Amphiprion leucokranos

Last updated

Amphiprion leucokranos
Amphiprion leucokranos.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Family: Pomacentridae
Genus: Amphiprion
Species:
A. leucokranos
Binomial name
Amphiprion leucokranos
Allen 1973

Amphiprion leucokranos (White bonnet anemonefish) is a naturally occurring hybrid anemonefish found in the western central Pacific Ocean. [2] Like all anemonefishes it forms a symbiotic mutualism with sea anemones and is unaffected by the stinging tentacles of the host anemone. It is a sequential hermaphrodite with a strict dominance hierarchy, features which are critical to the direction of gene flow. [2]

Contents

Description

The body of A. leucokranosis is orange or light brown and with a white head bar and a white mark on the top of its head, giving rise to its common name of white bonnet anemonefish. The head band may be continuous or not. They have 9 dorsal spines, 2 anal spines, 18-19 dorsal soft rays and 13-14 anal soft rays. [3] They reach a maximum length of 11 cm (4+14 in). [2]

Hybridisation

There has been a long-standing theory that A. leucokranosis was a naturally occurring hybrid between A. chrysopterus and A. sandaracinos, [4] with the fish being experimentally created in captivity. [5] Its hybrid status was confirmed in 2015 with consistent ecological, morphological and genetic evidence. [2]

In any group of anemonefish, there is a strict sized based dominance hierarchy: the female is largest, the breeding male is second largest, and the male non-breeders get progressively smaller as the hierarchy descends. [6] They exhibit protandry, meaning the breeding male will change to female if the sole breeding female dies, with the largest non-breeder becomes the breeding male.

This strict sized based dominance hierarchy makes the relative size of the parent species critical in shaping the outcome of hybridization [2] In this regard A. chrysopterus is one of the largest anemonefish, growing to 17 cm in length. [7] while A. sandaracinos is significantly smaller growing up to 11 cm as a female and just 3 to 6.5 cm as a male. [8] There is strong evidence, consistent with their relative size, of the larger A. chrysopterus always being the mother and unidirectional introgression of A. chrysopterus mitochondrial DNA into A. sandaracinos via hybrid backcrosses. [2]

Parent species

Color variations

Being a hybrid A. leucokranosis shows a variety of colors and patterns, with the intermediate morphology of the typical F1 hybrid and backcrosses tending more towards the features of A. sandaracinos. [2] It does not show any melanism when hosted by S. mertensii unlike some species of anemonefish, such as A. clarkii

Similar species

The white mark on top of the head is distinctive. The parent A. sandaracinos has a similar body color, however it has a white stripe on the dorsal ridge from the superior lip to the caudal fin and lacks the white bar on the side of the head. [9]

Distribution and habitat

Other constraints upon hybridization are overlap in distribution, depth and host anemone. [2] A. leucokranos is found in the Western Central Pacific, on the north coast of New Guinea, including Manus Island, D'Entrecasteaux Islands and New Britain and the Solomon Islands, [9] being the area where the distribution of A. chrysopterus and A. sandaracinos overlap. There is a substantial overlap in depth with all 3 fish found in the range of 1–10 m. [2]

Host anemones

A. leucokranos is hosted by the following species of anemone:

At Kimbe Bay A. leucokranos and its parents were primarily found in the host Stichodactyla mertensii otherwise Heteractis crispa . [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clark's anemonefish</span> Species of fish

Clark's anemonefish, also known as the yellowtail clownfish, is a marine fish belonging to the family Pomacentridae, the clownfishes and damselfishes.

<i>Heteractis magnifica</i> Species of sea anemone

Heteractis magnifica, also known by the common names magnificent sea anemone or Ritteri anemone, is a species of sea anemone belonging to the Stichodactylidae family native to the Indo-Pacific area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ocellaris clownfish</span> Species of fish

The ocellaris clownfish, also known as the false percula clownfish or common clownfish, is a marine fish belonging to the family Pomacentridae, which includes clownfishes and damselfishes. Amphiprion ocellaris are found in different colors, depending on where they are located. For example, black Amphiprion ocellaris with white bands can be found near northern Australia, Southeast Asia, and Japan. Orange or red-brown Amphiprion ocellaris also exist with three similar white bands on the body and head. Amphiprion ocellaris can be distinguished from other Amphiprion species based on the number of pectoral rays and dorsal spines. Amphiprion ocellaris are known to grow about 110 mm long. Like many other fish species, females are, however, larger than males. The life cycle of Amphiprion ocellaris varies in whether they reside at the surface or bottom of the ocean. When they initially hatch, they reside near the surface. However, when Amphiprion ocellaris enter into the juvenile stage of life, they travel down to the bottom to find shelter in a host anemone. Once they find their anemone, they form a symbiotic relationship with them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange skunk clownfish</span> Species of fish

Amphiprion sandaracinos, also known as the orange skunk clownfish or orange anemonefish, is a species of anemonefish that is distinguished by its broad white stripe along the dorsal ridge. Like all anemonefishes it forms a symbiotic mutualism with sea anemones and is unaffected by the stinging tentacles of the host anemone. It is a sequential hermaphrodite with a strict sized based dominance hierarchy: the female is largest, the breeding male is second largest, and the male non-breeders get progressively smaller as the hierarchy descends. They exhibit protandry, meaning the breeding male will change to female if the sole breeding female dies, with the largest non-breeder becomes the breeding male.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sebae clownfish</span> Species of fish

Amphiprion sebae, also known as the sebae clownfish, is an anemonefish found in the northern Indian Ocean, from Java to the Arabian Peninsula. Like all anemonefish it is usually found living in association with sea anemones. While the common name of Heteractis crispa, the sebae anemone, suggests an association, it is normally found with the Stichodactyla haddoni or saddle anemone. A. sebae, like all anemonefish, lives in a symbiotic relationship with the host anemone where the fish is unaffected by the stinging tentacles of the anemone. In a group of clownfish, Only two clownfish, a male and a female, in a group reproduce through external fertilization. Clownfish are sequential hermaphrodites, changing from male to female, with a strict dominance hierarchy and only the largest fish being female.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sebae anemone</span> Species of sea anemone

The sebae anemone, also known as leathery sea anemone, long tentacle anemone, or purple tip anemone, is a species of sea anemone belonging to the family Stichodactylidae and native to the Indo-Pacific area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange-fin anemonefish</span> Species of fish

The orange-fin anemonefish is a marine fish belonging to the family Pomacentridae, the clownfishes and damselfishes, found in the Western Pacific north of the Great Barrier Reef from the surface to 20 m, to include the Pacific Ocean between Queensland, Australia, and New Guinea to the Marshall and Tuamotus Islands. It can grow to 17 cm in length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allard's clownfish</span> Species of fish

Allard's clownfish or Allard's anemonefish is a marine fish belonging to the family Pomacentridae, the clownfishes and damselfishes, from the western Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa and the Mascarenes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saddleback clownfish</span> Species of fish

Amphiprion polymnus, also known as the saddleback clownfish or yellowfin anemonefish, is a black and white species of anemonefish with a distinctive saddle. Like all anemonefishes it forms a symbiotic mutualism with sea anemones and is unaffected by the stinging tentacles of the host anemone. It is a sequential hermaphrodite with a strict sized-based dominance hierarchy: the female is largest, the breeding male is second largest, and the male non-breeders get progressively smaller as the hierarchy descends. They exhibit protandry, meaning the breeding male will change to female if the sole breeding female dies, with the largest non-breeder becomes the breeding male.

<i>Amphiprion akindynos</i> Species of fish

Amphiprion akindynos, the Barrier Reef anemonefish, is a species of anemonefish that is principally found in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, but also in nearby locations in the Western Pacific. The species name 'akindynos' is Greek, meaning 'safe' or 'without danger' in reference to the safety afforded amongst the tentacles of its host anemone. Like all anemonefishes it forms a symbiotic mutualism with sea anemones and is unaffected by the stinging tentacles of the host anemone. It is a sequential hermaphrodite with a strict size-based dominance hierarchy: the female is largest, the breeding male is second largest, and the male non-breeders get progressively smaller as the hierarchy descends. They exhibit protandry, meaning the breeding male will change to female if the sole breeding female dies, with the largest non-breeder becomes the breeding male. The fish's natural diet includes zooplankton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Sea clownfish</span> Species of fish

The Red Sea Clownfish, commonly known as the Red Sea or two-bandedanemonefish is a marine fish belonging to the family Pomacentridae, the clownfishes and damselfishes. Like other species of the genus, the fish feeds on algae and zooplankton in the wild.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pink skunk clownfish</span> Species of fish

The pink skunk clownfish, also known as the pink anemonefish, is a species of anemonefish that is widespread from northern Australia through the Malay Archipelago and Melanesia. Like all anemonefishes, it forms a symbiotic mutualism with sea anemones and is unaffected by the stinging tentacles of the host. It is a sequential hermaphrodite with a strict size-based dominance hierarchy; the female is largest, the breeding male is second largest, and the male nonbreeders get progressively smaller as the hierarchy descends. They exhibit protandry, meaning the breeding male changes to female if the sole breeding female dies, with the largest nonbreeder becoming the breeding male.

The three-band anemonefish is a species of anemonefish endemic to the Marshall Islands in the western part of the Pacific Ocean. Like all anemonefishes, it forms a symbiotic mutualism with sea anemones and is unaffected by the stinging tentacles of its host. It is a sequential hermaphrodite with a strict size-based dominance hierarchy; the female is largest, the breeding male is second largest, and the male nonbreeders get progressively smaller as the hierarchy descends. They exhibit protandry, meaning the breeding male changes to female if the sole breeding female dies, with the largest nonbreeder becoming the breeding male. The fish's natural diet includes zooplankton.

<i>Amphiprion akallopisos</i> Species of fish

The nosestripe clownfish or nosestripe anemonefish, skunk clownfish, Amphiprion akallopisos, is an anemonefish that lives in association with sea anemones. A. akallopisos is found in the Indian Ocean. It resides in shallow inshore reefs as deep as 15 m with a moderate to strong current. The skunk clownfish can also be kept in captivity by aquarists.

<i>Stichodactyla mertensii</i> Species of sea anemone

Stichodactyla mertensii, commonly known as Mertens' carpet sea anemone, is a species of sea anemones in the family Stichodactylidae. It is regarded as the largest sea anemone with a diameter of over 1 m (3.3 ft), the next largest being Heteractis magnifica, which has longer tentacles. This species has an oral disc that can be described as more ovoid than circular that contours to the surrounding substrate and is attached to the substrate by adhesive verrucae, which are wart-like projections. Its blunt or pointed tentacles are uniformly shaped, and are only about 1–2 centimetres (0.39–0.79 in) long. It contains obligate symbiotic zooxanthellae, and is a host to around half the species of anemonefish and one damselfish, Dascyllus trimaculatus.

<i>Amphiprion chagosensis</i> Species of fish

Amphiprion chagosensis, the Chagos anemonefish, is a marine fish belonging to the family Pomacentridae, the clownfishes and damselfishes. It is named for the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean and it is endemic to the archipelago. The original specimens were collected at Diego Garcia Atoll, Chagos Archipelago.

<i>Amphiprion chrysogaster</i> Species of fish

Amphiprion chrysogaster, the Mauritian anemonefish, is a marine fish belonging to the family Pomacentridae, the clownfishes and damselfishes. It is endemic to Mauritius and probably Réunion.

<i>Amphiprion latifasciatus</i> Species of fish

Amphiprion latifasciatus is a marine fish belonging to the family Pomacentridae, the clownfishes and damselfishes.

Amphiprion pacificus, is a species of anemonefish that is found in the western Pacific Ocean. Like all anemonefishes it forms a symbiotic mutualism with sea anemones and is unaffected by the stinging tentacles of the host anemone. It is a sequential hermaphrodite with a strict sized based dominance hierarchy: the female is largest, the breeding male is second largest, and the male non-breeders get progressively smaller as the hierarchy descends. They exhibit protandry, meaning the breeding male will change to female if the sole breeding female dies, with the largest non-breeder becomes the breeding male. The fish's natural diet includes zooplankton.

Amphiprion thiellei is thought to be a naturally occurring hybrid anemonefish found in the vicinity of Cebu, Philippines. Like all anemonefishes it forms a symbiotic mutualism with sea anemones and is unaffected by the stinging tentacles of the host anemone. It is a sequential hermaphrodite with a strict dominance hierarchy.

References

  1. Allen, G.R. (2022). "Amphiprion leucokranos". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022: e.T188501A1884626. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T188501A1884626.en . Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Gainsford, A.; van Herwerden, L.; Jones, G.P. (2015). "Hierarchical behaviour, habitat use and species size differences shape evolutionary outcomes of hybridization in a coral reef fish". Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 28 (274): 591–598. doi: 10.1111/jeb.12557 . PMID   25414094. S2CID   20753633.
  3. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2011). "Amphiprion leucokranos" in FishBase. January 2011 version.
  4. Ollerton J; McCollin D; Fautin DG; Allen GR (2007). "Finding NEMO: nestedness engendered by mutualistic organization in anemonefish and their hosts". Proc R Soc B Biol Sci. 274 (1609): 591–598. doi:10.1098/rspb.2006.3758. PMC   1766375 . PMID   17476781.
  5. Carlson, B. (1996). "The Amphiprion leucokranos mystery". Aquarium Frontiers (3): 34–37.
  6. Buston PM (May 2004). "Territory inheritance in clownfish". Proc. Biol. Sci. 271 (Suppl 4): S252–4. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2003.0156. PMC   1810038 . PMID   15252999.
  7. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2014). "Amphiprion chrysopterus" in FishBase. November 2014 version.
  8. Tristan Lougher (2006). What Fish?: A Buyer's Guide to Marine Fish. Interpet Publishing. p. 20. ISBN   978-1-84286-118-9.
  9. 1 2 3 Fautin, Daphne G.; Allen, Gerald R. (1997). Field Guide to Anemone Fishes and Their Host Sea Anemones. Western Australian Museum. ISBN   9780730983651. Archived from the original on 14 April 2015.