Abstract
Once hatched, convict surgeon fish larvae (Acanthurus triostegus) spend about two months in the ocean before crossing the coral reef to recruit in the lagoon, usually selecting a specific reef habitat already inhabited by conspecifics. To form groups, juveniles must be able to recognise their conspecifics, even when some have a slightly different morphotype. Here, a virtual reality platform was used that collects juveniles' behavioural reactions to fully immersive controlled visual stimuli. We tested which visual parameters influenced recognition when juveniles had to choose between two virtual shoals of adult convict surgeonfish presented on opposite sides of the aquarium, each with specifically manipulated colour patterns. The results showed that the shape of the adult fish was more important than the patterns and colours for the choice made by the juveniles. These results underline the importance of better understanding the mechanisms of visual recognition in coral reef fish.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barth P, Berenshtein I, Besson M, Roux N, Parmentier E, Banaigs B, Lecchini D (2015) From the ocean to a reef habitat: how do the larvae of coral reef fishes find their way home? A state of art on the latest advances. Life and Environment 65:91–100
Besson M (2017) Importance of metamorphosis in coral-reef fish larval recruitment facing anthropogenic pressures. Université Paris sciences et lettres, Thesis
Caraco T, Martindale S, Pulliam HR (1980) Avian time budgets and distance to cover. Auk 97:872–875
Fogg LG, Cortesi F, Gache C, Lecchini D, Marshall NJ, de Busserolles F (2022) Developing and adult reef fish show rapid, reversible light-induced plasticity in their visual system. Mol Ecol 00:1–15. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.16744
Foster WA, Treherne JE (1981) Evidence for the dilution effect in the selfish herd from fish predation on a marine insect. Nature 293:466–467. https://doi.org/10.1038/293466a0
Frédérich B, Colleyz O, Lepoint G, Lecchini D (2012) Mismatch between shape changes and ecological shifts during the post-settlement growth of the surgeonfish. Acanthurus Triostegus Frontiers in Zoology 9:8. https://doi.org/10.1186/1742-9994-9-8
Grant DA (1948) The Latin square principle in the design and analysis of psychological experiments. Psychol Bull 45:427–442. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0053912
Hamilton WD (1971) Geometry for the selfish herd. J Theor Biol 31:295–311. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-5193(71)90189-5
Holzer G, Besson M, Lambert A, François L, Barth P, Gillet B, Hughes S, Piganeau G, Leulier F, Viriot L, Lecchini D, Laudet V (2017). Fish larval recruitment to reefs is a thyroid hormone-mediated metamorphosis sensitive to the pesticide chlorpyrifos. eLife 6. https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.27595
Katzir G (1981) Visual aspects of species recognition in the damselfish Dascyllus aruanus L. (Pisces, Pomacentridae). Anim Behav 29:842–849. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-3472(81)80019-X
Keenleyside MHA (1955) Some aspects of the schooling behaviour of fish. Behaviour 8:183–247. https://doi.org/10.1163/156853955X00229
Kühme W (1963) Chemisch ausgelöste Brutpflege und Schwarmreaktionen bei Hemichromis bimaculatus (Pisces). Z Tierpsychol 25:688–704
Myrberg AA, Fuiman L (2002) The sensory world of coral reef fishes. In: Sale PF (ed) Coral reef fishes: dynamics and diversity in a complex ecosystem. Academic Press, San Diego, pp 187–227
Parker AN, Fritsches KA, Newport C, Wallis G, Siebeck UE (2017) Comparison on functional and anatomical estimations of visual acuity in two species of coral reef fish. J Exp Biol 220:2387–2396. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.149575
Pitcher TJ, Parrish JK (1993) Functions of shoaling behaviour in teleosts. In: Pitcher TJ (ed) The behaviour of teleost fishes. Chapman & Hall, London, pp 294–337
Spanier E (1979) Aspects of species recognition by sound in four species of damselfish, genus Eupomacentrus (Pisces, Pomacentridae). A Tierpsychol 51:301–316
Vidal M, Mills SC, Gairin E, Bertucci F, Lecchini D (2023) Validation of a novel immersive Virtual Reality setup with responses of wild-caught freely-moving coral reef fish. Animal Behaviour, submitted
Ward A, Webster M (2016) Sociality: the behaviour of group-living animals. Springer, Cham
Acknowledgements
This work received support from the French government under the France 2030 investment plan, as part of the Initiative d'Excellence d'Aix-Marseille Université – A*MIDEX, and from the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-19-CE34-0006-Manini and ANR-19-CE14-0010-SENSO).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Liénard, A., Vidal, M. & Lecchini, D. Colour pattern has no influence on the visual recognition of conspecifics by coral reef fish juveniles. Coral Reefs 42, 945–950 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-023-02398-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-023-02398-0