Why do anemonefishes inhabit only some host actinians? (original) (raw)

Synopsis

The 25 species of_Amphiprion_ and one of_Premnas_ (family Pomacentridae) are obligate symbionts of 10 species of facultatively symbiotic sea anemones. Throughout the tropical Indo-West Pacific range of the relationship, a fish species inhabits only certain of the hosts potentially available to it. This specificity is due to the fishes. Five fishes occupy six sea anemone species at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia.Entacmaea quadricolor harbors_P. biaculeatus, A. melanopus_ and_A. akindynos_. Adults of_Premnas_ occur deeper than about 3 m in large, primarily solitary actinians; juveniles may occupy peripheral members of_Entacmaea_ clones in shallow water. Specimens of_A. melanopus_ live exclusively in clonal anemones, which are found no deeper than 3 m. Most individuals of_A. akindynos_ in_Entacmaea_ are juveniles, occurring shallow and deep, in solitary anemones or at the margins of clones. Interspecific as well as intraspecific social control of growth may be responsible for keeping fish small at clone fringes. Conspicuous specimens of_E. quadricolor_ depend upon their anemonefish to survive. Actinians cleared of symbionts disappeared within 24 h, probably having been eaten by reef fishes.Entacmaea, the most abundant and widespread host actinian at Lizard Island and throughout the range of the association, is also arguably the most attractive to anemonefishes. I believe its vulnerability to predation was a factor in its evolving whatever makes it desirable to fishes. Experimental transfers pitted fish of one species against those of another, controlling for ecophenotype of host, and sex, size and number of fish. Competitive superiority was in the same order as abundance and over-all host specificity:P. biaculeatus, A. melanopus, A. akindynos. At least three factors are necessary to explain patterns of species specificity - innate or learned host preference, competition, and stochastic processes.

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1. Department of Invertebrate Zoology, California Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA, 94118, USA
   Daphne Gail Fautin
2. Department of Biology, Beloit College, Beloit, WI 53511, USA
   Daphne Gail Fautin

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Fautin, D.G. Why do anemonefishes inhabit only some host actinians?.Environ Biol Fish 15, 171–180 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00002992

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• Received: 03 June 1983
• Accepted: 31 May 1985
• Published: 01 March 1986
• Issue Date: March 1986
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00002992

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