Siphamia tubifer, also known as the sea urchin cardinalfish, is a small (~7 cm) coral reef fish in the family Apogonidae.[1][2] Its geographic range extends from East Africa to the French Polynesian Islands.[3]

Siphamia tubifer
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Kurtiformes
Family: Apogonidae
Genus: Siphamia
Species:
S. tubifer
Binomial name
Siphamia tubifer

Details

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During the day, the sea urchin cardinalfish hides among the spines of sea urchins, and it emerges to feed at night.[4] Male S. tubifer are mouthbrooders, holding their fertilized clutches of eggs in their mouths and releasing the larvae when they are in the preflexion stage.[5][6] This fish has a facultative symbiotic relationship with a bacterium, Photobacterium mandapamensis, which provides bioluminescence for the fish in a specialized light organ in its abdomen.[5]

Bioluminescence

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S. tubifer is thought to acquire the bacteria through ingestion of seawater after its light organ has mostly developed.[7] The luminescence system primarily consists of a ventral light organ that holds the bacteria and a shutter lens in the abdomen. The fish can open and close this shutter at will, controlling the light that it emits.[8] One study showed that at twilight, S. tubifer left its urchin and luminesced to attract and feed on zooplankton near the ocean bottom.[8] Once completely dark again, it stopped emitting light and returned.

References

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  1. ^ "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Siphamia tubifer Weber, 1909". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 2023-07-04.
  2. ^ Gould, A. L.; Dougan, K. E.; Koenigbauer, S. T.; Dunlap, P. V. (August 2016). "Life history of the symbiotically luminous cardinalfish Siphamia tubifer (Perciformes: Apogonidae)". Journal of Fish Biology. 89 (2): 1359–1377. Bibcode:2016JFBio..89.1359G. doi:10.1111/jfb.13063. hdl:2027.42/133632. ISSN 0022-1112. PMID 27329350.
  3. ^ Gould, A.L.; Dunlap, P.V. (2019-08-15). "Population genomics of a bioluminescent symbiosis sheds light on symbiont transmission and specificity". doi:10.1101/736074. S2CID 202008245.
  4. ^ Gould, Alison L.; Harii, Saki; Dunlap, Paul V. (December 2014). "Host preference, site fidelity, and homing behavior of the symbiotically luminous cardinalfish, Siphamia tubifer (Perciformes: Apogonidae)". Marine Biology. 161 (12): 2897–2907. Bibcode:2014MarBi.161.2897G. doi:10.1007/s00227-014-2554-z. ISSN 0025-3162. S2CID 253746905.
  5. ^ a b Dunlap, P. V.; Gould, A. L.; Wittenrich, M. L.; Nakamura, M. (September 2012). "Symbiosis initiation in the bacterially luminous sea urchin cardinalfish Siphamia versicolor". Journal of Fish Biology. 81 (4): 1340–1356. Bibcode:2012JFBio..81.1340D. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2012.03415.x. hdl:2027.42/93717. PMID 22957874.
  6. ^ Dunlap, Paul V.; Kojima, Yutaka; Nakamura, Shigeo; Nakamura, Masaru (2009-09-01). "Inception of formation and early morphogenesis of the bacterial light organ of the sea urchin cardinalfish, Siphamia versicolor". Marine Biology. 156 (10): 2011–2020. Bibcode:2009MarBi.156.2011D. doi:10.1007/s00227-009-1232-z. ISSN 1432-1793. S2CID 84449121.
  7. ^ Dunlap, P V; Nakamura, M (2011). "Functional Morphology of the Luminescence System of Siphamia versicolor, a Bacterially Luminous Coral Reef Fish". Journal of Morphology. 272 (8): 897–909. doi:10.1002/jmor.10956. hdl:2027.42/86998. PMID 21541984. S2CID 35880402.
  8. ^ a b Dunlap, P V; Nakamura, M; Gould, A L; Wittenrich, M L (2012). "Symbiosis initiation in the bacterially luminous sea urchin cardinalfish Siphamia versicolor". Journal of Fish Biology. 81 (4): 1340–1356. Bibcode:2012JFBio..81.1340D. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2012.03415.x. hdl:2027.42/93717. PMID 22957874.