Aspects of the age and growth, reproduction, and diet of the millet-seed butterflyfish, Chaetodon miliaris (Pisces: Chaetodontidae), an Hawaiian endemic
Date
1975-12
Authors
Contributor
Advisor
Department
Instructor
Depositor
Speaker
Researcher
Consultant
Interviewer
Narrator
Transcriber
Annotator
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Hawaii, Honolulu
Volume
Number/Issue
Starting Page
Ending Page
Alternative Title
Abstract
Aspects of the growth, reproduction and diet of Chaetodon miliaris, the millet-seed butterflyfish, were studied in an effort to characterize populations of fish exploited by the aquarium fish industry. Age determinations were accomplished by examination of daily growth rings within otoliths. Age estimates were corroborated by growth experiments, analysis of a size-frequency distribution, and the determination of the onset of reproductive maturity. Estimates of the duration of the larval tholichthys stage were also obtained from study of the otoliths. The sex ratio of £. miliaris was 1:1 and individuals matured after one year of growth. The spawning season extended from November through Hay but peaked in February and March. No lunar influence on spawning was found. Estimates of fecundity were high and indicated a relatively large investment in reproduction. Chaetodon miliaris is broadly opportunitistic in its diet, however it feeds principally on zooplankton in the water column. The diet of individual fish varied as a function of the time of year, the collection location and the size of the fish. Individuals from Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, were small and appeared to be reproductively inactive when compared to fish from other areas. Dietary deficiencies are postulated as causing these differences. The overexploitation of populations of the millet-seed butterflyfish as a fisheries resource is improbable due to its fast growth, high fecundity, and the existence of refuge populations.
Description
Keywords
Fishes, Chaetodon miliaris., Fishes--Hawaii.
Citation
Ralston, Stephen. Aspects of the age and growth, reproduction, and diet of the millet-seed butterflyfish, Chaetodon miliaris (Pisces: Chaetodontidae), an Hawaiian endemic. Honolulu: University of Hawaii, 1975.
Extent
98 pages
Format
Geographic Location
Hawaii
Time Period
Related To
Theses for the degree of Master of Science (University of Hawaii at Manoa). Zoology; no. 1362
Related To (URI)
Table of Contents
Rights
All UHM dissertations and theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission from the copyright owner.
Rights Holder
Local Contexts
Collections
Email libraryada-l@lists.hawaii.edu if you need this content in ADA-compliant format.