Topic
Abudefduf
About: Abudefduf is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 87 publications have been published within this topic receiving 2032 citations.
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
TL;DR: Within-family analyses of Pomacentridae and Labridae showed that niche partitioning is likely occurring and seems to be mediated by swimming ‘ability’ and associated feeding performance.
Abstract: Patterns of community structure in the marine environment are strongly influenced by population relationships to biotic and physical gradients. The aim of this work is to explore the relationships of tropical rocky reef fish assemblages to wave exposure and benthic coverage in a gradient of distance from the coast. The study was conducted on the Guarapari Islands, southeastern Brazilian coast. Fish were sampled by underwater visual census (166 transects) and benthic cover was estimated with quadrats (223 replicates). Two main kinds of habitats were found to be derived from the close interrelation between exposure and benthic coverage: (1) exposed areas subjected to major hydrodynamic forcing, and (2) sheltered or moderately exposed areas. The first group is associated with mid-water schooling species like planktivorous labrids and Chromis, piscivorous Caranx, as well as gregarious omnivores like Abudefduf and Diplodus. In terms of benthic composition, macroalgae and encrusting calcareous algae prevail in this high-energy habitat. The second group is characterized by site-attached and reef associated species like territorial pomacentrids, invertebrate feeders such as Halichoeres poeyi and Chaetodon striatus, and small cryptobenthic fishes (e.g. blenniids and labrisomids). Turf algae, zoanthids and massive corals dominate this environment. Environmental plasticity is also common with some genera showing high abundances in all habitats (e.g. Holocentrus, Haemulon, Acanthurus). Examples of the coupling of food availability and fish abundance were found. Planktivores, territorial herbivores, macroalgae browsers and spongivores were positively related with the abundance of their preferred food items along the exposure gradient. Within-family analyses of Pomacentridae and Labridae showed that niche partitioning is likely occurring and seems to be mediated by swimming ‘ability’ and associated feeding performance.
198 citations
TL;DR: Data provide the first evidence that Abudefduf uses true acoustic communication on a level similar to that of both more derived and more basal soniferous pomacentrids, consistent with the sensory drive model of signal evolution.
Abstract: Sounds provide important signals for inter- and intraspecific communication in fishes, but few studies examine fish acoustic behavior in the context of coevolution of sound production and hearing ability within a species. This study characterizes the acoustic behavior in a reproductive population of the Hawaiian sergeant fish, Abudefduf abdominalis , and compares acoustic features to hearing ability, measured by the auditory evoked potential (AEP) technique. Sergeant fish produce sounds at close distances to the intended receiver (⩽1–2 body lengths), with different pulse characteristics that are associated primarily with aggression, nest preparation and courtship–female-visit behaviors. Energy peaks of all sounds were between 90 and 380 Hz, whereas courtship–visit sounds had a pulse repetition rate of 125 Hz with harmonic intervals up to 1 kHz. AEP threshold, which is probably higher than the behavioral threshold, indicates best sensitivity at low frequencies (95–240 Hz), with the lowest threshold at 125 Hz (123–127 dBrms re: 1 μPa). Thus, sound production and hearing in A. abdominalis are closely matched in the frequency domain and are useful for courtship and mating at close distances. Measured hearing thresholds did not differ among males and females during spawning or non-spawning periods, which indicates a lack of sex differences and seasonal variation in hearing capabilities. These data provide the first evidence that Abudefduf uses true acoustic communication on a level similar to that of both more derived (e.g. Dascyllus , Chromis ) and more basal (e.g. Stegastes ) soniferous pomacentrids. This correlation between sound production and hearing ability is consistent with the sensory drive model of signal evolution in which the sender and receiver systems coevolve within the constraints of the environment to maximize information transfer of acoustic signals.
86 citations
TL;DR: The finding of later generation hybrids throughout the archipelago invokes the possibility of genetic swamping of the endemic species, contradicting the generalization that the rarity of one species promotes interspecific mating.
Abstract: Hybridization in the ocean was once considered rare, a process prohibited by the rapid evolution of intrinsic reproductive barriers in a high-dispersal medium. However, recent genetic surveys have prompted a reappraisal of marine hybridization as an important demographic and evolutionary process. The Hawaiian Archipelago offers an unusual case history in this arena, due to the recent arrival of the widely distributed Indo-Pacific sergeant (Abudefduf vaigiensis), which is hybridizing with the endemic congener, A. abdominalis. Surveys of mtDNA and three nuclear loci across Hawai’i (N = 396, Abudefduf abdominalis and N = 314, A. vaigiensis) reveal that hybridization is significantly higher in the human-perturbed southeast archipelago (19.8%), tapering off to 5.9% in the pristine northwest archipelago. While densities of the two species varied throughout Hawai’i, hybridization was highest in regions with similar species densities, contradicting the generalization that the rarity of one species promotes interspecific mating. Our finding of later generation hybrids throughout the archipelago invokes the possibility of genetic swamping of the endemic species. Exaptation, an adaptation with unintended consequences, may explain these findings: the endemic species has transient yellow coloration during reproduction, whereas the introduced species has yellow coloration continuously as adults, in effect a permanent signal of reproductive receptivity. Haplotype diversity is higher in Hawaiian A. vaigiensis than in our samples from the native range, indicating large-scale colonization almost certainly facilitated by the historically recent surge of marine debris. In this chain of events, marine debris promotes colonization, exaptation promotes hybridization, and introgression invokes the possible collapse of an endemic species.
63 citations
TL;DR: Since the collecting sites are permanent ponds, it will be possible to screen larvae for their LDH patterns and determine if heterozygotes are represented in greater numbers in these earlier stages and more extensive survey may uncover variants for the H monomer.
Abstract: patterns. Also, since the collecting sites are permanent ponds, it will be possible to screen larvae for their LDH patterns and determine if heterozygotes are represented in greater numbers in these earlier stages. Finally, a more extensive survey may uncover variants for the H monomer, since these seem to predominate or can be found in equal frequencies with M variants in anuran species (Maxson and Wilson, 1974; Salthe, 1969; Salthe and Nevo, 1969).
56 citations
Related Topics (5)
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2018 | 8 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2016 | 4 |