Distribution of fish larvae within a weakly tidal mangrove lagoon
J. Jaxion-Harm A B and M. R. Speight A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK.
B Corresponding author. Email: jessica.jaxion.harm@gmail.com
Marine and Freshwater Research 68(2) 396-400 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF15292
Submitted: 17 September 2014 Accepted: 10 February 2016 Published: 29 April 2016
Abstract
Mangroves have been shown to provide valuable nursery grounds to juvenile fishes, yet little is known regarding larval distribution and settlement processes in this habitat. To investigate fish larvae in mangrove habitat in a semi-isolated lagoon (surface area 750 m2), we employed multiple catch methods: plankton tows, minnow traps, and light traps during June–August 2008 and 2009. Overall, nine families of fish larvae were caught in the light traps. Light traps caught significantly more fish larvae during the new moon compared with the full moon. Plankton tow nets caught early-stage, unidentifiable (without DNA analysis) larvae. Minnow traps only caught a total of three fish larvae. Overall, scarids (parrotfish) and lutjanids (snappers) were the most common larvae from coral-reef fish families and were found at sites over 1 km upstream of the mouth of the mangrove lagoon. Without the aid of tidal influence (and nets requiring hydrodynamic force), sampling is difficult in these turbid, shallow waters.
Additional keywords: dispersal, mangroves, marine, recruitment, tropics.
References
Barletta-Bergan, A., Barletta, M., and Saint-Paul, U. (2002). Community structure and temporal variability of ichthyoplankton in North Brazilian mangrove creeks. Journal of Fish Biology 61, 33–51.| Community structure and temporal variability of ichthyoplankton in North Brazilian mangrove creeks.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Boomhower, J., Romero, M., Posada, J., Kobara, S., and Heyman, W. (2010). Prediction and verification of possible reef-fish spawning aggregation sites in Los Roques Archipelago National Park, Venezuela. Journal of Fish Biology 77, 822–840.
| Prediction and verification of possible reef-fish spawning aggregation sites in Los Roques Archipelago National Park, Venezuela.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BC3cfisFyhtw%3D%3D&md5=1af99f334567e389ca62ed1ff81714d5CAS | 20840614PubMed |
Choat, J. H., Doherty, P. J., Kerrigan, B. A., and Leis, J. M. (1993). A comparison of towed nets, purse seine, and light aggregation devices for sampling larvae and pelagic juveniles of coral reef fishes. Fish Bulletin 91, 195–209.
Colin, P. L., and Clavijo, I. E. (1988). Spawning activity of fishes producing pelagic eggs on a shelf edge coral-reef, southwestern Puerto Rico. Bulletin of Marine Science 43, 249–279.
Cowan, J. H., Houde, E. D., and Rose, K. A. (1996). Size-dependent vulnerability of marine fish larvae to predation: an individual-based numerical experiment. ICES Journal of Marine Science 53, 23–37.
| Size-dependent vulnerability of marine fish larvae to predation: an individual-based numerical experiment.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Crawley, M. J. (2007). ‘The R Book.’ (Wiley: Chichester, UK.)
Dahlgren, C. P., and Eggleston, D. B. (2000). Ecological processes underlying ontogenetic habitat shifts in a coral reef fish. Ecology 81, 2227–2240.
| Ecological processes underlying ontogenetic habitat shifts in a coral reef fish.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Fisher, R., and Bellwood, D. R. (2002). A light trap design for stratum-specific sampling of reef fish larvae. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 269, 27–37.
| A light trap design for stratum-specific sampling of reef fish larvae.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Fisher, R., and Wilson, S. K. (2004). Maximum sustainable swimming speeds of late-stage larvae of nine species of reef fishes. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 312, 171–186.
| Maximum sustainable swimming speeds of late-stage larvae of nine species of reef fishes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Forward, R. B., Reinsel, K. A., Peters, D. S., Tankersley, R. A., Churchill, J. H., Crowder, L. B., Hettler, W. F., Warlen, S. M., and Green, M. D. (1999). Transport of fish larvae through a tidal inlet. Fisheries Oceanography 8, 153–172.
| Transport of fish larvae through a tidal inlet.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Govoni, J. J., Boehlert, G. W., and Watanabe, Y. (1986). The physiology of digestion in fish larvae. Environmental Biology of Fishes 16, 59–77.
| The physiology of digestion in fish larvae.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hendriks, I. E., Wilson, D. T., and Meekan, M. G. (2001). Vertical distributions of late stage larval fishes in the nearshore waters of the San Bias Archipelago, Caribbean Panama. Coral Reefs 20, 77–84.
| Vertical distributions of late stage larval fishes in the nearshore waters of the San Bias Archipelago, Caribbean Panama.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hickford, M. J. H., and Schiel, D. R. (1999). Evaluation of the performance of light traps for sampling fish larvae in inshore temperate waters. Marine Ecology Progress Series 186, 293–302.
| Evaluation of the performance of light traps for sampling fish larvae in inshore temperate waters.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Jaxion-Harm, J. (2010). The relationship between coral-reef fish (larvae, juveniles, and adults) and mangroves: a case study in Honduras. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Oxford, Department of Zoology, Oxford, UK.
Jaxion-Harm, J., Saunders, J., and Speight, M. R. (2012). Distribution of fish in seagrass, mangroves and coral reefs: life-stage dependent habitat use in Honduras. Revista de Biologia Tropical 60, 683–698.
| Distribution of fish in seagrass, mangroves and coral reefs: life-stage dependent habitat use in Honduras.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 23894938PubMed |
Jaxion-Harm, J., Pien, C., Saunders, J. E., and Speight, M. R. (2013). Distribution of fish, crustacea and zooplankton at different distances from mangrove prop roots within a semi-isolated lagoon. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 93, 1471–1479.
| Distribution of fish, crustacea and zooplankton at different distances from mangrove prop roots within a semi-isolated lagoon.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kjerfve, B. (1981). Tides of the Caribbean Sea. Journal of Geophysical Research 86, 4243–4247.
| Tides of the Caribbean Sea.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Macedo-Soares, L. C. P., Birolo, A. B., and Freire, A. S. (2009). Spatial and temporal distribution of fish eggs and larvae in a subtropical coastal lagoon, Santa Catarina State, Brazil. Neotropical Ichthyology 7, 231–240.
| Spatial and temporal distribution of fish eggs and larvae in a subtropical coastal lagoon, Santa Catarina State, Brazil.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Marchetti, M. P., Esteban, E., Limm, M., and Kurth, R. (2004). Evaluating aspects of larval light trap bias and specificity in the northern Sacramento river system: do size and color matter? In ‘Early Life History of Fishes in the San Francisco Estuary and Watershed: Proceedings of the Symposium’, 20–23 August 2003, Santa Cruz, CA, USA. (Eds F. Feyrer, L. R. Brown, R. L. Brown, and J. J. Orsi.) pp. 269–279. (American Fishery Society: Bethesda, MD, USA.)
Milicich, M. J., Meekan, M. G., and Doherty, P. J. (1992). Larval supply: a good predictor of recruitment of three species of reef fish. Marine Ecology Progress Series 86, 153–166.
| Larval supply: a good predictor of recruitment of three species of reef fish.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ooi, A. L., and Chong, V. C. (2011). Larval fish assemblages in a tropical mangrove estuary and adjacent coastal waters: offshore-inshore flux of marine and estuarine species. Continental Shelf Research 31, 1599–1610.
| Larval fish assemblages in a tropical mangrove estuary and adjacent coastal waters: offshore-inshore flux of marine and estuarine species.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Pollux, B. J. A., Verberk, W. C. E. P., Dorenbosch, M., Cocheret de la Moriniere, E., and Nagelkerken, I. (2007). Habitat selection during settlement of three Caribbean coral reef fishes: indications for directed settlement to seagrass beds and mangroves. Limnology and Oceanography 52, 903–907.
| Habitat selection during settlement of three Caribbean coral reef fishes: indications for directed settlement to seagrass beds and mangroves.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Richards, W. J. (2005). ‘Early Stages of Atlantic Fishes: an Identification Guide for the Western Central North Atlantic.’ (CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, USA.)
Rooker, J. R., Dennis, G. D., and Goulet, D. (1996). Sampling larval fishes with a nightlight lift-net in tropical inshore waters. Fisheries Research 26, 1–15.
| Sampling larval fishes with a nightlight lift-net in tropical inshore waters.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Shima, J. S. (2001). Recruitment of a coral reef fish: roles of settlement, habitat, and postsettlement losses. Ecology 82, 2190–2199.
| Recruitment of a coral reef fish: roles of settlement, habitat, and postsettlement losses.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Shulman, M. J., and Ogden, J. C. (1987). What controls tropical reef fish populations: recruitment or benthic mortality? An example in the Caribbean reef fish Haemulon flavolineatum. Marine Ecology Progress Series 39, 233–242.
| What controls tropical reef fish populations: recruitment or benthic mortality? An example in the Caribbean reef fish Haemulon flavolineatum.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Sponaugle, S., Lee, T., Kourafalou, V., and Pinkard, D. (2005). Florida current frontal eddies and the settlement of coral reef fishes. Limnology and Oceanography 50, 1033–1048.
| Florida current frontal eddies and the settlement of coral reef fishes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Stobutzki, I. C., and Bellwood, D. R. (1998). Nocturnal orientation to reefs by late pelagic stage coral reef fishes. Coral Reefs 17, 103–110.
| Nocturnal orientation to reefs by late pelagic stage coral reef fishes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
van der Meer, H. G. (1994). Ontogenetic change of visual thresholds in the Cichlid fish Haplochromis sauvagei. Brain, Behavior and Evolution 44, 40–49.
| Ontogenetic change of visual thresholds in the Cichlid fish Haplochromis sauvagei.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DyaK2czmtlGlsw%3D%3D&md5=08823a6d1593d3fc6c34e75d36ca44dfCAS |
Vásquez-Yeomans, L. (2000). Seasonal variation of ichthyoplankton in a western Caribbean bay system. Environmental Biology of Fishes 58, 379–392.
| Seasonal variation of ichthyoplankton in a western Caribbean bay system.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Vásquez-Yeomans, L., Vega-Cendejas, M. E., Montero, J. L., and Sosa-Cordero, E. (2011). High species richness of early stages of fish in a locality of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System: a small-scale survey using different sampling gears. Biodiversity and Conservation 20, 2379–2392.
| High species richness of early stages of fish in a locality of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System: a small-scale survey using different sampling gears.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Verweij, M. C., Nagelkerken, I., Hans, I., Ruseler, S. M., and Mason, P. R. D. (2008). Seagrass nurseries contribute to coral reef fish populations. Limnology and Oceanography 53, 1540–1547.
| Seagrass nurseries contribute to coral reef fish populations.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Victor, B. C. (1986). Larval settlement and juvenile mortality in a recruitment-limited coral-reef fish population. Ecological Monographs 56, 145–160.
| Larval settlement and juvenile mortality in a recruitment-limited coral-reef fish population.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Victor, B. (2015). The photographic web guide to the larvae of coral reef fishes: the 21st century. Available at http://www.coralreeffish.com/larvae.html [Verified 10 March 2016].
