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RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

Comparative larval development of three amphidromous Rhinogobius species, making reference to their habitat preferences and migration biology

Masashi Kondo A E , Ken Maeda B , Kentarou Hirashima C and Katsunori Tachihara D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Graduate School of Engineering and Science, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan.

B Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan.

C Wakayama Prefectural Museum of Natural History, 370-1 Funao, Kainan, Wakayama 642-0001, Japan.

D Laboratory of Fisheries Biology and Coral Reef Studies, Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan.

E Corresponding author. Email: mimizu5b@yahoo.co.jp

Marine and Freshwater Research 64(3) 249-266 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF12234
Submitted: 28 August 2012  Accepted: 3 December 2012   Published: 18 March 2013

Journal Compilation © CSIRO Publishing 2013 Open Access CC BY-NC-ND

Abstract

Eggs and larvae of three amphidromous species of Rhinogobius goby (Rhinogobius brunneus, Rhinogobius sp. MO and Rhinogobius sp. CB) from Okinawa Island, Japan, were reared under uniform conditions to describe and compare their larval development. Although the larval morphologies of the three species were very similar, some differences were observed in the timing of ontogenetic events among them. R. brunneus had the largest yolk and saved it for a longer period of time, whereas Rhinogobius sp. MO had the smallest yolk, which was exhausted earlier. The period until yolk exhaustion is thought to restrict the distance that migrating larvae can drift, which determines the specific adult distribution. Each of these two amphidromous species are close relatives of different fluvial resident species. Evolution of the fluvial residents could be explained by different scenarios based on the larval traits of R. brunneus and Rhinogobius sp. MO. Rhinogobius sp. CB hatched at a smaller size and grew slower than the other two species. No fluvial species have derived from Rhinogobius sp. CB. One possible explanation is that the smaller and slower-growing larvae of Rhinogobius sp. CB find it more difficult to remain within streams.

Additional keywords: egg size, Gobiidae, Gobioidei, insular stream, pool, Ryukyu Archipelago, speciation, waterfall.


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