Endemic marine species often exist as metapopulations distributed across several discrete locations, such that their extinction risk is dependent upon population dynamics and persistence at each location. The anemonefish Amphiprion latezonatus is a habitat specialist, endemic to two oceanic islands (Lord Howe and Norfolk) and the adjacent eastern Australian coast from the Sunshine Coast to Southwest Rocks. To determine how extinction risk varies across the limited number of locations where A. latezonatus occurs, we quantified ecological, biological, and behavioural characteristics at six locations and four reef zones. The abundance of A. latezonatus and its host anemones varied considerably throughout its range, with A. latezonatus abundance being very low at Sunshine Coast and Elizabeth Reef, low at Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island, and moderate at North Solitary Island. This species was not detected at Middleton Reef, despite local abundance of their host anemones. Abundance of A. latezonatus was generally correlated with depth and host anemone abundance, from which we infer that extirpation risk is directly proportional to their host anemone population’s size. Consistent with this, A. latezonatus social group size was positively correlated with the number of anemones inhabited. A. latezonatus may be impacted by interactions and competition with other anemonefish species in shallow (< 10 m) waters, but competition has little effect in deeper water where population abundances are highest. Significant differences in population characteristics demonstrate a need for location-specific conservation strategies and identify the Sunshine Coast population as most vulnerable.

中文翻译：

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让你的朋友和你的海葵更亲近——地方性宽带海葵鱼的生态学，Amphiprion latezonatus

地方性海洋物种通常作为分布在几个离散位置的集合种群存在，因此它们的灭绝风险取决于每个位置的种群动态和持久性。海葵鱼 Amphiprion latezonatus 是栖息地专家，是两个海洋岛屿（豪勋爵和诺福克）以及从阳光海岸到西南岩石的相邻澳大利亚东部海岸的特有种。为了确定 A.latezonatus 出现的有限数量的地点的灭绝风险如何变化，我们量化了六个地点和四个珊瑚礁区的生态、生物和行为特征。A. latezonatus 及其寄主海葵的丰度在整个范围内变化很大，A. latezonatus 在阳光海岸和伊丽莎白礁的丰度非常低，在豪勋爵岛和诺福克岛的丰度较低，在北孤岛温和。尽管当地有大量寄主海葵，但在米德尔顿礁并未发现该物种。A. latezonatus 的丰度通常与深度和寄主海葵丰度相关，从中我们推断灭绝风险与其寄主海葵种群的大小成正比。与此一致，A. latezonatus 社会群体规模与居住的海葵数量呈正相关。A. latezonatus 可能会受到与浅水 (< 10 m) 中其他海葵鱼物种的相互作用和竞争的影响，但在种群丰度最高的深水中，竞争几乎没有影响。种群特征的显着差异表明需要针对特定​​地点的保护策略，并将阳光海岸种群确定为最脆弱的种群。