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Published on: May 31, 2020
Mucus-secreting lips offer protection to suction-feeding corallivorous fishes
Víctor Huertas1, David R Bellwood2
1College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia.
Abstract:
Of the 6,000 reef fish species, only 128 feed on corals [1,2]. Despite being widely available on tropical reefs, corals appear to represent a particularly challenging trophic resource, with mucus- and nematocyst-laden tissues spread over a sharp coral skeleton. Here we report that coral-feeding tubelip wrasses use highly modified lips to suck material from the coral surface. These lips have a specialized mushroom-like lamellar epithelium that secretes mucus. This mucus may facilitate suction and reduce damage by nematocysts in a manner akin to anemonefishes. The remarkable lip specializations observed in tubelip wrasses highlight the potential role of soft tissues in shaping the trophic ability of fishes.
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