- Ecology And Behaviour
- Published:
Coral reef fishes which forage in the water column
«Fourrages» des poissons des récifs de coraux dans la colonne d'eau: Morphologie, comportement, écologie et évolution
A review of their morphology, behavior, ecology and evolutionary implications
Helgoländer wissenschaftliche Meeresuntersuchungen volume 24, pages 292–306 (1973)
Extrait
Dans un biotope à récif de corail, des espèces étroitement liées peuvent servir d'exemple de différenciation sur le plan de l'évolution. La radiation évolutive de poissons représentant plusieurs familles du récif corallien tropical a conduit à plusieurs reprises à la formation de «fourragers dans la colonne d'eau». Ce mode de vie comporte une série de caractères morphologiques et éthologiques définis. On trouve des éxemples similaires dans l'eau douce et dans des habitats non tropicaux. Les traits distinctifs de cette spécialisation, la systématique, les caractéristiques écologiques et celles se rapportant à l'évolution sont décrits et discutés.
Summary
1. Radiation of fishes representing many families in the tropical coral reef has repeatedly produced convergence in the specialization for “water-column foragers”.
2. This life mode is depicted by a recognizable set of morphological and behavioral characteristics. Exploitation of this niche has parallel examples in fresh water, and non-tropical habitats.
3. The distinguishing traits of this specialization, and the systematic, ecological and evolutionary features are described and discussed.
Literature cited
Alldredge, A. L., 1972. Abandoned larvacean houses: a unique food source in the pelagic environment. Science, N. Y.177, 885–887.
Allen, G. R., 1972. Anemone fishes. T. F. H. Publs, Hongkong, 288 pp.
Böhlke, J. E. &Chaplin, C. C. G., 1968. Fishes of the Bahamas and adjacent tropical waters. Livingston, Place, Pa., 771 pp.
Brock, V. E. &Chamberlain, T. C., 1968. A geological and ecological reconnaissance off Western Oahu, Hawaii, principally by means of the research submarine “Asherah”. Pacif. Sci.22, 373–394.
Clarke, T. A., 1970. Territorial behavior and population dynamics of a pomacentrid fish, the garibaldi,Hypsypops rubicunda. Ecol. Monogr.40, 180–212.
Cohen, D. M. &Davis, W. P., 1969. Vertical orientation in a new gobioid fish from New Britain. Pacif. Sci.23, 317–324.
Collette, B. B. &Talbot, R. H., 1972. Activity patterns of coral reef fishes with emphasis on nocturnal-diurnal change-over. Los Ang. Mus. Sci. Bull.14, 98–124.
Davis, W. P., 1967. Ecological interactions, comparative biology and evolutionary trends of thirteen pomadasyid fishes at Alligator Reef, Florida Keys. Diss. Univ. Miami, Coral Gables, 128 pp.
—— &Cohen, D. M., 1968. A gobiid fish and a palaemonid shrimp living on an antipatharian sea whip in the tropical Pacific. Bull. mar. Sci.18, 749–761.
Eibl-Eibelsfeldt, I., 1962. Freiwasserbeobachtungen zur Deutung des Schwarmverhaltens verschiedener Fische. Z. Tierpsychol.19, 165–182.
Emery, A. R., 1968. Preliminary observations on coral reef plankton. Limnol. Oceanogr.13, 293–303.
Feddern, H. A., 1963. Color changes during growth ofBodianus puchellus andB. rufus (Pisces: Labridae). Bull. mar. Sci. Gulf. Caribb.13, 224–241.
—— 1965. The spawning, growth, and general behavior of the bluehead wrasse,Thalassoma bifasciatum (Pisces: Labridae). Bull. mar. Sci.15, 896–941.
Fishelson, L., 1964. Observations of the biology and behaviour of Red Sea coral fishes. Bull. Sea Fish Res. Stn. Israel37, 11–26.
Fricke, H. W., 1970. Ökologische und verhaltensbiologische Beobachtungen an den RohrenaalenGorgasie sillneri undTaenioconger hassi (Pisces, Apodes, Heterocongridae). Z. Tierpsychol.27, 1076–1099.
—— 1972. Korallenmeer. Belser, Berlin, 224 pp.
Fryer, G., 1959. Some aspects of evolution in Lake Nyasa. Evolution, Lancaster, Pa.13, 440–451.
Fryer, G. &Iles, T. D., 1972. The cichlid fishes of the Great Lakes of Africa, their biology and evolution. Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh, 641 pp.
Hiatt, R. W. &Strasburg, D. W., 1960. Ecological relationships of the fish fauna on coral reefs on the Marshall Islands. Ecol. Monogr.30, 65–127.
Hobson, E. S., 1965. Diurnal-nocturnal activity of some inshore fishes in the Gulf of California. Copeia1965, 291–302.
—— 1968. Predatory behavior of some shore fishes in the Gulf of California. Res. Rep. U. S. Fish. Wildl. Serv.73, 1–92.
—— 1973. Diel feeding migrations of tropical reef fishes. Helgoländer wiss. Meeresunters.24, 361–370.
Lack, D., 1971. Ecological isolation in birds. Blackwell, Oxford, 404 pp.
Longley, W. H. &Hildebrand, S. F., 1941. Systematic catalogue of the fishes of Tortugas, Florida, with observations on color, habits, and local distribution. Pap. Tortugas Lab.34, 331.
MacArthur, R. H. &Levins R., 1964. Competiton, habitat selection and character displacement in a patchy environment. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.51, 1207–1210.
Manteifel, B. P. &Radakov, D. V., 1961. The adaptive significance of schooling behaviour in fishes. Russ. Rev. Biol.50, 338–345.
Myers, G. S., 1960. Fish evolution in Lake Nyasa. Evolution, Lancaster, Pa.14, 394–396.
Randall, J. E., 1963. An analysis of the fish populations of artificial and natural reefs in the Virgin Islands. Caribb. J. Sci.3, 31–47.
—— 1965. Grazing effect on sea grasses by herbivorous fishes in the West Indies. Ecology46, 255–260.
—— 1967. Food habits of reef fishes of the West Indies. Stud. trop. Oceanogr.5, 665–847.
—— 1968a.Ioglossus helenae, a new gobiid fish from the West Indies. Ichthyologica39, 107–116.
—— 1968b. Caribbean Reef Fishes. T. F. H. Publ., Hongkong, 318 pp.
Robins, C. R. &Starck, W. A., II, 1961. Materials for a revision ofSerranus and related fish genera. Proc. Acad. nat. Sci. Philad.113, 259–314.
Root, R. B., 1967. The niche exploitation pattern of the blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Ecol. Monog.37, 317–350.
Smith, C. L., 1971. A revision of the American groupers:Epinephelus and allied genera. Bull. Am Mus. nat. Hist.146 (2), 241.
—— &Tyler, J. C., 1972. Space resource sharing in a coral reef fish community. Los Ang. County Mus. Sci. Bull.14, 125–170.
Starck, W. A., 1966. Marvels of a coral realm. Nat. Geo.130, 710–738.
—— 1968. A list of fishes of Alligator Reef, Florida with comments on the nature of the Florida Reef fauna. Undersea Biol.1, 1–40.
—— &Davis, W. P., 1966. Night habits of fishes of Aligator Reef, Florida. Ichthyologica38, 313–356.
—— &Schroeder, R. E., 1971. Investigations of the gray snapper,Lutjanus griseus. Stud. trop. Oceanogr.10, 224.
Strasburg, D. W., 1966. Observations on the ecology of four apongonid fishes. Pacif. Sci.20, 338–341.
Suyehiro, Y., 1942. A study of the digestive system and feeding habits of fish. Jap. J. Zool.10, 1–303.
Talbot, F. H., 1965. A description of the coral structure of Tutia Reef (Tanganyika Territory, East Africa), and its fish fauna. Proc. zool. Soc. Lond.145, 43–470.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Davis, W.P., Birdsong, R.S. Coral reef fishes which forage in the water column. Helgolander Wiss. Meeresunters 24, 292–306 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01609520
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01609520