Patterns of Juvenile Habitat Use and Seasonality of Settlement by Permit, Trachinotus falcatus

Abstract

SynopsisPermit, Trachinotus falcatus are economically and ecologically important throughout their range of the Caribbean, subtropical and tropical western Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico. Despite their economic importance, little is known about the biology and ecology of permit, and most existing information is from Florida. While sufficient information is available to paint a general picture of permit life history, details are lacking for most life stages. For the juvenile life stage, nursery habitats and size and age at settlement have not yet been defined. Although six distinct habitat types (medium energy and low energy windward beaches, leeward beaches, and windward, leeward, and lagoon interior mangrove shorelines) were sampled to determine spatial patterns of habitat use by early juvenile permit at Turneffe Atoll, Belize, Central America, and the Florida Keys, USA, 99% of juvenile permit were found along medium energy windward beaches, indicating their role as nursery habitat for this species. A sub-sample of juvenile permit from Florida was examined to estimate spawning date and age at settlement from otoliths. Size-frequency distributions and otolith age analysis indicate that larval duration is approximately 15 -20 days, and settlement occurs year-round. Since permit in Florida spawn March through July, from March through September in Cuba, and from February through October in Belize, year-round settlement indicates population connectivity via larval transport. These results lay the foundation for future research on larval supply, population connectivity, and juvenile ecology, and will aid in the ongoing formulation of a conservation plan toward a sustainable fishery for permit.

Seasonal occupancy and connectivity amongst nearshore flats and reef habitats by permit Trachinotus falcatus: considerations for fisheries management

“…However, bonefish have a longer larval development period than permit. Similar models have suggested that permit spawning offshore of the Dry Tortugas, west of the Florida Keys, may be a major source of permit larvae in the region due to oceanic currents (Bryan et al ., ), yet the temporal patterns in permit larval settlement suggest larvae are also sourced from other regions (Adams et al ., ). Larval dispersal and settlement patterns of reef fishes in the Florida Keys are complex due to the influences of the timing of fish spawning and oceanic current patterns, including the formation of mesoscale eddies and tidal bores in the region between the FRT and the Florida Keys (Berger et al ., ; D'Alessandro et al ., ).…”

Optimizing video sampling for juvenile fish surveys: Using deep learning and evaluation of assumptions to produce critical fisheries parameters

“…In developing a comprehensive knowledge of juvenile dynamics in a fishery where there is limited data on the juvenile phase, there is a logical order in which this information can be produced. Juvenile habitats are often imperfectly known (Adams, Wolfe, Kellison, & Victor, 2006; Bradley, Baker, Nagelkerken, & Sheaves, 2019; Bradley, Baker, & Sheaves, 2017; Rooper, Boldt, & Zimmermann, 2007). First, in order to begin gathering data on any aspect of juvenile ecology, a basic census must be conducted to determine the locations where juveniles are present and the abundance or density at which they occur.…”

Mangrove habitat use by fishes in Southeastern Brazil: are there temporal changes in the structure of the community?

“…; Adams et al . ). A nursery habitat is defined as a habitat that contributes a higher than average biomass to a spatially separated adult population compared with other juvenile habitats (Nagelkerken ; Igulu et al .…”

“…However, these transition systems are subject to intense environmental pressures such as eutrophication, overfishing, building construction and other anthropogenic activities that lead to environmental degradation (Martinho et al 2008). These ecosystems have been referred to as fish nurseries because they harbor high densities of juvenile stages (Parrish 1989;Dorenbosch et al 2005;Adams et al 2006). A nursery habitat is defined as a habitat that contributes a higher than average biomass to a spatially separated adult population compared with other juvenile habitats (Nagelkerken 2009;Igulu et al 2014).…”