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Reproductive ecology of the black reef leatherjacket, Eubalichthys bucephalus (Monacanthidae) in temperate Australia

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Abstract

Reproductive ecology of the black reef leatherjacket, Eubalichthys bucephalus (Monacanthidae), was studied in temperate Australia. The fish lived in the same heterosexual pairs, and each pair shared a home range composed of rocky reefs and boulders where they reproduced and fed on sponges. Spawnings were conducted in pairs, and fertilized eggs were attached to the algae-like Bryozoa species. Reproductive ecology of E. bucephalus was compared to other pair swimming fishes and confamilial species, and ecological features were discussed.

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Acknowledgments

I am grateful to Dennis Leid (NSW Fisheries) for providing laboratory and research equipment. He and his family kindly invited me to stay at their home during the research period. William Gladstone (The University of Newcastle) reviewed the draft and provided helpful comments. I would also like to thank Betty and Don Krutsen (Sydney DiverCity) for useful information about the underwater conditions and features of Sutherland Point. This study was conducted in the visiting scientist program under bilateral agreement between the Japan Society of the Promotion of Science and the Australian Academy of Science.

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  1. Coastal Branch of Natural History Museum and Institute, Chiba, 123 Yoshio, Katsuura, 299-5242, Japan

    Hiroshi Kawase

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  1. Hiroshi Kawase
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Correspondence to Hiroshi Kawase.

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Kawase, H. Reproductive ecology of the black reef leatherjacket, Eubalichthys bucephalus (Monacanthidae) in temperate Australia. Ichthyol Res 55, 294–298 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-007-0028-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-007-0028-8

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