Artigo Acesso aberto

Fishes from the Coral Sea and the Swain Reefs

1964; Australian Museum; Volume: 26; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3853/j.0067-1975.26.1964.673

ISSN

2201-4349

Autores

Gilbert P. Whitley,

Tópico(s)

Marine animal studies overview

Resumo

By hand-lining we obtained Red Emperor, Diacope sebae; Coral Cod, Plectropomus maculatus; Emperor-Sweetlips, Lethrinus chrysostomus, also Varinla louti and Epinephelus forsythi, all good food-fishes.Time did not permit investigation of the fascinating inter-relationships of fishes with invertebrates and other fishes.Parrot-fishes were, however, observed to upend themselves to be cleaned by Labroides dimidiatus.The association between a sea-urchin and the fish Siphamia zaribae and a shrimp (Whitley, 1959, Proc.Roy.Zool.Soc.N.S.Wales 1957-58: 15-17) already recorded from the Capricorn Group, was observed afresh.When the urchin was taken from the water some of the fishes sheltered in the collector's trouser-legs!Some Lovamia were practising buccal incubation.Fertile eggs were found in a female Merogymnus jacksoniensis suggesting that internal fertilization takes place, although it is not known ifthis would be followed by oral incubation as in its West Indian ally, Opisthognathus (see B6hlke and Chaplin, 1957, Science 125 (3243), Feb., 22: 353, fig.I).Dascyllus aruanuswas scarce although its usual host coral was present, and there were few Amphiprion with sea-anemones.Mimicry of a toadfish (Canthigaster) by a leatherjacket (Paraluteres) was noticed; several blennies (Meiacanthus) were nesting in empty gastropod shells and juveniles floated under sargasso weed.Other fishes were attacked by crustacean parasites.

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