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Experimental assessment of sensory modalities of coral-reef fish larvae in the recognition of their settlement habitat

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Abstract

One of the great mysteries of coral-reef fish ecology is how larvae locate the relatively rare patches of coral-reef habitat on which they settle. The present study aimed to estimate, by experiments in aquaria, the sensory modalities of coral-reef fish larvae for senses used in searching for their species’ settlement habitat. Larval recognition of settlement habitat can be based on the detection of conspecifics and/or of characteristics of coral habitat using visual, chemical and mechanical cues. For this study, larvae were captured with crest nets and were then introduced into experimental tanks that allowed testing of each type of cue separately (visual, chemical or mechanical cues). Among the 18 species studied, 13 chose their settlement habitat due to the presence of conspecifics and not based on the characteristics of coral habitat, and 5 species did not move toward their settlement habitat (e.g. Scorpaenodes parvipinnis, Apogon novemfasciatus). Among the different sensory cues tested, two species used the three types of cues (Parupeneus barberinus and Ctenochaetus striatus: visual, chemical and mechanical cues), six used two types (e.g. Myripristis pralinia: visual and chemical cues; Naso unicornis: visual and mechanical cues), and five used one type (e.g. Chrysiptera leucopoma: visual cues; Pomacentrus pavo: chemical cues). These results demonstrate that many coral-reef fish larvae could in practice use sensory cues for effective habitat selection at settlement, and have the ability to discriminate species-specific sensory cues.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Christiane and Douchka Rivière for their assistance in the field. We thank J.T. Williams (Smithsonian Institution, Washington) for improving the English readability of the manuscript. This research was supported by the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (UMR 8046 CNRS-EPHE), and a Lavoisier Fellowship (French Ministry of Foreign Affairs) awarded to D. Lecchini. Additional logistic and financial support was provided by the Centre de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoire de l’Environnement (CRIOBE). The authors have adhered to the Guidelines for the Use of Animals in Research.

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  1. David Lecchini

    Present address: Laboratory of Ecology and Systematics, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, 903-0213, Nishihara, Okinawa, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, UMR-CNRS 8046, Université de Perpignan, Perpignan, France

    David Lecchini, Serge Planes & René Galzin

  2. CRIOBE, Centre de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoire de l’Environnement, Moorea, French Polynesia

    David Lecchini, Serge Planes & René Galzin

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  1. David Lecchini
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  2. Serge Planes
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  3. René Galzin
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Correspondence to David Lecchini.

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Communicated by J. Krause

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Lecchini, D., Planes, S. & Galzin, R. Experimental assessment of sensory modalities of coral-reef fish larvae in the recognition of their settlement habitat. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 58, 18–26 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-004-0905-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-004-0905-3

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