182 BULLETIN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES VOLUME 75 1976 ORIENTATION TO DEPTH AND SEASONAL VERTICAL TEMPERATURES 183 (August 1974-July 1975) at King Harbor, Cali- was contributed by Occidental College Research Fund, Radovich, J. 1961. Relationships of some marine Terry, C. B. 1975. The role of depth, tenveoSttre, fornia, using diver transects. We also recognize the support of the City of Redondo organisms of the northeast Pacific to water tem- diet and feeding periodicity i - ition- 2. Beach, Harbor Department and particularly Harbor- peratures, particularly during 1957 through 1959. ing among the surfp otocidae) The bathymetric distributions of two of the Dept. five species master Donald Campeau. California Dept. Fish and Game, Fish Bull., 112: in King Har .A. Thesis, (M. minimus and E. jacksoni) differed lege. significantly from the remaining three with M. 1-62. Biolo minimus occupying the shallow intertidal and sub- . P. III, and C. R. Feldmeth. 1971. tidal fringe, E. jack.soni the middle subtidal, and LITERATURE CITRO Simpson, G. G., A. Roe, and R. C. Lewontin. 1960 Quantitative Zoology. Harcourt, Brace, an quential mortality of the fish fauna impounded the R. vacca, H. earn, and P. furcatus the deeper Alevizon, W. S. 1975. Spatial 'erlap and competi- New York, 440 pp. in construction of a marina at Dana Point, rocks and rock-sand interface. tion in congeneric California. California Fish and Game, 57:167- 3. Sur hey (Embiotocidae) Depth distribution varied seasonally (except off Santa Barbara, Cal nia. Copeia, 1975(2): 1952. A revisi y Embio- 176. for Al. naninuts) Tarp, F. H. with adults of each species mov- 352-356. tocidae (the surfperc • orma Dept. Fish ing deeper in the late summer and fall and shal- and Game, Fish tre1-99. Accepted for publication May 1,1976. ý t lower in the winter and spring. Bray, R. N., and A. Wing. 1975. Food, activ- 4. The fall descent corresponded to periods of ity, and habij of three "picker-type" micro. increased surface water temperature and deepening carnivorous es in the kelp forests off Santa of the thermocline. The three deeper species Barbara, •. fornia. Fish. Bull., 73(4):815-829. chose the coolest available water during this period. Briggs, J. 1974. Marine zoogeography. Mc- THE SIGNIFICANCE OF COLORATION IN FISHES OF 5. Seasonal abundance decreased during the fall Graf II Book Co., 475 pp. HYPSOBLENNIUS and may represent some emigration in response THE GENUS GILL to warm thermal conditions. Gra J. B. 1970. Temperature sensitivity of 6. Each species appears to occupy a preferred o species of intertidal fishes. Copeia, 1970: GEORGE S. LOSEY, JR.' thermal range. This range is especially obvious 19-56. in the deeper water species where the distributions AnsmAcr: The social behavior and associated colorations of five Pacific species of tend to center at temperatures at or below I6°C edgepeth, J. W. (Ed.). 1957. Marine Biogeog- Hypsoblennius were observed under field and laboratory conditions. Behavior patterns were Ernbiatoca jacksoni appears to be more thermal raphy. In Treatise on ?Amine Ecology and Falco- classified as to their functional relationship to types of behavior such as aggression and tolerant. Micrometrus ',animus appears to c ecology, Vol. I, Ecology. Geol. Soc. Amer. courtship. The occurrence of various color patterns was then tested for correlation to these select the warmest water available or more Mem., 67:1-1296. types of behavior. This analysis indicates that coloration is of potential value as a communi- ably to tolerate whatever temperature is a able cation signal for differentiatng between submission, aggression and courtship. Coloration was in its preferred habitat. Hubbs, C. L. 1948. Changes on the fish fauna of also correlated with habitat type and showed striking differences between sympatric species. 7. western North America correlated with changes Juveniles prefer warmer water t 1 adults. Young are born from spring to late - imer and in ocean temperatures. J. Mar. Res., 7:459-482. generally orient to shallower, warm ater. Sub- adults are less depth or temperatur stricted than . 1960. The marine vertebrates of the outer Species of the genus Hypsoblennius inhabit tidal Chaetodon Iunula. In this paper, I will describe either adults or juveniles. coast. In Biogeography of Baja California and pools, subtidal reefs and algae beds along the the potential signal value of coloration in five Adjacent Seas, Part II. Syst. Zool., 9:134-148. 8. Temperature orientation ears to play a Pacific coast of North, Central and South America. species of Hypsoblennius and explore the relation- role in controlling depth di ution and, there- Like many of the Blenniidae, they are territorial ships of these colorations to their taxonomic affin- 1974. Review of Marine Zoogeography by ities and their behavioral ecology. fore. influences spatial ut lion by these surf- and show frequent social interactions. The be- J. C. Briggs. Copeia, I974(4):1002-1005. been thoroughly perches. havior of some blenniid fishes has Wickler, 1957, 1961, 1963, 1965; deecribed (e.g., METHODS Morris, R. W. 1961. Distributions and temperature Wilson, 1969; Thompson and Bennet, 1969; Gib- sensitivity of sonic eastern Pacific cottid fishes. ACKN EDGMENTS Physiol. ?Ail., 34:217-227. son, 1968; Phillips, 1971; Fishelson, 1963; Robins from et al., 1959; Tavolga, 1960) but fishes of the genus All of the data presented below were drawn have largely escaped attention laboratory observations. Field observations made The following Oc• ntal College students participated Nakamura, R. 1976. Temperature and the vertical Hypsoblennius in California, Mexico, and South America pro- in sonic aspects this study: John Hypsoblennius species have the Helly, Jo Ellen distribution of two tidepool fishes (Oligocottat (Losey, 1968). vided a subjective confirmation of the laboratory Hose. Shuichi hikawa, Susan Jelley, Marc Lytle, ability to display a variety of color patterns and inacrdosas, G. snyderi). Copeia, 1976:143-152. 1, 300 I, and 550 1 Howard Mc erry, Laurie Post, Steve Subber, and can alter many features of their coloration in a results. Fish were held in 150 Bill Westpt We are indebted to Karl Ehrlich and matter of seconds. The signal value of coloration aquariums at the Scripps Institution of Ocean- Myron II of Occidental College for consultation Norris, K. S. 1963. The functions of temperature (e.g., ography and supplied with running sea water. in the ecology of the percoid fish Girella nigricans changes in fishes is well known in blenniids were used only for the tropical and dcsi of the thermal preference gradient and 1963) and other fishes (e.g., Aquarium heaters statistic %time. We also thank Mark Terry for his (Ayres). Ecol. Monogr., 33:23-62. Wickler, 19572 species. Fish were held in densities similar to Barlow, 1974; Baerends and Bacrends van-Roon, help with many aspects of this study. We gratefully those encounterd in the field and offered a variety acknowledge the support of Southern California Quast, J. C. 1968. Fish fauna of the rocky inshore 1950). Hamilton and Peterman (1971) have Edison's Research and Development Grant to the zone. In North, W. J., and C. L. Hobbs. Utiliza- drawn attention to the compromise between Junior author and especially Kevin Muench, who tion of kelp-bed resomces in Southern California. countershading as a camouflage coloration and 'Dept. 7.00logy and Hawaii Institute of Marine supetNities this research program. Additional support California Fish and Game, Fish Bull. 139:35-56. contrasting colorations for communication in Biology, Univ. Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96744. • 184 BULLETIN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES VOLUME 75 1976 COLORATION IN HYPSOBLENNIUS 185 'ratio: I. The species of Hypsoblettnius studied with 100 notes on zoogeography and ecology. Habitat sym- patry is indicated by connecting vertical bars. an 11. jenkinsi (Jordan and Everman)—California and northel a Baja California. Found in barnacle tests and bore holes on shallow, subtidal reefs with dis- --•- ruptive background. 50 [ //. genti/i, (Girard I—California and north-central Baja California. Found in a variety of habitats front grass beds to sea walls and buoys front barely subtidal depths to at least 30 m at the southein extent of its range. It has limited habitat 2 3 0X overlap with //. lentinsL RIPENESS INDEX FLEE TENDENCY ... II. brevip' 's (Ounther)—Southern Baja Califor- Figure 2. The distribution of the male action patterns nia to Central America and northern Peru. It over the ripeness of the male, expressed as cumulative 5 10 20 30 40 >40 inhabits barnacle tests on shallow, wave-washed percent. DISTANCE TO (CM) rocks in barren habitats. [ II. robustus (Hildebrand).—Central Peru. Habitat Figure 3. The distribution of the male action patterns identical to /I. jenkin. over the proximity of a courting female to the male, Figure I. The agonistic action patterns of Hypso- si For sexual behavior, the females exhibited little expressed as cumulative percent. blennins spp. arranged as to functional motivational II. sordidus (llennet)—Central Peru to central display other than coloration change and a sub- context. Chile. It inhabits the same areas as 11. robsestus missive posture so attention was focussed on male See text for explanation. as well as the habitat type of 11. brevipinnis. behavior. Sexual ripeness of males was indicated spawned repeatedly with her partner and ignored the courtship efforts of neighboring males. The by the occurrence of nest preparation behavior: of substrata: gravel bottom with cobble and Not ripe, no rubbing, spitting or circle-spitting; typical situation, however, is for the female to 1) approach a courting male, deposit on the order of broken shells, opaque plastic tubes, and Balanus of attacking and fleeing. Morris (1958) intro- rub and spit occur but circle-spitting is lacking; 2) 1000 eggs in his refuge and leave. Males continue barnacle tests resting on the bottom and mounted duced a diagrammatic hypothesis of the causation 3) rub, spit and circle-spit occur but circle-spit on vertical, artificial rock surfaces.