Prevalence of the parasitic cymothoid isopod Anilocra nemipteri on its fish host at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef

2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (5) ◽  
pp. 330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominique G. Roche ◽  
Laura E. Strong ◽  
Sandra A. Binning
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Evolutionary Ecology ◽  
Size Structure ◽  
Infected Fish ◽  
Host Population ◽  
Fish Host ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Lizard Island ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Cymothoid Isopod

Parasites are ubiquitous in nature but assessing their prevalence in wild fish populations is often challenging due to their cryptic nature. Low abundance can also hinder detailed studies. Here, we report a relatively high prevalence (4.3%; range = 0–28%) of an ectoparasitic cymothoid isopod (Anilocra nemipteri) infecting the bridled monocle bream (Scolopsis bilineatus) on reefs surrounding Lizard Island on the northern Great Barrier Reef (GBR). The prevalence of infected and previously infected fish at this location was nearly 15%, which greatly exceeds reports from other localities on the GBR. At least one parasitised fish was observed at 75% of the reefs surveyed, although prevalence varied across sites. Parasitised S. bilineatus were, on average, 25% smaller than unparasitised or previously parasitised fish. Given that these parasites have known detrimental effects on host growth, survivorship and swimming ability, our observations suggest that A. nemipteri may influence the size structure of its host population in the wild. Since A. nemipteri is large, conspicuous and relatively abundant, it provides an ideal study system to examine a range of important questions on the evolutionary ecology of parasites.

Population estimates and size structure of Plectropomus leopardus (Pisces : Serranidae) in relation to no-fishing zones: mark-release-resighting and underwater visual census

2000 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 221 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. C. Zeller ◽  
G. R. Russ
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Population Size ◽  
Size Structure ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Visual Census ◽  
Underwater Visual Census ◽  
Coral Trout ◽  
Population Size Estimates ◽  
Lizard Island ◽  
Plectropomus Leopardus

A mark–release–resighting (MRR) technique was used to estimate population size of the coral trout, Plectropomus leopardus, on coral reefs fringing Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Fish were captured by hook-and-line fishing, and marked with individual freeze-brand numbers in August 1995. An underwater visual census (UVC) technique was used during September and October 1995 both for resighting of marked fish and to make an independent estimate of fish density and thus population size. The study area was 750 966 m2 . The UVC sampled 154 000 m2 (20.5%) of this area. Six different methods of analysis of MRR gave similar population size estimates (e.g. Petersen 12 873; 95% CI 9989–15 754) extrapolated to the 4.5 million-m2 reef area from datum to 20-m depth around Lizard Island. UVC gave a population size estimate (24 182; 95% CI 21 860–26 504) twice that of MRR. The lower estimate derived from MRR may be the result of tag-induced mortality, or of the relative difficulty in discriminating between marked and unmarked trout by UVC. This is only the second estimate of population size of coral trout on an area of the Great Barrier Reef.

scholarly journals Wandinidae

Zootaxa ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2260 (1) ◽  
pp. 927-930
Author(s):  
J. K. LOWRY ◽  
H. E. STODDART
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Living Coral ◽  
Tree Island ◽  
Lizard Island

One species of wandinid amphipod is reported from the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia. Wandin griffini Lowry & Stoddart is known from Lizard Island, One Tree Island and reefs on the Outer Barrier, living among rubble usually at the base of living coral. The species is rare in this habitat.

A new species of Stephanostomum Looss, 1899 (Digenea, Acanthocolpidae) with a bizarre oral sucker: S. adlardi sp. nov. from the common coral trout Plectropomus leopardus (Lacepède, 1802) (Perciformes, Serranidae) from Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef

2007 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodney Bray ◽  
Thomas Cribb ◽  
Andrea Waeschenbach ◽  
D. Littlewood
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Oral Sucker ◽  
Ribosomal Rna ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Coral Trout ◽  
Lizard Island ◽  
The Common ◽  
Plectropomus Leopardus ◽  
A New Species

AbstractA new species of Acanthocolpidae, Stephanostomum adlardi is described from the serranid Plectropomus leopardus from Lizard Island in the northern Great Barrier Reef. It differs from all previously described acanthocolpids in the structure of the oral sucker which is extended into dorsal and ventral lobes each bearing a row of spines. A phylogenetic tree estimated from combined nuclear small and partial large ribosomal RNA gene sequences shows that, despite the unusual oral sucker structure, the species is a true member of the genus Stephanostomum. The molecular results also suggest that Monostephanostomum nolani is derived from within Stephanostomum.

Exploiting mimicry: Prosorhynchoides thomasi n. sp. (Digenea: Bucephalidae) from the fang blenny genus Plagiotremus (Bleeker) (Blenniidae) from off Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Zootaxa ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 1514 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
ASHLEY ROBERTS-THOMSON ◽  
NATHAN J. BOTT
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
First Report ◽  
Lizard Island ◽  
A New Species

Prosorhynchoides thomasi n. sp. (Digenea: Bucephalidae) is described from the intestine of the fang blennies, Plagiotremus tapeinosoma and P. rhinorhynchos (Blenniidae: Nemophini) from off Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia.  The new species is differentiated from other species of Prosorhynchoides Dollfus, 1929 that also have testes which are symmetrical or nearly symmetrical by the shape and direction of the caecum and the position of the ovary relative to the caecum.  This is the first report of a new species, but the second report of adult bucephalids from Plagiotremus spp.  Prosorhynchoides thomasi n. sp. likely exploits the habit of Plagiotremus spp. of mimicking cleaner wrasse (Labridae) behaviour and micropredation on ‘client’ fish.  We have not encountered this species from other blennies or from other teleost families known to be infected with bucephalids from the Great Barrier Reef

scholarly journals Long-term shifts in the colony size structure of coral populations along the Great Barrier Reef

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1936) ◽  
pp. 20201432
Author(s):  
Andreas Dietzel ◽  
Michael Bode ◽  
Sean R. Connolly ◽  
Terry P. Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Colony Size ◽  
Size Structure ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Reproductive Capacity ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Size Frequency Distribution ◽  
Coral Colony ◽  
Recovery Potential

The age or size structure of a population has a marked influence on its demography and reproductive capacity. While declines in coral cover are well documented, concomitant shifts in the size-frequency distribution of coral colonies are rarely measured at large spatial scales. Here, we document major shifts in the colony size structure of coral populations along the 2300 km length of the Great Barrier Reef relative to historical baselines (1995/1996). Coral colony abundances on reef crests and slopes have declined sharply across all colony size classes and in all coral taxa compared to historical baselines. Declines were particularly pronounced in the northern and central regions of the Great Barrier Reef, following mass coral bleaching in 2016 and 2017. The relative abundances of large colonies remained relatively stable, but this apparent stability masks steep declines in absolute abundance. The potential for recovery of older fecund corals is uncertain given the increasing frequency and intensity of disturbance events. The systematic decline in smaller colonies across regions, habitats and taxa, suggests that a decline in recruitment has further eroded the recovery potential and resilience of coral populations.

scholarly journals Ischyroceridae

Zootaxa ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2260 (1) ◽  
pp. 463-486 ◽  
Author(s):  
JEAN JUST
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Single Specimen ◽  
Lizard Island ◽  
A New Species

Eight species in the Ischyroceridae are reported from Lizard Island, northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Five species are new to science: Coxischyrocerus rhombocoxus gen. et sp. nov., Tropischyrocerus pugilus gen. et sp. nov., Cerapus nudus sp. nov., Ericthonius parabrasiliensis sp. nov., and Ericthonius tropicalis sp. nov. Ericthonius pugnax Dana is new to the Great Barrier Reef. Ambicholestes magellani (Just) and Cerapus volucola Lowry & Berents have been recorded previously from the area. A single specimen, possibly a new species, is reported as Ericthonius sp. Ischyrocerus inexpectatus Ruffo (Mediterranean Sea) is transferred to Coxischyrocerus. Ischyrocerus socia (Myers) from Bora Bora is transferred to Tropischyrocerus.

Serpulidae (Annelida) of Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Zootaxa ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 4019 (1) ◽  
pp. 275 ◽  
Author(s):  
ELENA K. KUPRIYANOVA ◽  
YANAN SUN ◽  
HARRY A. TEN HOVE ◽  
EUNICE WONG ◽  
GREG W. ROUSE
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Lizard Island
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