Ecology Summary - Canthigaster valentini

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Main Ref.	Myers, R.F., 1991
Remarks	Found among coral heads and rocks of subtidal lagoon and seaward reefs (Ref. 4919, 5503). Common on coastal reefs at various depths. Mimic filefish, males are territorial and are often seen fighting (Ref. 48637). Feeds mainly on filamentous green and red algae, tunicates, and on smaller amounts of corals, bryozoans, polychaetes, echinoderms, mollusks, and brown and coralline red algae. Forms shoals (10-100 or more) often with the filefish, Paraluteres prionurus (about 5% of shoal) mimicking C. valentini to protect it from predators (Ref. 4919, 5503). Territorial and haremic; males spawn with a different female each day (Ref. 9710). One or more territories are occupied and defended each by a female where a single large male stands guard (Ref. 55082).

Main Ref.

Myers, R.F., 1991

Remarks

Found among coral heads and rocks of subtidal lagoon and seaward reefs (Ref. 4919, 5503). Common on coastal reefs at various depths. Mimic filefish, males are territorial and are often seen fighting (Ref. 48637). Feeds mainly on filamentous green and red algae, tunicates, and on smaller amounts of corals, bryozoans, polychaetes, echinoderms, mollusks, and brown and coralline red algae. Forms shoals (10-100 or more) often with the filefish, Paraluteres prionurus (about 5% of shoal) mimicking C. valentini to protect it from predators (Ref. 4919, 5503). Territorial and haremic; males spawn with a different female each day (Ref. 9710). One or more territories are occupied and defended each by a female where a single large male stands guard (Ref. 55082).

Aquatic zones / Water bodies

	Marine - Neritic	Marine - Oceanic	Brackishwater	Freshwater
Marine zones / Brackish and freshwater bodies	supra-littoral zone littoral zone sublittoral zone	epipelagic mesopelagic epipelagic abyssopelagic hadopelagic	estuaries/lagoons/brackish seas mangroves marshes/swamps	rivers/streams lakes/ponds caves exclusively in caves

Highighted items on the list are where Canthigaster valentini may be found.

Habitat

Substrate	Hard Bottom: rocky;
Substrate Ref.	Letourneur, Y., P. Chabanet, P. Durville, M. Taquet, E. Teissier, M. Parmentier, J.-C. Quéro and K. Pothin, 2004
Special habitats	Beds: sea grass; Coral Reefs;
Special habitats Ref.	Nguyen, N.T. and V.Q. Nguyen, 2006

Associations

Ref.
Associations
Associated with
Association remarks
Parasitism

Feeding

Feeding type	plants/detritus+animals (troph. 2.2-2.79)
Feeding type Ref.	Myers, R.F., 1991
Feeding habit	variable
Feeding habit Ref.	Smith, M.M. and P.C. Heemstra, 1986

Trophic Level(s)

Estimation method	Original sample		Unfished population		Remark
Estimation method	Troph	s.e.	Troph	s.e.	Remark
From diet composition
From individual food items	2.84	0.30			Trophic level estimated from a number of food items using a randomized resampling routine.
Ref.

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