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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 60(3)

Ontogeny of behaviour relevant to dispersal and connectivity in the larvae of two non-reef demersal, tropical fish species

Jeffrey M. Leis A B F , Richard F. Piola B C , Amanda C. Hay A , Colin Wen D E and Kun-Ping Kan D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Ichthyology, Australian Museum, 6 College Street, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia.

B Biology, Environmental and Earth Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia.

C Present address: Cawthron Institute, 98 Halifax Drive East, Nelson, New Zealand.

D Institute of Zoology, Academia Sinica, Academia Road Nankang, Taipei, 115, Taiwan.

E Present address: Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld 4810, Australia.

F Corresponding author. Email: jeff.leis@austmus.gov.au

Marine and Freshwater Research 60(3) 211-223 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF08186
Submitted: 16 June 2008  Accepted: 13 October 2008   Published: 27 March 2009

Abstract

In demersal marine fishes, the dispersal of larvae determines the geographical scale of population connectivity, and larval behaviour may influence dispersal. Yet, little is known of the ontogeny of behaviours that can influence dispersal. The present study examined the development of these behaviours in pelagic larvae of tropical marine fishes (4–21 mm) that occupy non-reef habitats as adults: Eleutheronema tetradactylum (Polynemidae) and Leiognathus equulus (Leiognathidae). In the laboratory, critical speed (Ucrit) increased from 3 to 34 cm s–1 at 1.3–1.7 cm s–1 per mm of size, with the fastest larvae up to 50% faster. In situ speed increased from 4 to 25 cm s–1 at 0.7–2.2 cm s–1 per mm, and was 10–14 body length s–1 (60–90% of Ucrit). Endurance increased from 0 to >40 km at 2.4–4.7 km per mm. In the sea, orientation precision did not change ontogenetically, both species tended to swim in loops, and neither significant overall directionality nor ontogenetic change in orientation was present. Larval orientation of these non-reef species was less precise than that of reef fishes. The two species differed in depth distribution, and one ascended ontogenetically. These behaviours can potentially influence dispersal outcomes over the full size range of these larvae.

Additional keywords: Leiognathidae, orientation, Polynemidae, swimming speed, vertical distribution.


Acknowledgements

We thank K.-T. Shao, Academica Sinica, who made our work in Taiwan possible, and the director, L.-S. Fang, and staff of NMMBA for their excellent cooperation, particularly J.-P. Chen, I.-S. Chen and C.-Y. Chung. We thank L.-H. Chao, who spent many hours helping us obtain larvae, and the Taiwanese aquaculturists who provided the larvae. The skipper of our dive boat, R.-M. Chen, enabled us to work efficiently and safely in the field. D. Clark and M. Brown assisted ably in the laboratory and field. M. Pember shared information from his thesis research on E. tetradactylum settlement and H. Motomura checked identifications of our threadfin specimens. M. Lockett and G. Howarth assisted with data analysis and figures and S. Bullock provided editorial assistance. Reviewers provided constructive criticisms. This research was supported by an ARC Discovery Grant (DP0345876) and a DST International Science Linkages Grant (IAP-IST-CG03-0043) to J. M. Leis, and by the Australian Museum. This research operated under Australian Museum Animal Care and Ethics Committee research approval 01-01.


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