Gaya shrimp goby and alpheid shrimp project

From BiodivBorneo09

Species Specificity between Shrimp Goby and Alpheid Shrimps in Gaya Island

Rindita() , Imesh Nuwan Bandara, UOP-Sri Lanka

An ecological study conducted to determine species specificity between Shrimp goby (Family:Gobiidae) and Alpheid shrimps in Gaya Island – Sabah. Shrimp goby and alpheid shrimp make symbiotic association in the shoreline faunal community. The goby serves as a sentry for shrimp while still retaining substrate shelter and shrimp is able to exploit food resource. We observed 60 sandy holes randomly, occupied by assorted shrimp gobies and alpheid shrimp species in the benthic area of the reef flat. Five species of Shrimp gobies (Amblyeleotris periopthalmus, A. guttata, A. steinitzi, Cryptocentrus cinctus, and Ctenogobiops pomasticus) and associating three species of shrimps (Alpheus spp.) identified within the study area. Fisher test shows that there is a high significant non-random association between Shrimp Goby and Alpheid Shrimp (p-value = 7.305e-16). The graphic of nestedness does not show that data of species specificity are nested. However, there is a likeness of A. periopthalmus and A. guttata associated with Alpheus sp., and Cryptocentrus cinctus associated with Alpheus djibutensis. A. steinitzi associated with two Alpheus shrimp species and C. pomasticus associated only with one species of Alpheus. Our results suggest that being symbiotic, shrimp gobies and alpheid shrimps do not show comprehensible species specificity.