NDLI: Morphological structure in a reef fish assemblage

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Goatley, C. H. R. Bellwood, D. R.
Copyright Year	2009
Abstract	Two key morphological traits, horizontal gape and eye diameter, were measured in a large representative group of coral reef fishes. These morphological traits were used concurrently to assess their utility in exploring abilities of coral reef fishes at an assemblage level. A total of 1,218 specimens from 181 species found on the Great Barrier Reef were examined. Cryptobenthic fishes were included to provide a broader representation of reef fish groups. In the analyses, a clear morphological distinction was found between nocturnal and diurnal fishes. Nocturnal fishes had larger relative horizontal gapes and relative eye diameters by factors of 1.6 and 1.5, respectively. A bivariate plot separated into quadrants was used to assess the implications of morphological variation. The morphological measures reflected distinct ecological traits in each quadrant. Whilst nocturnal fishes had large relative gapes and eye diameters, diurnal predators and detritivores had the same wide gapes, but small relative eye diameters. Highly selective, visual feeders such as the Chaetodontidae and Pseudochromidae had large eyes and small gapes, whilst non-selective feeders with low visual dependence such as the grazing herbivores (Acanthuridae, Siganidae, etc.) had both small eye diameters and gape sizes. The analysis proved to be robust enough to apply to a wide assemblage, but with enough subtlety to distinguish morphological differences within individual families. The methods used in this study may have broad applications to other fish assemblages, both fossil and extant.
Starting Page	449
Ending Page	457
Page Count	9
File Format	PDF
ISSN	07224028
Journal	Coral Reefs
Volume Number	28
Issue Number	2
e-ISSN	14320975
Language	English
Publisher	Springer-Verlag
Publisher Date	2009-02-25
Publisher Place	Berlin, Heidelberg
Access Restriction	One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)
Subject Keyword	Morphology Reef fish assemblage Great Barrier Reef Ecological morphology Oceanography Freshwater & Marine Ecology
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Aquatic Science

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