The association of the goatfish mulloidichthys martinicus with the grunt haemulon chrysargyreum: an example of protective mimicry

Krajewski, João Paulo; Bonaldo, Roberta Martini; Sazima, Cristina; Sazima, Ivan

doi:10.1590/S1676-06032004000200016

Abstracts

A presumed example of protective mimicry between the yellow goatfish, Mulloidichthys martinicus (Mullidae) and the smallmouth grunt, Haemulon chrysargyreum (Haemulidae) is described from Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, NE Brazil. The goatfish and the grunt share a similar overall shape and colour pattern. We found that these two species regularly form mixed schools around reefs. Additionally, when chased small groups of yellow goatfish join schools of smallmouth grunts and behave like them. The colour and shape resemblances between the two species enable their mixed schooling, and enhance the protection against visually oriented predators for both of them. Thus, we suggest that the protective association herein reported for the goatfish and the grunt may be considered as a “social mimicry”, since neither species is venomous, poisonous or strongly armed. Furthermore, we suggest that additional instances of social mimicry may involve the yellow goatfish and other striped Haemulon species.

Protective mimicry; social mimicry; mixed schooling; Mulloidichthys martinicus; Haemulon chrysargyreum

Descrevemos aqui um possível exemplo de mimetismo de proteção entre o saramunete Mulloidichthys martinicus (Mullidae) e a xira Haemulon chrysargyreum (Haemulidae), no Arquipélago de Fernando de Noronha, Nordeste do Brasil. O saramunete e a xira são semelhantes entre si, no padrão de coloração e no formato do corpo. Observamos que estas duas espécies formam cardumes mistos regularmente, ao redor de recifes. Quando perseguidos, pequenos grupos isolados de saramunetes se associam aos cardumes de xira e se comportam de modo semelhante às xiras. As semelhanças de formato e coloração entre as duas espécies provavelmente facilitam a formação de cardumes mistos e aumentam a proteção contra predadores visualmente orientados, para ambas as espécies. Assim, acreditamos que a associação protetora entre o saramunete e a xira pode ser considerada como um tipo de “mimetismo social”, uma vez que nenhuma destas espécies é venenosa, peçonhenta ou tem fortes estruturas mecânicas de defesa. Sugerimos, ainda, que exemplos adicionais de mimetismo social possam envolver o saramunete e outras espécies listradas de Haemulon.

Mimetismo de proteção; mimetismo social; cardumes mistos; Mulloidichthys martinicus; Haemulon chrysargyreum

The association of the goatfish mulloidichthys martinicus with the grunt haemulon chrysargyreum: an example of protective mimicry

João Paulo Krajewski^I*; Roberta Martini Bonaldo^I; Cristina Sazima^I;II; Ivan Sazima^I

^IDepartamento de Zoologia e Museu de História Natural, CP 6109, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, 13083-970

Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil (www.unicamp.br) *Corresponding author. Tel: + 55-19-3255 2038; fax: +55-19-3254 2177; e-mail: jpk@cursos.zzn.com

^IIDepartamento de Zoologia, Caixa Postal 199, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 13506-900 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil

ABSTRACT

A presumed example of protective mimicry between the yellow goatfish, Mulloidichthys martinicus (Mullidae) and the smallmouth grunt, Haemulon chrysargyreum (Haemulidae) is described from Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, NE Brazil. The goatfish and the grunt share a similar overall shape and colour pattern. We found that these two species regularly form mixed schools around reefs. Additionally, when chased small groups of yellow goatfish join schools of smallmouth grunts and behave like them. The colour and shape resemblances between the two species enable their mixed schooling, and enhance the protection against visually oriented predators for both of them. Thus, we suggest that the protective association herein reported for the goatfish and the grunt may be considered as a social mimicry, since neither species is venomous, poisonous or strongly armed. Furthermore, we suggest that additional instances of social mimicry may involve the yellow goatfish and other striped Haemulon species.

Key words: Protective mimicry, social mimicry, mixed schooling, Mulloidichthys martinicus, Haemulon chrysargyreum.

RESUMO

Descrevemos aqui um possível exemplo de mimetismo de proteção entre o saramunete Mulloidichthys martinicus (Mullidae) e a xira Haemulon chrysargyreum (Haemulidae), no Arquipélago de Fernando de Noronha, Nordeste do Brasil. O saramunete e a xira são semelhantes entre si, no padrão de coloração e no formato do corpo. Observamos que estas duas espécies formam cardumes mistos regularmente, ao redor de recifes. Quando perseguidos, pequenos grupos isolados de saramunetes se associam aos cardumes de xira e se comportam de modo semelhante às xiras. As semelhanças de formato e coloração entre as duas espécies provavelmente facilitam a formação de cardumes mistos e aumentam a proteção contra predadores visualmente orientados, para ambas as espécies. Assim, acreditamos que a associação protetora entre o saramunete e a xira pode ser considerada como um tipo de mimetismo social, uma vez que nenhuma destas espécies é venenosa, peçonhenta ou tem fortes estruturas mecânicas de defesa. Sugerimos, ainda, que exemplos adicionais de mimetismo social possam envolver o saramunete e outras espécies listradas de Haemulon.

Palavras-chave: Mimetismo de proteção, mimetismo social, cardumes mistos, Mulloidichthys martinicus, Haemulon chrysargyreum.

Texto completo disponível apenas em PDF.

Full text available only in PDF format.

Date recived: 04/14/2004

Revised : 06/30/2004

Accepted: 07/01/2004

ISSN 1676-0611

ALLEN, G.R. & ROBERTSON, D.R. 1994. Fishes of the tropical eastern Pacific. Univ. Hawaii Press. Honolulu.
ALLEN, G.R., STEENE, R, HUMANN, P. & DeLOACH, N. 2003. Reef fish identification – Tropical Pacific. New World Publications. Jacksonville.
DAFNI, J. & DIAMANT, A. 1984. School-oriented mimicry, a new type of mimicry in fishes. Mar. Ecol. Progr. Ser. 20: 45-50.
EHRLICH, P.R. & EHRLICH, A.H. 1972. Coevolution: heterotypic schooling in Caribbean reef fishes. Am. Nat. 107: 157-160.
FROESE, R. & PAULY, D. (Eds) 2004. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version 04/2004.
GOSLINE, W. A. 1984. Structure, function, and ecology in the goatfishes (family Mullidae). Pacif. Sci. 38: 312-323.
HUMANN, P. & DeLOACH, N. 2002. Reef fish identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas. New World Publications. Jacksonville.
MOYNIHAN, M. 1968. Social mimicry; character convergence versus character displacement. Evolution 22 (2): 315-331.
MUNRO, J.L. 1976. Aspects of the biology and ecology of Caribbean reef fishes: Mullidae (goatfishes). J. Fish Biol. 9: 79-97.
RANDALL, J.E. 1967. Food habits of reef fishes of the West Indies. Stud. Trop. Oceanogr.5: 665-847.
RANDALL, J.E. 1996. Caribbean reef fishes. 3rd. ed. T.F.H. Publications. Neptune City.
RANDALL, J.E. & McCOSKER, J.E. 1993. Social mimicry in fishes. Revue Fr. Aquariol. 20:5-8.
ROCHA, L.A. & ROSA, I.L. 1999. A new species of Haemulon (Teleostei: Haemulidae) from the Northeastern Brazilian coast. Copeia 1999(2): 447-452.
VANE-WRIGHT, R.I. 1976. A unified classification of mimetic resemblances. Linn. Soc. Lond 8 (1): 25-56.

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
12 June 2013
Date of issue
2004

History

Accepted
01 July 2004
Reviewed
30 June 2004
Received
14 Apr 2004

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

[1] ALLEN, G.R. & ROBERTSON, D.R. 1994. Fishes of the tropical eastern Pacific. Univ. Hawaii Press. Honolulu.

[2] ALLEN, G.R., STEENE, R, HUMANN, P. & DeLOACH, N. 2003. Reef fish identification – Tropical Pacific. New World Publications. Jacksonville.

[3] DAFNI, J. & DIAMANT, A. 1984. School-oriented mimicry, a new type of mimicry in fishes. Mar. Ecol. Progr. Ser. 20: 45-50.

[4] EHRLICH, P.R. & EHRLICH, A.H. 1972. Coevolution: heterotypic schooling in Caribbean reef fishes. Am. Nat. 107: 157-160.

[5] FROESE, R. & PAULY, D. (Eds) 2004. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version 04/2004.

[6] GOSLINE, W. A. 1984. Structure, function, and ecology in the goatfishes (family Mullidae). Pacif. Sci. 38: 312-323.

[7] HUMANN, P. & DeLOACH, N. 2002. Reef fish identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas. New World Publications. Jacksonville.

[8] MOYNIHAN, M. 1968. Social mimicry; character convergence versus character displacement. Evolution 22 (2): 315-331.

[9] MUNRO, J.L. 1976. Aspects of the biology and ecology of Caribbean reef fishes: Mullidae (goatfishes). J. Fish Biol. 9: 79-97.

[10] RANDALL, J.E. 1967. Food habits of reef fishes of the West Indies. Stud. Trop. Oceanogr.5: 665-847.

[11] RANDALL, J.E. 1996. Caribbean reef fishes. 3rd. ed. T.F.H. Publications. Neptune City.

[12] RANDALL, J.E. & McCOSKER, J.E. 1993. Social mimicry in fishes. Revue Fr. Aquariol. 20:5-8.

[13] ROCHA, L.A. & ROSA, I.L. 1999. A new species of Haemulon (Teleostei: Haemulidae) from the Northeastern Brazilian coast. Copeia 1999(2): 447-452.

[14] VANE-WRIGHT, R.I. 1976. A unified classification of mimetic resemblances. Linn. Soc. Lond 8 (1): 25-56.