Localised movement of snapper (Pagrus auratus, Sparidae) in a large subtropical marine embayment

Abstract

Snapper were tagged with dart and anchor tags in order to determine movement and the contribution of juveniles inhabiting estuarine areas to the offshore adult population. Laboratory experiments showed that loss of anchor tags was greater than dart tags, although this was not reflected in the results of field trials. A total of 6572 individuals were tagged in field experiments, of which 509 (7.7%) were recaptured. Only four of over 2500 fish tagged and released in Moreton Bay were recaptured in waters outside the bay, suggesting the bay is not an important source of recruits to the offshore fishery. However, problems associated with tag loss and mortality meant that the actual contribution of juveniles to the offshore fisheries remained unclear. Most snapper movements were localised; only ~1% of movements exceeded 100 km. Movements of snapper were mainly directed northward against the prevailing direction of the East Australian Current. Snapper were considered to be a suitable species for marine reserve protection owing to their relatively localised movement patterns.