ニセクロスジギンポの体色変異個体を用いた掃除魚擬態の効果の検証

抄録

Aspidontus taeniatus (Blenniidae) mimics the bluestreak cleaner wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus in both shape and color. We found a small brownish color variant of A. taeniatus, which was suitable for testing the effect of mimicry. Comparison with the feeding behavior of typically-colored individuals indicated no significant differences between the two in feeding frequency (bites on tubeworm tentacles, boring-clam mantles, and fish fins), suggesting that coloration had no effect on such activity. It is likely that the abundant availability of the former two benthic foods on the study reef may have caused the very low frequency of fin biting, which may have resulted in no differences between the two color patterns.