfishes and their susceptibility to habitat loss. | while it is generally assumed that specialist species are more vulnerable to disturbance compared with generalist counterparts, this has rarely been tested in coastal marine ecosystems, which are increasingly subject to a wide range of natural and anthropogenic disturbances. habitat specialists are expected to be more vulnerable to habitat loss because habitat availability exerts a greater limitation on population size, but it is also possible that specialist species may escape effects of distur ... | 2012 | 23139876 |
| effect of elevated carbon dioxide on shoal familiarity and metabolism in a coral reef fish. | atmospheric co2 is expected to more than double by the end of the century. the resulting changes in ocean chemistry will affect the behaviour, sensory systems and physiology of a range of fish species. although a number of past studies have examined effects of co2 in gregarious fishes, most have assessed individuals in social isolation, which can alter individual behaviour and metabolism in social species. within social groups, a learned familiarity can develop following a prolonged period of in ... | 2016 | 27933164 |
| shoaling reduces metabolic rate in a gregarious coral reef fish species. | many animals live in groups because of the potential benefits associated with defense and foraging. group living may also induce a 'calming effect' on individuals, reducing overall metabolic demand. this effect could occur by minimising the need for individual vigilance and reducing stress through social buffering. however, this effect has proved difficult to quantify. we examined the effect of shoaling on metabolism and body condition in the gregarious damselfish chromis viridis using a novel r ... | 2016 | 27655821 |
| habitat selection by marine larvae in changing chemical environments. | the replenishment and persistence of marine species is contingent on dispersing larvae locating suitable habitat and surviving to a reproductive stage. pelagic larvae rely on environmental cues to make behavioural decisions with chemical information being important for habitat selection at settlement. we explored the sensory world of crustaceans and fishes focusing on the impact anthropogenic alterations (ocean acidification, red soil, pesticide) have on conspecific chemical signals used by larv ... | 2017 | 27600273 |
| adapt, move or die - how will tropical coral reef fishes cope with ocean warming? | previous studies hailed thermal tolerance and the capacity for organisms to acclimate and adapt as the primary pathways for species survival under climate change. here we challenge this theory. over the past decade, more than 365 tropical stenothermal fish species have been documented moving poleward, away from ocean warming hotspots where temperatures 2-3 °c above long-term annual means can compromise critical physiological processes. we examined the capacity of a model species - a thermally se ... | 2017 | 27593976 |
| chemical spying in coral reef fish larvae at recruitment. | when fish larvae recruit back to a reef, chemical cues are often used to find suitable habitat or to find juvenile or adult conspecifics. we tested if the chemical information used by larvae was intentionally produced by juvenile and adult conspecifics already on the reef (communication process) or whether the cues used result from normal biochemical processes with no active involvement by conspecifics ("spying" behavior by larvae). conspecific chemical cues attracted the majority of larvae (fou ... | 2015 | 26318049 |
| skin toxins in coral-associated gobiodon species (teleostei: gobiidae) affect predator preference and prey survival. | predation risk is high for the many small coral reef fishes, requiring successful sheltering or other predator defence mechanisms. coral-dwelling gobies of the genus gobiodon live in close association with scleractinian corals of the genus acropora. earlier studies indicated that the low movement frequency of adult fishes and the development of skin toxins (crinotoxicity) are predation avoidance mechanisms. although past experiments showed that predators refuse food prepared with goby skin mucus ... | 2015 | 26074654 |
| importance of visual cues of conspecifics and predators during the habitat selection of coral reef fish larvae. | the study investigated visual recognition of conspecifics and predators by settlement-stage coral reef fish larvae in a set of three experiments using a dual-choice aquarium (moorea island). experiments 1 and 2 were conducted under artificial light conditions. experiment 3 was conducted under natural light during new and full moon nights. in experiment 1, five out of six species preferred conspecifics rather than heterospecifics (acanthurus triostegus, chromis viridis, ostorhinchus angustatus, s ... | 2014 | 24841962 |
| exploration of the mechanisms of protein quality control and osmoregulation in gills of chromis viridis in response to reduced salinity. | fish gills are the vital multifunctional organ in direct contact with external environment. therefore, activation of the cytoprotective mechanisms to maintain branchial cell viability is important for fish upon stresses. salinity is one of the major factors strongly affecting cellular and organismal functions. reduction of ambient salinity may occur in coral reef and leads to osmotic stress for reef-associated stenohaline fish. however, the physiological responses to salinity stress in reef-asso ... | 2014 | 24805086 |
| spatial distribution of fifty ornamental fish species on coral reefs in the red sea and gulf of aden. | the spatial distribution of 50 ornamental fish species from shallow water habitats on coral reefs were investigated using visual census techniques, between latitudes 11-29°n in the red sea, in jordan, egypt, saudi arabia, and yemen, and in the adjacent gulf of aden in djibouti. one hundred eighteen transects (each 100×5 m) were examined in 29 sites (3-8 sites per country). a total of 522,523 fish individuals were counted during this survey, with mean abundance of 4428.2 ± 87.26 individual per 50 ... | 2014 | 24478577 |
| ultimate predators: lionfish have evolved to circumvent prey risk assessment abilities. | invasive species cause catastrophic alterations to communities worldwide by changing the trophic balance within ecosystems. ever since their introduction in the mid 1980's common red lionfish, pterois volitans, are having dramatic impacts on the caribbean ecosystem by displacing native species and disrupting food webs. introduced lionfish capture prey at extraordinary rates, altering the composition of benthic communities. here we demonstrate that the extraordinary success of the introduced lion ... | 2013 | 24146775 |
| does light explain damselfish chromis viridis abundances observed over coral colonies? | a single autonomous video camera was used to record the abundances of chromis viridis over a branching acropora sp. colony eight times per day over a period of 50 days. the poor explanatory power of global radiation suggests the need for recording the light really available to the fish, especially in the uv range. the increasing number of c. viridis observed with increasing wind along shore and water level may correspond to individuals swimming further from their shelter in order to get closer t ... | 2012 | 22650437 |
| shipboard assessment of hearing sensitivity of tropical fishes immediately after exposure to seismic air gun emissions at scott reef. | this is the first study to examine the potential effects of emissions from an air gun array on hearing of tropical reef fish using aep thresholds measured in the field. over 7 days, 51 chromis viridis,47 lutjanus kasmira, 20 myripristis murdjan, and 10 sargocentron spiniferum were tested. aep thresholds were determined before and after exposure to emissions from one or two passes of an airgun array. temporary threshold shift resulting from sound exposure was not found in any species,even when cu ... | 2012 | 22278490 |
| variability in isotope discrimination factors in coral reef fishes: implications for diet and food web reconstruction. | interpretation of stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen (δ(13)c and δ(15)n) is generally based on the assumption that with each trophic level there is a constant enrichment in the heavier isotope, leading to diet-tissue discrimination factors of 3.4‰ for (15)n (δn) and ∼0.5‰ for (13)c (δc). diet-tissue discrimination factors determined from paired tissue and gut samples taken from 152 individuals from 26 fish species at ningaloo reef, western australia demonstrate a large amount of variab ... | 2010 | 21060681 |
| behavioural discrimination of polarized light in the damselfish chromis viridis (family pomacentridae). | in this study, we demonstrate the capacity for damselfish (green chromis, chromis viridis) to discriminate between different e-vector orientations of ultraviolet polarized light. we examined the ability of green chromis to resolve small differences in e-vector orientation of ultraviolet polarized light. fish were successfully trained to swim towards an e-vector orientation of polarized light using a behavioural chamber. c. viridis was able to discriminate between the horizontal and the vertical ... | 2005 | 16081602 |
| larval sensory abilities and mechanisms of habitat selection of a coral reef fish during settlement. | sensory abilities and preferences exhibited by mobile larvae during their transition to juvenile habitats can establish spatial heterogeneity that drives subsequent species interactions and dynamics of populations. we conducted a series of laboratory and field experiments using coral reef fish larvae (chromis viridis) to determine: ecological determinants of settlement choice (conspecifics vs. heterospecifics vs. coral substrates); sensory mechanisms (visual, acoustic/vibratory, olfactory) under ... | 2005 | 15647903 |