New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

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Attraction of migratory inanga (Galaxias maculatus) and koaro (Galaxias brevipinnis) juveniles to adult galaxiid odours

Cindy F. Baker

National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Limited
P.O. Box 11 115
Hamilton, New Zealand
email: c.baker@niwa.co.nz

Brendan J. Hicks

Centre for Biodiversity and Ecology Research
Department of Biological Sciences
School of Science and Technology
University of Waikato
Hamilton, New Zealand

Abstract   The response of migratory galaxiid juveniles, inanga (Galaxias maculatus) and koaro (G. brevipinnis), to the odours of adult galaxiids was tested in a two-choice chamber apparatus. Both conspecific and heterospecific odours were tested. Inanga juveniles were attracted to adult inanga (G. maculatus), banded kokopu (G. fasciatus), and koaro (G. brevipinnis) odours. However, they were not attracted to odours from common bullies (Gobiomorphus cotidianus). Koaro juveniles exhibited a species-specific attraction to adult koaro odours only. These results demonstrate inanga juveniles can discriminate and are attracted to adult galaxiids during their migratory phase, whilst migratory koaro juveniles exhibit a species-specific attraction to adult odours similar to the pheromonal attraction previously described for juvenile banded kokopu. This strengthens the hypothesis for the use of pheromonal cues in stream and habitat selection by amphidromous galaxiids.

Keywords   migration; cue; galaxiid; fish; pheromone; inanga; koaro

M02048 Received 24 June 2002; accepted 28 January 2003; Published 20 June 2003
New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2003, Vol. 37: 291-299
0028-8330/03/3702-0291 $7.00 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2003

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