Lepadogaster is a genus of clingfishes native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean extending into the Mediterranean Sea. Lepadogaster belongs to class actinopterygii. This means that they share many of the same characteristics as eels, ray-finned fish, and sea horses to name a few. The main characteristic of all of them though is having fin rays. These fin rays are made of webbed skin and are attached to portions of the body that connect fins to the bones. Interestingly, lepadogaster species have a distinct difference in the formation of their dorsal and anal fins. While most other ray-finned fish spines, branched fin-rays, and middle radials, lepadogaster species do not have these. Instead, they have cartilage in place of the mentioned features.[1] These clingfish are mainly found near the rocky coasts and inside intertidal zones. Lepadogaster is known mostly as a clingfish, meaning that it spends most of its time attached to the surface of rocks.
| Lepadogaster | |
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| Connemarra Clingfish (L. candollii) | |
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| Genus: | Lepadogaster Gouan, 1770
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Lepadogaster species normally live in intertidal zones and there is frequent species interaction between other fish and other lepadogaster species. Some of the species have drastically different behaviors, even though they are only a few feet away. For example, "L. purpurea exhibits very passive behavior in both its feeding and social patterns. "L.candollei on the other hand, exhibits active behavior and is significantly more aggressive than the other species.[2]
Lepadogaster has a complex life cycle that is split up into a larval stage, a juvenile stage, and an adult stage. Lepadogaster species spend their larval stages inside plankton. As the larvae leave the plankton and settle in the benthic layer, they enter their juvenile and adult stages. During this time, the larvae undergo morphological changes that result in their adult forms.[3]
Species
There are currently three recognized species in this genus:[4]
- Lepadogaster candolii A. Risso, 1810 (Connemarra clingfish)
- Lepadogaster lepadogaster (Bonnaterre, 1788) (Shore clingfish)
- Lepadogaster purpurea (Bonnaterre, 1788) (Cornish sucker)
References
- ^ Konstantinidis, P. and Conway, K. W. (2010), The median-fin skeleton of the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean clingfishes Lepadogaster lepadogaster (Bonnaterre) and Gouania wildenowi (Risso) (Teleostei: Gobiesocidae). J. Morphol., 271: 215–224. doi: 10.1002/jmor.10792
- ^ 3. Gonçalves, D. M., Gonçalves, E. J., Almada, V. C. and Almeida, S. P. (1998), Comparative behaviour of two species of Lepadogaster (Pisces: Gobiesocidae) living at different depths. Journal of Fish Biology, 53: 447–450. doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.1998.tb00992.x
- ^ Beldade, R., Pedro, T. and Gonçalves, E. J. (2007), Pelagic larval duration of 10 temperate cryptobenthic fishes. Journal of Fish Biology, 71: 376–382. doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2007.01491.x
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Lepadogaster". FishBase. October 2012 version.
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