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Rapid embryonic development supports the early onset of gill functions in two coral reef damselfishes
- Source :
- Journal of Experimental Biology. 224
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- The Company of Biologists, 2021.
-
Abstract
- The gill is one of the most important organs for growth and survival of fishes. Early life stages in coral reef fishes often exhibit extreme physiological and demographic characteristics that are linked to well-established respiratory and ionoregulatory processes. However, gill development and function in coral reef fishes is not well understood. Therefore, we investigated gill morphology, oxygen uptake and ionoregulatory systems throughout embryogenesis in two coral reef damselfishes, Acanthochromis polyacanthus and Amphiprion melanopus (Pomacentridae). In both species, we found key gill structures to develop rapidly early in the embryonic phase. Ionoregulatory cells appear on gill filaments 3–4 days post-fertilization and increase in density, whilst disappearing or shrinking in cutaneous locations. Primary respiratory tissue (lamellae) appears 5–7 days post-fertilization, coinciding with a peak in oxygen uptake rates of the developing embryos. Oxygen uptake was unaffected by phenylhydrazine across all ages (pre-hatching), indicating that haemoglobin is not yet required for oxygen uptake. This suggests that gills have limited contribution to respiratory functions during embryonic development, at least until hatching. Rapid gill development in damselfishes, when compared with that in most previously investigated fishes, may reflect preparations for a high-performance, challenging lifestyle on tropical reefs, but may also make reef fishes more vulnerable to anthropogenic stressors.
- Subjects :
- Gills
Gill
animal structures
Physiology
Ontogeny
Embryonic Development
Zoology
Pomacentridae
Aquatic Science
Animals
Acanthochromis polyacanthus
Molecular Biology
Reef
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
geography
geography.geographical_feature_category
biology
Coral Reefs
Hatching
Anthropogenic Effects
fungi
Embryogenesis
Fishes
Coral reef
biology.organism_classification
Insect Science
Animal Science and Zoology
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 14779145 and 00220949
- Volume :
- 224
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of Experimental Biology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....3e21b5ce24a9f347612def34e99ca37f