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Prawn‐associated gobies (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from the Seychelles, Western Indian Ocean: systematics and ecology
Author(s) -
Polunin Nicholas V. C.,
Lubbock Roger
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
journal of zoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1469-7998
pISSN - 0952-8369
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1977.tb04174.x
Subject(s) - goby , biology , teleostei , genus , prawn , ecology , crustacean , fishery , zoology , fish <actinopterygii>
Fourteen species of gobies (Teleostei: Gobiidae), 12 of which were collected, were found living in association with seven “types” of alpheid prawn (Decapoda: Alpheidae) in the Seychelles, Western Indian Ocean. One new genus— Stonogobiops —and three new species— Stonogobiops dracula, Cryptocentrus aurora and C. wheeled —of prawn‐associated goby are described. Full descriptions of the new genus and species, and shorter descriptions of the remaining species, are given; the genera Iotogobius Smith and Cryptocentrops Smith are synonymized with Cryptocentrus Ehrenberg. Aspects of the ecology of the prawn‐associated gobies were studied. Species specificity between gobies and prawns varied considerably. The species present exhibited a marked degree of habitat segregation, and there were differences between species in nearest‐neighbour burrow distances. A wide range of degrees of looseness of association between goby and prawn was also observed. The evolution of the symbiosis is discussed in the light of these observations.