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First published online May 8, 2007
Journal of Experimental Biology 210, 1673-1686 (2007)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2007
doi: 10.1242/jeb.02718
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Review Article

Tribute to P. L. Lutz: respiratory ecophysiology of coral-reef teleosts

Göran E. Nilsson1,*, Jean-Paul A. Hobbs2 and Sara Östlund-Nilsson3

1 Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Oslo, N-0316 Oslo, Norway
2 ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
3 National Library of Norway, Oslo, Norway

* Author for correspondence (e-mail: g.e.nilsson{at}imbv.uio.no)

Accepted 15 January 2007

One of the most diverse vertebrate communities is found on tropical coral reefs. Coral-reef fishes are not only remarkable in color and shape, but also in several aspects of physiological performance. Early in life, at the end of the pelagic larval stage, coral-reef fishes are the fastest swimmers of all fishes in relation to body size, and show the highest specific rates of maximum oxygen uptake. Upon settling on the reef, coral-reef fishes have to adopt a demersal lifestyle, which involves coping with a habitat that can become severely hypoxic, and some fishes may even have to rely on air breathing when their coral homes become air exposed. Oxygen availability appears to be a major ambient selection pressure, making respiratory function a key factor for survival on coral reefs. Consequently, hypoxia tolerance is widespread among coral-reef fishes. Hypoxia can even be a factor to gamble with for those fishes that are mouthbrooders, or a factor that the coral inhabitants may actively seek to reduce by sleep-swimming at night. Here, we summarize the present knowledge of the respiratory ecophysiology of coral-reef teleosts. From an ecophysiological perspective, the coral reef is an exciting and largely unexplored system for testing existing hypotheses and making new discoveries.

Key words: hypoxia, coral reef, fish larvae, Pomacentridae, Gobiidae, Apogonidae


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A TRIBUTE TO PETER LUTZ
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JEB 2007 210: i. [Full Text]  



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L. Blackburn
A TRIBUTE TO PETER LUTZ
J. Exp. Biol., May 15, 2007; 210(10): i - ii.
[Full Text] [PDF]


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