Abstract
To examine the relative roles of physical and biological processes involved in the recruitment of reef fishes, temporal and spatial patterns of supply and recruitment were measured for two fishes, Stegastes partitus (Poey) (Pomacentridae) and Acanthurus bahianus Castelnau (Acanthuridae), recruiting to Barbados, West Indies. Nightly light-trap collections of late- stage larvae were compared with patterns of juvenile recruitment. Otolith records provided estimates of larval duration and post-settlement age. Temporal patterns of larval supply were similar for both species: abundances peaked during the third-quarter moon. However, spatial patterns of larval supply varied between species: during large recruitment events, S. partitus larvae were more abundant in the south, A. bahianus in the north, suggesting that larval supply was not simply the result of passive transport. Patterns of supply were subsequently maintained (S. partitus) or modified (A. bahianus) by juveniles. In general, densities of juvenile S. partitus were evenly distributed along the coast; however, during major events, spatial patterns of recruitment reflected patterns of larval supply. In contrast, densities of juvenile A. bahianus were directly opposite patterns of larval supply, suggesting that for some species, postsettlement processes such as habitat selection may be more influential in creating spatial patterns of recruitment.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 433-447 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Marine and Freshwater Research |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| State | Published - Jan 1 1996 |
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Keywords
- lunar cycle
- settlement
- tidal currents
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Aquatic Science
- Oceanography
Cite this
Larval supply and patterns of recruitment for two caribbean reef fishes, Stegastes partitus and Acanthurus bahianus. / Sponaugle, Su; Cowen, Robert K.
In: Marine and Freshwater Research, Vol. 47, No. 2, 01.01.1996, p. 433-447.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Larval supply and patterns of recruitment for two caribbean reef fishes, Stegastes partitus and Acanthurus bahianus
AU - Sponaugle, Su
AU - Cowen, Robert K.
PY - 1996/1/1
Y1 - 1996/1/1
N2 - To examine the relative roles of physical and biological processes involved in the recruitment of reef fishes, temporal and spatial patterns of supply and recruitment were measured for two fishes, Stegastes partitus (Poey) (Pomacentridae) and Acanthurus bahianus Castelnau (Acanthuridae), recruiting to Barbados, West Indies. Nightly light-trap collections of late- stage larvae were compared with patterns of juvenile recruitment. Otolith records provided estimates of larval duration and post-settlement age. Temporal patterns of larval supply were similar for both species: abundances peaked during the third-quarter moon. However, spatial patterns of larval supply varied between species: during large recruitment events, S. partitus larvae were more abundant in the south, A. bahianus in the north, suggesting that larval supply was not simply the result of passive transport. Patterns of supply were subsequently maintained (S. partitus) or modified (A. bahianus) by juveniles. In general, densities of juvenile S. partitus were evenly distributed along the coast; however, during major events, spatial patterns of recruitment reflected patterns of larval supply. In contrast, densities of juvenile A. bahianus were directly opposite patterns of larval supply, suggesting that for some species, postsettlement processes such as habitat selection may be more influential in creating spatial patterns of recruitment.
AB - To examine the relative roles of physical and biological processes involved in the recruitment of reef fishes, temporal and spatial patterns of supply and recruitment were measured for two fishes, Stegastes partitus (Poey) (Pomacentridae) and Acanthurus bahianus Castelnau (Acanthuridae), recruiting to Barbados, West Indies. Nightly light-trap collections of late- stage larvae were compared with patterns of juvenile recruitment. Otolith records provided estimates of larval duration and post-settlement age. Temporal patterns of larval supply were similar for both species: abundances peaked during the third-quarter moon. However, spatial patterns of larval supply varied between species: during large recruitment events, S. partitus larvae were more abundant in the south, A. bahianus in the north, suggesting that larval supply was not simply the result of passive transport. Patterns of supply were subsequently maintained (S. partitus) or modified (A. bahianus) by juveniles. In general, densities of juvenile S. partitus were evenly distributed along the coast; however, during major events, spatial patterns of recruitment reflected patterns of larval supply. In contrast, densities of juvenile A. bahianus were directly opposite patterns of larval supply, suggesting that for some species, postsettlement processes such as habitat selection may be more influential in creating spatial patterns of recruitment.
KW - lunar cycle
KW - settlement
KW - tidal currents
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0029662791&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0029662791&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0029662791
VL - 47
SP - 433
EP - 447
JO - Marine and Freshwater Research
JF - Marine and Freshwater Research
SN - 1323-1650
IS - 2
ER -