This presentation was altered when it was uploaded to slideshare, apologies for the misplaced "n" in "introduction" on the outline at the top of the slides.
This presentation I created during a semester at Lewis & Clark College (Fall 2011) for a course called "Marine Biology". I created all the images for this presentation using powerpoint.
3. Introductio
Hypothesis/Question Methodology Expected Outcomes Conclusion
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Breeding Pair
Maximum of 6 clownfish per anemone
Size hierarchy observed: No fish is more than 80% the size of the one above it
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Breeding Pair
Too large!
Evicted
Why?
Prevent juveniles from
challenging breeding
pair
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Breeding Pair
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Breeding Pair
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Hypothesis/Question Methodology Expected Outcomes Conclusion
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Breeding Pair
Move up a size class
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Hypothesis/Question Methodology Expected Outcomes Conclusion
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Breeding Pair
Move up a size class
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New Breeding Pair
juvenile
enters
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New Breeding Pair
juvenile
enters
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Size of female not universal
Anemone 1
Anemone 2
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Q1: Absolute Size vs. Relative Size?
Q2: Minimum size for sex change?
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Hypothesis: Clownfish can begin the sex change
process at any size, given the
opportunity.
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Aquariums - Different size groups
1 2 3
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Aquariums - Different size groups
1 2 3
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Aquariums - Different size groups
1 2 3
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Hypothesis/Question Methodology Expected Outcomes Conclusion
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Will sex change occur immediately or will growth happen first?
1 2 3
Size independent:
See it turning into a
female in time with the Probably sex change with Sex change with current size
larger groups current size
Or
Size dependent:
Growth first. Delayed
sex change
20. Introductio
Hypothesis/Question Methodology Expected Outcomes Conclusion
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Recap:
•Clownfish have a strict size class and sex hierarchy
• Is sex change based more on absolute size or
relative size? What size?
•Clownfish can begin the sex change process at any
size, given the opportunity
Take home message: Fish sex change is complicated - there is
much we still do not know
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References
Abol-Munafi, A.B., N.H. Norazmi-Lokman, N.A. Asma, S. Sarmiza, and M.Y. Abduh. 2011. Histological study on the
gonad of the protandrousanemonefish (Amphiprionocellaris). Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 10(22):
3031-3036.
Buston, Peter. 2004. Does the presence of non-breeders enhance the fitness of breeders? An experimental analysis
in the clown anemonefishAmphiprionpercula. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 57(1): 23-31.
Buston, Peter M., and M. A. Cant. 2006. A new perspective on size hierarchies in nature: Patterns, causes, and
consequences. Oecologia, 149(2): 362-372.
Carwardine, M. 2005. Extreme Nature – The weirdest animals and plants on the planet. HarperCollins Publishers,
Hammersmith, London.
Casadevall, Margarida, E. Delgado, O. Colleye, S. BerMonserrat, and E. Parmentier. 2009. Histological study of the
sex-change in the skunk clownfish Amphiprionakallopisos. The Open Fish Science Journal, 2: 55-58.
Moyer, Jack T, and A. Nakazono. 1978. Protandroushermaphroditism in six species of the anemonefish genus
Amphiprion in Japan. Japanese Journal of Ichthyology, 25(2): 101-106.
Rattanayuvakorn, Sukjai, P. Mungkornkarn, A. Thongpan, and K. Chatchavalvanich. 2006. Gonadal development
and sex inversion in saddleback anemonefishAmphiprionpolymnusLinnaeus (1758). Natural Science, 40: 196-203.
Ross, Robert M. 1978. Reproductive behavior of the anemonefishAmphiprionmelanopus on Guam. Copeia,
1978(1): 103-107.
Shapiro, Douglas Y. 1987. Differentiation and evolution of sex change in fishes. BioScience, 37(7): 490-497.
Acknowledgements: Thank you to all anemonefish researchers. Thank you for your attention!
24. Introductio
Hypothesis/Question Methodology Expected Outcomes Conclusion
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Must grow to a minimum size before sex change because…
•Young fish have both male and female gonads
• The female gonads need time to develop
• Time needed for testicular degeneration
• In this time fish will grow
Editor's Notes
Immune to the stinging tentacles of the anemones
Why evicted?-competition with larger breeders
Why the size hierarchy? Smaller fish are tolerated because they have a mostly neutral effect and are there to take over if something happened to the breeding pair
Mechanisms of regulating growth: possibly regulated by the dominant individuals, but also regulated by them selves-behavioral, hormonal, neuronal mechanisms -articles suggest energy allocation (stress/fleeing) or cortisol, food resources?
Why stay in size class? If they stay in their size class---protection and potential for reproductionWhy sex change? Size-advantage model….Large females much for fecund than smaller femalesMechanism of sex change:Functional males have oocytes in early stagesDegeneration of testicular tissueDevelopment of ovarian tissueOnestudy:Amphiprionpolymnus, general age at which sex change and reproduction happen, however, variation within this (sex change could happen earlier upon removal of female or adult status)….Development, not specifically size related but general relation
Function of resource availabilitySome research-general sizes reached, but also variation observed -55mm minimum length at which oocytes developed-But variation in female size observed between anemones.
Is the size at which clownfish change gender absolute (meaning is there a specific size they need to be before they can change) or is the size and which the sex change occurs only relative to the other fish in the anemone?If it is absolute, what is the minimum size a fish has to be to change into a female?
Is the size at which clownfish change gender absolute (meaning is there a specific size they need to be before they can change) or is the size and which the sex change occurs only relative to the other fish in the anenome?If it is absolute, what is the minimum size a fish has to be to change into a female?
Anemone and predators to make more realistic system. Predators because there needs to be motivation not to grow to large and get kicked out of the anemone.
Duration of sex change is a minimum of 45 days. So we would not have to check that often. Groups 2 and 3: assuming that size dependency is not an issue: already large enough if that is even a factor in determining when sex change can occur.
Suppressing growth have a direct effect on development of the oocytes