DIEL, LUNAR AND SEASONAL RHYTHMS IN THE REPRODUCTION OF 2 TROPICAL DAMSELFISHES - POMACENTRUS-FLAVICAUDA AND POMACENTRUS-WARDI
DIEL, LUNAR AND SEASONAL RHYTHMS IN THE REPRODUCTION OF 2 TROPICAL DAMSELFISHES - POMACENTRUS-FLAVICAUDA AND POMACENTRUS-WARDI
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DOI：
10.1007/bf00406005
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发表时间：
1983-01-01
期刊：
影响因子：
2.4
通讯作者：
DOHERTY, PJ
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
DOHERTY, PJ
Daily, monthly and annual rhythms were observed in the reproduction between Nov. 1978 and Feb. 1980 of 2 tropical damselfishes, P. flavicauda and P. wardi, from the southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia. When breeding, females of both species spawned demersal eggs into the care of males during a brief period at 1st light. After several days, larvae hatched from these eggs during another brief period after sunset. An experiment confirmed that the change from light to dark triggered the hatchings and that the emerging larvae were photopositive. Eggs of P. flavicauda usually hatched on the evening of their 4th day in the nest; eggs of P. wardi hatched on their 5th day. A small proportion of eggs required longer incubation. Hatching success was .apprx. 90%. When breeding, both species spawned in bi-weekly cycles synchronized with the phases of the moon. The largest clutches, as well as the most clutches, were laid at the peaks of these cycles. In P. flavicauda, maximum hatchings occurred on days during which spring high tides fell near sunset (the cue for hatching to begin). It is likely that these hatchlings were rapidly flushed off the reef by the ebbing tides. The hatching cycles of P. wardi consistently peaked 4 days earlier in the lunar month. Hatchlings of this species remained in shallow water at least 1 tidal cycle longer than those of P. flavicauda. This difference may be a consequence of the different habitat specializations of the 2 species. Both species bred seasonally during the warmest, calmest months of the year. This is not the period of least current flow on the Great Barrier Reef. The observed seasonality may reflect the best times for larval survival in the open sea rather than an adaptation that limits the loss of offspring from the parent populations.
