Reproductive Ecology and Spawning Periodicity of the Atlantic Silverside, Menidia menidia (Pisces: Atherinidae)

Middaugh, Douglas P.

doi:10.2307/1444176

Cited by 72 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Spawning occurs in the intertidal zone from mid-March through June in the midAtlantic region (Hillebrand 1928) and slightly later in northern populations (Conover & Present 1990). Eggs are demersal and are attached to submerged vegetation (Middaugh 1981. Evidence from δ 15 N in the tissue of M. menidia collected from Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts, demonstrated juveniles remain in their natal estuaries during their first growing season, thereby supporting the idea of low dispersal (Griffin & Valiela 2001).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Chemical signatures in the otoliths of a coastal marine fish, Menidia menidia, from the northeastern United States: spatial and temporal differences

Clarke

Walther²,

Munch

et al. 2009

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Knowledge of population structure in marine systems is fundamental to effective management and conservation. The geochemical signature of otoliths may provide a promising natural tag for quantifying population structure in marine fishes. However, the spatial scale at which chemical signatures differ among species from different environments and with different life histories is not yet clear. We examined chemical signatures in the otoliths of juvenile Menidia menidia, a ubiquitous nearshore marine species found along the east coast of North America that undergoes offshore winter migration. Specimens were collected from 16 locations in 2003 and from 9 locations in 2004 between New Jersey and Maine. Otolith geochemistry was analyzed using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Juvenile fish showed significant site-specific differences and were assigned to natal sites with 70% (2003) and 77% (2004) average cross-validated classification accuracies based on elemental (Mg, Mn, Sr, Ba, Cu, and Pb relative to Ca) and isotope (δ 13 C, δ 18 O) ratios using quadratic discriminant function analysis. Geochemical signatures showed significant interannual variation, suggesting natural tags are year-class specific. Results suggest enough heterogeneity exists in marine chemical signatures to track movements and determine whether M. menidia return to their natal, nearshore location upon return from winter migration. Because M. menidia show evidence of local adaptation, knowledge of this winter migration will have evolutionary and ecological implications. Geochemical signatures of otoliths will likely serve as a useful tool in species with similar life histories.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Chemical signatures in the otoliths of a coastal marine fish, Menidia menidia, from the northeastern United States: spatial and temporal differences

Clarke

Walther²,

Munch

et al. 2009

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…Dawn or daylight spawning occurs in several species that have visual courtship displays (Middaugh 1981, Doherty 1983) but sciaenids primarily use sound (drumming of the air bladder) for courtship, especially in the final stages, so spawning is not dependent on light. Mok & Gilmore (1983) found that maximum sound production for 3 sciaenids occurred between 1700 and 2200 h and proposed that this was their primary spawning time.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diel periodicity of spawning in sciaenids

Holt¹,

Holt²,

Arnold³

1985

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Time of day was determined for spawning of several species of sciaenid fishes by examin~ng development stages of eggs collected in estuarine and near-shore plankton samples. Estuarine samples were taken at different times of day and night but newly spawned Cynoscion nebulosus and Bairdiella chrysoura eggs were taken only during a period from just before to 3 or 4 hours after sunset. Sclaenops ocellatus and Mentichirrhus sp. eggs from near-shore Gulf of Mexico samples, taken during the morning, all contained tail-bud stage embryos, indicating evening spawning in these species. It is proposed that evening spawning reduces predation on sciaenid eggs by allowing dispersal of eggs during the night when planktivores may be less active. Overnight dispersal reduced C, nebulosus egg density from 100 m-3 during evening spawning to 1 m-3 the next afternoon. Lower egg densities during the day would reduce egg mortality due to predation. Egg predation experiments showed that predation rates increased with increasing egg density but no difference was found in predation rates between trials run in light and total darkness.

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“…Thus, both of these wide-ranging predators should encounter the six species of decapod larvae in the estuary during the breeding season of the crabs. Furthermore, fishes hatch and develop in the estuary during spring and summer when crabs do (Kneib and Stiven 1978;Middaugh 1981), so that zoeae would be subject to larval fish predation.…”

Section: Selection Of Experimental Organismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphological and behavioral antipredatory adaptations of decapod zoeae

Morgan

1987

Oecologia

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Summary. Zoeae of some species of estuarine decapods are retained in the estuary throughout development while others are exported into nearshore coastal waters. The horizontal migrations of decapod zoeae to coastal waters may have evolved to reduce the probability of encountering planktivorous fishes which are most abundant in the estuary. If so, then the morphological vulnerability of zoeae to fish predation should be inversely related to the number of predators occurring where they develop. Six species of estuarine decapod zoeae were offered to Menidia menidia and Fundulus heteroclitus. The behavioral interactions were observed to determine the prey's vulnerability to predation, and the mode of operation and relative effectiveness of their defenses. Feeding trials and behavioral observations both demonstrated that M. menidia 6-16 mm long preferred Uca minax and Callinectes sapidus zoeae, which are exported from the estuary, to Rhithropanopeus harrisii, Sesarma reticulatum and Palaemonetes pugio, which are retained within estuaries. Pinnotheres ostreum zoeae develop in the lower estuary and fish demonstrated an intermediate preference for the zoeae. Menidia menidia 20-40 mm long showed similar preferences for R. harrisii, S. reticulatum, P. ostreum and U. minax as did small silversides. Large-mouthed demersal fish, Fundulus heteroclitus 6-10 mm long, also preferred U. minax to R. harrisii, but more readily preyed on zoeae than did M. menidia. The exported species of zoeae have shorter spines and smaller bodies than do retained zoeae, except P. ostreum which is small, spineless and passively sinks when attacked by fish. Other retained species of zoeae also have postcontact behavioral defenses which enhance the effectiveness of their morphological defenses. Zoeae do not evade attacks by fishes, but fishes quickly learned to avoid zoeae, which increases the effectiveness of the zoeae's antipredatory adaptations.

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Reproductive Ecology and Spawning Periodicity of the Atlantic Silverside, Menidia menidia (Pisces: Atherinidae)

Cited by 72 publications

References 12 publications

Chemical signatures in the otoliths of a coastal marine fish, Menidia menidia, from the northeastern United States: spatial and temporal differences

Chemical signatures in the otoliths of a coastal marine fish, Menidia menidia, from the northeastern United States: spatial and temporal differences

Diel periodicity of spawning in sciaenids

Morphological and behavioral antipredatory adaptations of decapod zoeae

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