BARHAM, GOWDY, and WOLFSON: ACANTHASTER IN GULF OF CALIFORNIA 



Figure 3. — An isolated head of Pocillopora sp. harboring two hawkfish (family Cirrhitidae). photo- 

 graphed near the base of a monument rock in the Pink Cliff study area. Only minor blemishes are 

 evident on the distal regions of the branches. 



Methods and Procedures 



On 1 November 1970, we tagged four Aca)i- 

 thaster ellisii in situ by threading monofila- 

 ment, to which numbered tapes were knotted, 

 through the body wall and under the dermal 

 ossicles with a curved upholstery needle. The 

 operation was particularly awkward because 

 of the necessity of wearing heavy gloves and 

 entailed considerable manipulation of the 

 animals, causing one specimen to react in an 

 abnormal manner. The 16 observations made in 

 this preliminary study are summarized in 

 Table 1. 



For the 1971 survey, the nine specimens 

 located within the search area were tagged by 

 simply tying numbered tapes to a ray (Figure 

 5). (This procedure also required great care and 

 has additional drawbacks. If the monofilament 

 is tied too tightly, the sea star may autotomize 

 the insulated arm, as one of our specimens did 

 after 40 h. Conversely, two loosely tied tags 

 snagged and pulled free. Fortunately, they were 

 found near animals whose characteristics cor- 

 responded to originally tagged individuals, and 

 the tags were retied.) 



The position of each specimen was marked 

 with a short length (approximately 30 cm) of 



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