ISSN:
1432-0975
Keywords:
Key words Coral reef fishes
;
Surveys
;
Life cycle
;
Hydrodynamics
;
Larval dispersal
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Geosciences
Notes:
Abstract The 9 km2 uplifted lagoon of Taiaro Atoll (15°45′S, 144°38′W) is hypersaline due to its isolation from the ocean, yet it contains a high diversity of fish. The question unifying our expedition was to discover whether these assemblages could be self-sustaining despite very limited contact with the ocean. Although we were constrained by time, collections of fish larvae showed that some species can complete their life-cycle within the lagoon, while others differed genetically between the lagoon and the ocean, consistent with restricted gene flow. The lagoon contained few oceanic species of zooplankton, confirming its general isolation, but nevertheless some fish species may depend upon infrequent colonisation from the ocean (when large waves drive water over the normally dry reef crest). Isotopic signatures in fish otoliths suggest the basis for a more definitive and inclusive test of the sources of the lagoonal assemblage.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s003380050087
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