Ultraviolet absorbance of the mucus of a tropical damselfish: effects of ontogeny, captivity and disease |
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| Authors: | J. P. Zamzow,&dagger U. E. Siebeck,&Dagger |
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| Affiliation: | School of Integrative Biology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; and Vision Touch and Hearing Research Centre, School of Biomedical Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia |
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| Abstract: | The ultraviolet (UV) absorbance of the mucus of a Great Barrier Reef damselfish Pomacentrus amboinensis was investigated with regard to ontogeny and time spent in captivity. The UV absorbance of P. amboinensis mucus increased with fish size and decreased with time spent in captivity. The wavelength of maximum absorbance of the mucus did not change with fish size, but shifted towards shorter wavelengths with increasing time spent in captivity. The UV absorbance of the mucus of fish with 'fin rot' was compared to that of similar healthy individuals, and a significant decrease in UV absorbance of unhealthy fish mucus was detected; no wavelength shifting occurred. Pomacentrus amboinensis appears to sequester mycosporine-like amino acids from the diet in order to protect epithelial tissues from UV damage, and decreases in UV absorbance in captive fish were probably due to insufficient dietary availability. |
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| Keywords: | fin rot fish MAA mucus Pomacentrus amboinensis UV radiation |
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