Dr. John Ernest (Jack) Randall (†), Hawaii
Info
The damselfish Stegastes lividus was originally known only from French Polynesia, where it was discovered in the waters around the Marquesas Islands.
In the meantime, the damselfish has found its way from the South Pacific to the western Indian Ocean, around the island of La Réunion, and from there it is not so far to Mauritius, Mayotte and East Africa.
Possible explanations for the very long way of over 16.000 kilometers could be:
- transport of fish larvae in ballast water tanks of ships
- continuous drifting of fish larvae
- transport of fertilized eggs in the plumage of migratory sea birds
- other ???
Analysis of stomach contents of Stegastes lividus showed a shift from omnivorous in juveniles to herbivorous in adults. Red algae, especially Polysiphonia spp, Gelidiopsis intricata and Ceramium spp, formed the bulk of the diet in all size classes. Foraminifera and small crustaceans were of particular importance in the diet of the juveniles.
Synonyms:
Chaetodon lividus Forster, 1801
Eupomacentrus lividus (Forster, 1801)
Parapomacentrus lividus (Forster, 1801)
Pomacentrus lividus Forster, 1801
Pomacentrus vitianus Sauvage, 1879
Segastes lividus (Forster, 1801)
Stegastes robertsoni Randall, 2001
In the meantime, the damselfish has found its way from the South Pacific to the western Indian Ocean, around the island of La Réunion, and from there it is not so far to Mauritius, Mayotte and East Africa.
Possible explanations for the very long way of over 16.000 kilometers could be:
- transport of fish larvae in ballast water tanks of ships
- continuous drifting of fish larvae
- transport of fertilized eggs in the plumage of migratory sea birds
- other ???
Analysis of stomach contents of Stegastes lividus showed a shift from omnivorous in juveniles to herbivorous in adults. Red algae, especially Polysiphonia spp, Gelidiopsis intricata and Ceramium spp, formed the bulk of the diet in all size classes. Foraminifera and small crustaceans were of particular importance in the diet of the juveniles.
Synonyms:
Chaetodon lividus Forster, 1801
Eupomacentrus lividus (Forster, 1801)
Parapomacentrus lividus (Forster, 1801)
Pomacentrus lividus Forster, 1801
Pomacentrus vitianus Sauvage, 1879
Segastes lividus (Forster, 1801)
Stegastes robertsoni Randall, 2001
