Publisher :
Place of publication :
Publication year : 1996
Thematic : Coral Reef
Language : English
Note
The fish assemblage from the Eocene deposits of
Monte Bolca, Northern Italy, are compared with those of
Recent coral reefs. A family-level taxonomic definition of
a Recent coral reef fish assemblage is formulated to permit
direct comparisons. On this basis, the Monte Bolca fishes
represent the earliest clearly defined coral reef fish assemblage.
Quantitative analyses of the relative abundance of
fish families revealed significant differences between the
two assemblages. The Bolca assemblage has Mesozoic
links (Pycnodontiformes) and non-perciform taxa are
relatively abundant, particularly the Beryciformes (Holocentridae).
However, Bolca represents the earliest record of
a perciform-dominated benthic fish assemblage (68.4% of
all non-clupeid taxa). Within the Perciformes, the abundance
of the major reef fish lineages (higher squamipinnes
and Labroidei) differs markedly between the two assemblages.
The numerical dominance oflabroid fishes on coral
reefs appears to have been a relatively recent occurrence.
If indeed this is a coral reef fish assemblage, then the
Bolca fishes will be of paramount importance in our understanding
of the evolution of coral reef fishes. However, it is
critically important to establish the status of the Bolca fishes
and the relationship between the Bolca fish assemblage and
those of Recent coral reefs. At present this relationship is
unclear. What we lack is a rigorous definition of what
constitutes a coral reef fish assemblage to act as a basis for
a direct comparison between the two assemblages.
The key question is: do the Eocene fishes of Monte
Bolca represent a coral reef fish assemblage?
This study addresses this question in three stages. Firstly,
a definition of a Recent coral reef fish assemblage is
established in terms of the taxa present and their numerical
abundance. Secondly, the composition of the Bolca assemblage
is established based on the same taxonomic criteria.
And finally, using the taxonomic and numerical data, the
status of the Bolca fish assemblage is appraised.
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Keywords : Melomys fraterculus
Encoded by : Pauline Carmel Joy Eje
