Can backcalculation models unravel complex larval growth histories in a tropical freshwater fish?

This experimental study compared the precision and accuracy of the biological intercept (BI), modified fry (MF) and time-varying growth (TVG) backcalculation models in estimating the early growth of the tropical freshwater purple-spotted gudgeon Mogurnda adspersa. Larvae were reared up to 41 days post hatching under two temperatures and four different feeding regimes. Food and temperature treatments induced complex growth profiles among fish, and although total length (LT ) and otolith radius were related under all conditions, some uncoupling was evident in the otolith-somatic-growth (OSG) relationship of fish subjected to periods of changing food availability. Furthermore, otolith growth was found to be significantly influenced by temperature, but not by food availability. Analysis of backcalculation residuals by linear mixed effects modelling revealed that BI and TVG were equally precise in predicting somatic growth, with the highest accuracy provided by TVG. The performance of all the three models declined as the OSG relationship weakened under low-food conditions, with maximum errors estimated to be 39, 60 and 36% of observed LT for the BI, MF and TVG models, respectively. The need for careful validation of backcalculation models is emphasized when examining fishes subjected to variable environmental conditions, and when exploring the differential influence of temperature and food on fish LT and otolith growth.

Critical research needs for managing coral reef marine protected areas: perspectives of academics and managers.

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a primary policy instrument for managing and protecting coral reefs. Successful MPAs ultimately depend on knowledge-based decision making, where scientific research is integrated into management actions. Fourteen coral reef MPA managers and sixteen academics from eleven research, state and federal government institutions each outlined at least five pertinent research needs for improving the management of MPAs situated in Australian coral reefs. From this list of 173 key questions, we asked members of each group to rank questions in order of urgency, redundancy and importance, which allowed us to explore the extent of perceptional mismatch and overlap among the two groups. Our results suggest the mismatch among MPA managers and academics is small, with no significant difference among the groups in terms of their respective research interests, or the type of questions they pose. However, managers prioritised spatial management and monitoring as research themes, whilst academics identified climate change, resilience, spatial management, fishing and connectivity as the most important topics. Ranking of the posed questions by the two groups was also similar, although managers were less confident about the achievability of the posed research questions and whether questions represented a knowledge gap. We conclude that improved collaboration and knowledge transfer among management and academic groups can be used to achieve similar objectives and enhance the knowledge-based management of MPAs.

Non-lethal measurement of pectoral fin aspect ratio in coral-reef fishes.

This study describes a novel method for measuring pectoral fin aspect ratio (AR) on live coral-reef fishes and tests the method against traditional measurements taken from a dissected fin. No significant differences were detected among repeated fin measurements, which validates the accuracy (intact v. dissected) and precision (repeatability over several days) of fin AR measurements on live fishes. One exception highlighted issues that may arise when working with species prone to fin damage.

Functional versatility supports coral reef biodiversity.

We explore the role of specialization in supporting species coexistence in high-diversity ecosystems. Using a novel ordination-based method to quantify specialist and generalist feeding structures and diets we examined the relationship between morphology and diet in 120 wrasses and parrotfishes from the Great Barrier Reef. We find that wrasses, despite their morphological diversity, exhibit weak links between morphology and diet and that specialist morphologies do not necessarily equate to specialized diets. The dominant pattern shows extensive overlap in morphology (functional morphospace occupation) among trophic groups; fish with a given morphology may have a number of feeding modes. Such trophic versatility may lay the foundation for both the origins and maintenance of high biodiversity on coral reefs.

Wave energy and swimming performance shape coral reef fish assemblages.

Physical factors often have an overriding influence on the distribution patterns of organisms, and can ultimately shape the long-term structure of communities. Although distribution patterns in sessile marine organisms have frequently been attributed to functional characteristics interacting with wave-induced water motion, similar evidence for mobile organisms is lacking. Links between fin morphology and swimming performance were examined in three diverse coral reef fish families from two major evolutionary lineages. Among-habitat variation in morphology and performance was directly compared with quantitative values of wave-induced water motion from seven coral reef habitats of different depth and wave exposure on the Great Barrier Reef. Fin morphology was strongly correlated with both field and experimental swimming speeds in all three families. The range of observed swimming speeds coincided closely with the magnitude of water velocities commonly found on coral reefs. Distribution patterns in all three families displayed highly congruent relationships between fin morphology and wave-induced water motion. Our findings indicate a general functional relationship between fin morphology and swimming performance in labriform-swimming fishes, and provide quantitative evidence that wave energy may directly influence the assemblage structure of coral reef fishes through interactions with morphology and swimming performance.