The Biology of Gobies

ISBN-13: 9781578084364 / Angielski / Twarda / 2011 / 702 str.

Robert Patzner; James L. Van Tassell; Marcelo Kovacic

Opis

Among all vertebrates, gobies are second in diversity only to the teleost family Cyprinidae. The Gobiidae consists of more than 200 genera and nearly 2,000 species and make up the largest family of marine fishes. Gobies account for as much as 50% of the energy flow in coral reef communities. Their small size, ability to adapt to numerous ecological niches and to be bred in aquaria has led to numerous studies both in the field and laboratory. Gobies are found from above the high tide line to depths of over 1,100 m. Some species are found only within caves, others deep inside sponges, and some others climb waterfalls to return to their native streams. They vary reproductively from gonochoric to hermaphrodite, monogamy to polygyny and promiscuity, some have short life spans and reproduce only once while others have longer life spans reproducing one or more times per year.

Spis treści

SYSTEMATICS. A History of Gobioid Morphological Systematics. Molecular Systematics of Gobioid Fishes. Systematics of Rhyacichthyidae. Systematics of Odontobutidae. Systematics of Butidaeand Eleotridae.Systematics of Gobionellidae. Systematics of Oxudercinae.Systematics of Amblyopinae.Systematics of Sicydiinae.Systematics of Gobiidae. ZOOGEOGRAPHY. Gobiidae of the Americas. North-eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Gobies.Diversity and Distribution of Marine, Euryhaline and Amphidromous Gobies fromWestern, Central and SouthernAfrica.The Marine Temperate Gobioids of Southern Australia and the New Zealand Region. Tropical Freshwater Gobies: Amphidromy as a Life Cycle. Diversity and Distribution of Freshwater Gobies from the Mediterranean, the Black and Caspian Seas. GENERAL BIOLOGY. Gobies as Predator and Prey. Morphological Adaptations to Special Environments of Gobies. Morphological Organization and Variability of the Reproductive Apparatus in Gobies. Early Development of Gobies. ECOLOGY. Planktonic and Paedomorphic Gobioids. Gobies on Coral Reefs.Gobies as Cleaners. The Partnership between Gobiid Fishes and Burrowing Alpheid Shrimps. Mudskippers: Front Runners in the Modern Invasion of Land.

O autorze

James L. Van Tassell, Robert Patzner, Marcelo Kovacic, B.G. Kapoor