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Simple larvae sustain the world’s smallest marine vertebrates

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Abstract

Cryptobenthic reef fishes (small, camouflaged, benthic-dwelling fishes) face exceptionally high mortality rates, yet they are the most abundant fishes on coral reefs. To maintain local adult populations in the face of these mortality rates, larval cryptobenthics may have adaptations that limit dispersal. However, the basis for this larval retention is unknown. Here, we compared the body shapes of adult and larval cryptobenthics with those of adult and larval large reef fishes to explore how morphological adaptations may enable cryptobenthic larvae to stay near their natal reefs. We found that while adults and larvae of large reef fishes and adult cryptobenthics display different ‘average’ morphological characteristics (i.e. different locations of the morphospace centroid), they all display a similar range of body shapes (i.e. similar morphospace sizes around their centroids). Larval cryptobenthics, however, exhibit a greatly constrained range of morphologies (occupying less than 20% of the morphospace of any other category). Larval cryptobenthics appear to be limited to a simple body plan, with elongate bodies and small fins. This simple body shape is likely to result in relatively poor swimming abilities, which may limit the ability of cryptobenthic larvae to maintain their position against prevailing currents in the pelagic zone. As such, limited dispersal in cryptobenthic larvae is likely to depend upon behavioural adaptations, such as flow-refuging, to avoid being washed away from their natal reefs.

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Acknowledgements

We thank S. Tebbett, G. Sansalone, M. Mihalitsis, and three anonymous reviewers for feedback and stimulating comments. This work was funded by a UNE Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (CHRG) and the ARC FL190100062 (DRB).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Function, Evolution and Anatomy Research (FEAR) Lab, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2351, Australia

    Christopher H. R. Goatley & Stephen Wroe

  2. Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia

    Christopher H. R. Goatley

  3. Marine Science Institute, University of Texas at Austin, Port Aransas, TX, 78373, USA

    Simon J. Brandl

  4. College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia

    David R. Bellwood

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  1. Christopher H. R. Goatley
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Correspondence to Christopher H. R. Goatley.

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Goatley, C.H.R., Brandl, S.J., Wroe, S. et al. Simple larvae sustain the world’s smallest marine vertebrates. Coral Reefs 40, 75–82 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-020-02016-3

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