Download or read book Reef Fish Spawning Aggregations Biology Research and Management written by Yvonne Sadovy de Mitcheson and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-12-10 with total page 639 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reef fish spawning aggregations, ranging from small groups to many tens of thousands of individuals, are spectacular but poorly known natural phenomena whereby fish assemble at specific times and locations to spawn. For some species these large groups may be the only form of reproduction, the high fish numbers briefly giving a false impression of stability and abundance—an ‘illusion of plenty’. They are often a focus for intensive seasonal fishing because of their predictability and because many important commercial fishes form them. Highly vulnerable to overexploitation, many aggregations and their associated fisheries, have disappeared or are in decline. Few are effectively managed or incorporated into protected areas. Aggregations are not well understood by fishery scientists, managers and conservationists and their significance little appreciated by fishers or the wider public. To ensure their persistence to replenish important fisheries in coral ecosystems, maintain their ecosystem function and continue to delight divers, a significant change in perspective is needed to foster protection and management. This book provides comprehensive and practical coverage of the biology, study and management of reef fish aggregations, exploring their how, when, where, and why. It explores ways to better protect, study, manage and conserve them, while identifying key data gaps and questions. The text is extensively illustrated with many unique, never before published, photographs and graphics. Case studies on over 20 interesting and important fishes are included, outlining their biology and fisheries and highlighting major concerns and challenges.

Download or read book Reef Fish Spawning Aggregation Sites written by Jude peter Bijoux and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fish spawning aggregation (FSA) sites are areas where repeated concentration of conspecific fish gathers for the purpose of spawning. Despite of their importance in the reproduction of many coral reef fishes, few FSA sites are actively managed. The aim of this study, conducted in the Seychelles, was to improve general understanding on the ecology of FSA sites to facilitate their management. It focuses on both the individuals that aggregate at FSA sites to spawn and those that are resident at FSA sites. Acoustic telemetry and underwater visual census were used to study three species that form spawning aggregations (spinefoot shoemaker (Siganus sutor), Camouflage grouper (Epinephelus polyphekadion) and Brown-marbled grouper (E. fuscoguttatus)) and the resident fish assemblages at FSA sites. Acoustic detections found individual S. sutor to have high fidelity to individual FSA sites and to show significant periodicity with the full moon period in the timing of their arrival and departure from FSA sites. Conversely, spawning aggregations of E. fuscoguttatus and E. polyphekadion overlapped spatially and temporally, with strong periodicity for spawning aggregation to form with the new moon period. The formation of E. fuscoguttatus and E. polyphekadion FSAs caused complex changes in the fish assemblage that is resident at the FSA site. The effect of lunar phase on the resident fish assemblages at S. sutor FSA sites appeared to be scale-dependent, having greater impact at the larger than the smaller FSA site. Information on the spatial and temporal dynamics of aggregating and resident fish species is used to propose management actions to improve the protection of FSA sites.

Download or read book Regional Analysis of Seafloor Characteristics at Reef Fish Spawning Aggregation Sites in the Caribbean written by Shinichi Kobara and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Overfishing of stock and decreasing biodiversity are grave concerns for the U.S. and the rest of the world. In the Caribbean, one of the critical science gaps hindering effective management is the lack of information on how environmental factors may make fish spawning aggregation (FSA) sites optimal for spawning. Understanding and applying spatial information of marine species' reproductive ecology and critical life habitat such as the patterns of seafloor characteristics of FSA sites is vital to efficiently design marine protected areas (MPAs) to help rebuild regional fish stocks. The specific goals of the study were: (1) to map the seafloor at historically known grouper and snapper spawning aggregation sites in three different countries, and (2) to characterize quantitatively the geomorphology of the sites including horizontal and vertical curvature profiles of the reefs, bottom depth at spawning sites, distance between spawning sites and shelf-edges/reef promontory tips, and the shortest distance between the spawning sites and 100 m water depth. These data were field-collected with a global positioning system (GPS) and eco-sounder that provided latitude/longitude and depth. The point data were interpolated to surfaces in GIS to determine slope, curvature, and distance from spawning sites and three-dimensional reef structures. This study revealed that all 12 known Nassau grouper spawning aggregation sites in Belize and 5 known sites in the Cayman Islands were located at convex-shaped seaward extending reefs (reef promontories) jutting into deep water, within 1 km of reef promontory tips. However, spawning aggregations did not always occur at the tips of reef promontories, though all were found along the shelf edges within 1 km of promontory tips. Sixteen sites were multi-species spawning sites. These general characteristics were used to predict an undiscovered multi-species spawning aggregation in Belize. A successful prediction in Belize, together with the compiled data from multiple sites indicate: 1) reef promontories are vital locations for transient reef fish spawning aggregations, 2) three-dimensional information and analysis are necessary to locate grouper and snapper FSA sites, and 3) this study provides a potential tool for not only design for MPAs but also prediction of unknown spawning sites in the Caribbean.

Download or read book Egg Predation at Tropical Reef Fish Spawning Aggregation Sites written by Matthew Robert Fraser and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Reef Fish Spawning Aggregations Biology Research and Management written by Yvonne Sadovy de Mitcheson and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-11-06 with total page 639 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reef fish spawning aggregations, ranging from small groups to many tens of thousands of individuals, are spectacular but poorly known natural phenomena whereby fish assemble at specific times and locations to spawn. For some species these large groups may be the only form of reproduction, the high fish numbers briefly giving a false impression of stability and abundance—an ‘illusion of plenty’. They are often a focus for intensive seasonal fishing because of their predictability and because many important commercial fishes form them. Highly vulnerable to overexploitation, many aggregations and their associated fisheries, have disappeared or are in decline. Few are effectively managed or incorporated into protected areas. Aggregations are not well understood by fishery scientists, managers and conservationists and their significance little appreciated by fishers or the wider public. To ensure their persistence to replenish important fisheries in coral ecosystems, maintain their ecosystem function and continue to delight divers, a significant change in perspective is needed to foster protection and management. This book provides comprehensive and practical coverage of the biology, study and management of reef fish aggregations, exploring their how, when, where, and why. It explores ways to better protect, study, manage and conserve them, while identifying key data gaps and questions. The text is extensively illustrated with many unique, never before published, photographs and graphics. Case studies on over 20 interesting and important fishes are included, outlining their biology and fisheries and highlighting major concerns and challenges.

Download or read book Behavioral Ecology of Coral Reef Fishes at Spawning Aggregation Sites written by Gorka Antonio Sancho-Bizcarrondo Sancho and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 508 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Coral reef fishes aggregate to spawn on certain locations of reefs. This thesis is an extensive investigation of the behavioral and ecological relations between spawning reef fishes, predators and their environment at a spawning aggregation site. Many hypotheses have been proposed regarding the adaptive nature of different diel reproductive cycles observed in coral reef fishes. This study quantified the spawning patterns of eleven different reef fish species at one location (Johnston Atoll, Central Pacific), while making simultaneous measurements of the environmental factors likely to affect the spawning behavior of reef fishes. The environmental variables measured included time of day, tides, current velocity, current speed and abundance of piscivorous predators, and were correlated with observed spawning outputs through multifactorial analyses. High interspecific variability in spawning patterns was found among the eleven monitored species. The majority of species spawned at a specific time of the day, in agreement with the timing of spawning described at other locations, indicative of a fixed general response by fishes across distribution areas. Spawning of most fishes with daytime spawning peaks was correlated with local changes in current direction and predatory risks, showing responses designed to reduce the mortality of propagules and adults. Dusk-spawning species generally did not respond to changes in flow direction and predator abundance, most likely due to their short spawning periods and the reduced predatory pressures that occurred at dusk. Tides did not seem to be used exclusively as synchronizing cues to adult fishes for spawning. The influence of current speed in determining diel timing of spawning varied among species, with some species showing responses to current speed while others showed no response. Predation is a selective force hypothesized to influence the spawning behavior of coral reef fishes. This study describes and quantifies the predatory activities of two piscivorous and three planktivorous species at a coral reef fish spawning aggregation site in Johnston Atoll (Central Pacific). To characterize predator-prey relations, the spawning behavior of prey species was quantified simultaneously with measurements of predatory activity, current speed and substrate topography. Diel activity patterns and predator-prey relations varied among the predatory species analyzed. The activity patterns of piscivores, measured both as abundance and attack rates, were high during the daytime, decreased during the late afternoon hours and reached a minimum at dusk. The abundance of piscivores was significantly correlated with the abundance of prey for only one (Caranx melampygus) of the two piscivorous species, while the other species (Aphareus furca) did not respond to prey abundance. The selection of certain prey species by piscivores was consistent with two different hypotheses: the satiation of predators and the differences in spawning behaviors among prey species. Two of the three planktivorous species fed most actively at dusk, and selected as prey those species of reef fishes that produced eggs of large size. The third planktivorous species fed at all times of the day. Spawning prey fishes were more abundant over substrates with complex topography where refuges from piscivores were abundant than over smooth substrates. Overall attack rates by piscivores on adult spawning fishes were higher than by planktivores feeding on recently released eggs. The diel spawning patterns displayed by reef fishes at the study site seem to be influenced by the diel activity and prey selection patterns of piscivores previously described. The highest diversity of prey species occurred at dusk, when piscivores were least abundant and overall abundance of prey fishes was lowest. The behavioral strategies used by the piscivore Caranx melampygus (Carangidae) while feeding on spawning aggregations of coral reef fishes were studied for two years at Johnston Atoll (Central Pacific). Visual behavioral observations revealed the existence of two different hunting behaviors employed by this predator. A 'midwater' hunting behavior, which consisted of midwater high speed attacks on spawning fishes, is typical of large sized transient predators and yielded a low capture success rate (2%). An 'ambush' hunting behavior consisted of attacks on spawning fishes from hiding locations in the substrate, and yielded a much higher capture success rate (17%). While ambushing their prey, C. melampygus displayed territorial aggressive behaviors toward other intruding conspecifics, defending a specific section of the reef. This specialized ambushing behavior is atypical of fast swimming carangids, but illustrates the behavioral flexibility of this predator. I suggest that the use of these two hunting behaviors by C. melampygus can potentially cause density-dependent mortality rates in prey communities, a demographic consequence previously attributed to the simultaneous action of various guilds of predatory species. Two species of trunkfishes (Ostraciidae) were observed spawning above a coral reef at Johnston Atoll (Central Pacific). This study analyzed the potential causes determining the difference in spawning ascent height in Ostracion meleagris (3.3 m average) and 0. whitleyi (1.5 m average). One hypothesis proposes that the risk of predation by piscivores influences how far each species can swim from the substrate, and that predation risk is greater for 0. whitleyi than 0. meleagris. Trunkfishes have an armoured exoskeleton and secrete an ichthyotoxic mucous under stress conditions, two defenses against predation. Because the two species used the same spawning grounds and spawned at approximately the same time, their size and toxicity levels were analyzed to assess their susceptibility to predation. Toxins were extracted from wild fishes and tested using a mosquitofish assay. Ostracion whitleyi was more toxic than 0. meleagris, refuting the predation-risk hypothesis. A second hypothesis proposes that long ascents are a way for spawning pairs to avoid disturbances by other male conspecifics. Observations of the spawning behaviours of the two species showed that male 0. meleagris were frequently involved in fighting episodes and showed high rates of male streaking (intruding nonpaired males attempting to fertilize eggs from spawning paired females), while none of these behaviours were observed in 0. whitleyi. The larger spawning height from the substrate may be an attempt by pairs of 0. meleagris to reduce the possibility of interference by other male conspecifics. Thus, the height of spawning ascents corresponds to the expectation from the male disturbance hypothesis, but not to the expectation of the predatory risk hypothesis.

Download or read book Manual for the Study and Conservation of Reef Fish Spawning Aggregations written by Patrick Lynn Colin and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Manual for the Study and Conservation of Reef Fish Spawning Aggregations written by Patrick Lynn Colin and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Spawning Aggregations of Reef Fishes on the Great Barrier Reef written by Martin Russell and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 37 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Generic Essential Fish Habitat Amendment to Spiny Lobster Queen Conch Reef Fish and Coral Fishery Management Plans for the U S Caribbean written by and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 470 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Seafloor Geomorphology as Benthic Habitat written by Peter Harris and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2011-11-28 with total page 947 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Annotation This book provides a synthesis of seabed geomorphology and benthic habitats based on the most recent, up-to-date information. Case studies from around the world are presented.

Download or read book Oceanography and Marine Biology written by R. N. Hughes and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2013-08-28 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Increasing interest in oceanography and marine biology and its relevance to global environmental issues continues to create a demand for authoritative reviews summarizing recent research. Now in its 51st volume, Oceanography and Marine Biology has addressed this demand for more than 50 years. This annual review considers the basics of marine research, special topics, and emerging new areas. Regarding the marine sciences as a unified field, the text features contributors who are actively engaged in biological, chemical, geological, and physical aspects of marine science. Including color inserts and extensive reference lists, this series is essential for researchers and students in all fields of marine science.

Download or read book While Stocks Last written by Yvonne Sadovy and published by Adb Pacific Studies. This book was released on 2003 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study brings together the work of many researchers to arrive at suggestions for solving the environmental problems caused by the long-running live-fish trade in Southeast Asia. With strong demand coming from mainland China, this trade has caused rampant over-fishing in Asia and consequent damage to outside subsistence or commercial fisheries. This work discusses the role of regional organizations in regulating the trade as well as ways to decrease nontarget fish mortality in an industry that often employs cyanide solution as a fishing tool.

Download or read book Marine and Coastal Protected Areas written by Rodney V. Salm and published by IUCN. This book was released on 2000 with total page 406 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a new edition of the classic textbook on marine protected area (MPA) management in the tropics, originally produced as an output of the Bali World Parks Congress in 1982. Approaches to planning and managing MPAs have evolved considerably. Major advances include innovative financing mechanisms, partnerships with the private sector and NGOs, and collaborative management between government and coastal communities. These advances have brought new approaches for MPA establishment and management that are more participatory, involving communities through interaction and collaboration rather than prescription. With new case studies and illustrations, the guide comes in a water-resistant cover for field use. It is intended for those who plan individual and/or national MPA systems and gives philosophical context for MPAs along with some basic principles and approaches.

Download or read book Coupling of Passive and Active Acoustics to Study Grouper Spawning Aggregations in Tortugas Ecological Reserves written by Michael L. Burton and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 2 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This project addresses the primary issue of reducing the adverse impacts of fishing by identifying and protecting coral reef fish spawning aggregation sites. Based on diver surveys and bathymetric analyses, we identified three potential spawning aggregation sites on Riley's Hump, in the Tortugas South Ecological Reserve (TSER)"--Objectives.

Download or read book Behavioral Ecology of Coral Reef Fishes at Spawning Aggregation Sites written by Gorka Sancho and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 676 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This thesis is an extensive investigation of the behavioral and ecological relationships between spawning reef fishes, their predators, and various environmental parameters at spawning aggregation sites. Underwater observations of spawning activities by eleven reef fish species and the hunting behaviors of both piscivorous and planktivorous predators were made at Johnston Atoll (Central Pacific). The spawning of reef fishes was typically correlated with local changes in current direction and predatory risks in daytime-spawning species, showing responses designed to reduce the mortality of propagules and adults. Dusk-spawning species generally did not respond to changes in flow direction or predator abundance. Piscivores were most active at spawning sites during the daytime hours, when spawning prey fish were most abundant, but showed low activity at dusk, the period of highest prey diversity. Alternate hunting behaviors (midwater or ambush attacks) were used by piscivores when feeding on spawning fishes, and resulted in different capture success rates. The difference in heights of spawning ascents by two trunkfish species was interpreted to be the result of intraspecific competition among males, and could not be explained by interspecific differences in susceptibility to predation, estimated as a function' of the specific toxicity of both species. ."--Stinet

Download or read book Tropical Snappers And Groupers written by Jeffrey Joseph Polovina and published by Westview Press. This book was released on 1987-01-05 with total page 688 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: