Effects of feeding on the sustained swimming abilities of late-stage larval Amphiprion melanopus
R. Fisher, D.R. Bellwood-2001
Coral Reefs, 20(2): 151-154
(from Current Contents)
Abstract :
To date, all sustained swimming experiments on
tropical reef fish larvae have been conducted using unfed larvae. Such
studies may produce unrealistic estimates of sustained swimming abilities.
We examined the effect of food on the sustained swimming ability of
late-stage Amphiprion melanopus. Larvae were swum in a six-channel swimming
flume at 7 cm s(-1), with "unfed" and "fed" channels.
Fed channels had Artemia nauplii added four times per day for 10 min.
Feeding larvae during swimming experiments significantly increased their
average swimming distance from around 6.9 to 12.2 km, and the maximum
swimming distance from around 11.8 to 28.7 km. Existing flume-based
estimates of sustained swimming may be underestimating field abilities. With
access to food, many larvae may have the potential to swim considerably
greater distances than previously suggested.
(James Cook Univ N Queensland, Dept Marine Biol,
Townsville, Qld 4811, Australia, e-mail: rebecca.fisher@jcu.edu.au)