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In the tropics, variations in the structure and species composition of marine fish parasite communities over several years have received limited attention. Changes in water temperature in the tropics are not as extreme as in temperate climes, and the processes that generate variations in these parasite communities are as yet unclear. The parasite communities in populations of Parapsettus panamensis from four locations on the south-central Pacific coast of Mexico were quantified and analyzed. Four hundred forty-six fish were collected over a 6-year period (2012; 2013; 2016a, b; and 2017). Twenty-three metazoan parasite species were recovered and identified: three species of Monogenea (present as adults); eight species of Digenea (adults); one species of Acanthocephala (juveniles); one species of Cestoda (larvae); three species of Nematoda (two present as adults and one present as larvae); four species of Copepoda; and three species of Isopoda (two present as adults, and one present as larvae). At the component community level, parasite species richness varied significantly from 10 (Marquelia 2016) to 17 species (Acapulco Bay 2012). The component communities and infracommunities of P. panamensis exhibited a similar pattern: low species numbers, low diversity, and dominance by a single parasite species. Parasite community structure and species composition varied between sampling years and locations. The main factors responsible for these variations were host traits such as feeding behavior and body size, and occurrence of a set of distinctive parasite species.

In February 2020, a single individual of Atlantic spadefish, Chaetodipterus faber , was captured in the Canary Islands (NE Atlantic Ocean). Its morphology and external features were analyzed and described. As this species is native to the western Atlantic Ocean, its detection near the commercial harbour supports the hypothesis of ‘trans-Atlantic route’ facilitated by oil platforms or ballast water in ships.

This is the first study to investigate the age, growth and reproductive biology of the Atlantic spadefish Chaetodipterus faber in southern Brazil. A total of 625 individuals [total length (TL) ranging from 7 mm to 510 mm] were sampled at the Paranaguá Estuarine Complex (PEC) and adjacent coastal areas over a year (August 2015 to July 2016). Age estimation based on sagittal otolith cross section showed that C. faber has a 17-year longevity close to its southern distributional limit, two times greater than previously reported from the North Atlantic Ocean. Sexual growth dimorphism was not evident as the male:female sex ratio was 1:1.17. The species displayed asymptotic growth. Fitted von Bertalanffy growth function estimates for all individuals were L∞ = 508.81 mm, k = 0.22 year−1, and t0 = -0.05 year. The histological gonadal examination and gonado-somatic index indicated that C. faber is a batch spawner with a main reproduction period from October to January in subtropical latitudes at 25°S. Postovulatory follicles were often recorded in the ovaries of spawning capable individuals indicating a high frequency of spawns over the reproductive period. The data also suggest that estuaries are important reproductive areas for this species that most likely exhibits a seasonal movement for spawning aggregation purposes. Females mature approximately 0.5 years later than males and are capable of spawning just prior to two years old. Fishery closures during the spawning season and fishing size restrictions should be used to manage the C. faber stock in southern Brazil. The effects of current harvest levels are unknown and warrant further investigation to assist management decisions.

Mimesis is a relatively widespread phenomenon among reef fish, but the ontogenetic processes relevant for mimetic associations in fish are still poorly understood. In the present study, the allometric growth of two allopatric leaf-mimetic species of ephippid fishes, Chaetodipterus faber from the Atlantic and Platax orbicularis from the Indo-Pacific, was analyzed using ten morphological variables. The development of fins was considered owing to the importance of these structures for mimetic behaviors during early life stages. Despite the anatomical and behavioral similarities in both juvenile and adult stages, C. faber and P. orbicularis showed distinct patterns of growth. The overall shape of C. faber transforms from a rounded-shape in mimetic juveniles to a lengthened profile in adults, while in P. orbicularis, juveniles present an oblong profile including dorsal and anal fins, with relative fin size diminishing while the overall profile grows rounder in adults. Although the two species are closely-related, the present results suggest that growth patterns in C. faber and P. orbicularis are different, and are probably independent events in ephippids that have resulted from similar selective processes.

Behaviour during the pelagic larval stage of coral-reef fishes can strongly influence dispersal, yet little is known of behavioural ontogeny. Speed, orientation and vertical distribution of larvae of 4 coral-reef fishes (Platax teira, Ephippidae; Lutjanus malabaricus, Lutjanidae; Epinephelus coioides, E. fuscoguttatus, Serranidae; 6 to 23 mm) were measured in situ off Taiwan. In E. coioides and E. fuscoguttatus, speed was 2 to 30 cm s super(-1) (4 to 19 body lengths s super(-1), BL s super(-1)), and increased at 1.4 to 2.3 cm s super(-1) mm super(-1). In P. teira and L. malabaricus, speed was 11.2 to 16.6 cm s super(-1) (4 to 20 BL s super(-1)) across the size range. All but the smallest, slowest larvae had Reynolds numbers >1000, and so swam in an inertial environment. In situ speeds were 39 to 87% of critical speeds, and smaller larvae swam nearer to critical speed than larger larvae. Of the larvae 71 to 90% swam directionally, but neither percentage of directional individuals nor orientation precision increased with size. P. teira swam toward the southwest (offshore). Epinephelus species undertook ontogenetic changes in orientation. Neither orientation nor ontogenetic changes were found in L. malabaricus. Horizontal swimming can influence dispersal directly. Vertical distribution, which differed among species, can influence dispersal indirectly. P. teira became surface orientated, ascending 0.8 m per mm increase in length. L. malabaricus descended 0.5 m per mm increase in length. E. coioides ascended 0.4 m per mm increase in length. E. fuscoguttatus preferred greater depths, and lacked ontogenetic changes. The behaviours and their development show these larval reef fishes can influence dispersal in species-specific ways.

Maluku Province in Eastern Indonesia is well known as an archipelago province which has various marine resources. However, information about the resources is still lacking. This research was conducted to study species composition of reef food fish in Ambon Island waters, Maluku Province on April to November 2016. Samples were collected at fish markets and at fisher villages in Ambon Island and then identified to the species level using standard literature. Totally, there were 1,187 specimen of reef food fishes collected during the study which consists of 32 families, 106 genera and 355 species. This finding is the highest species richness of reef fishes reported so far in Ambon Island.