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Aggregations and offshore movements as indicators of spawning activity of bonefish (Albula vulpes) in The Bahamas

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Abstract

To identify the timing and location of spawning activity for bonefish (Albula spp.) in the Bahamian archipelago, we used an acoustic telemetry array spanning 44 km2 of shallow tidal creeks, flats, and adjacent deeper coastal waters near Cape Eleuthera. In two successive years, we surgically implanted transmitters in male and female bonefish (n = 60) and examined their movement patterns within the array. Eight bonefish surgically implanted with transmitters as part of an earlier study were also tracked. In 2009, the telemetry information was complemented with snorkeling observations, underwater video, and manual tracking of the same acoustically tagged fish, as well as fish (n = 3) gastrically implanted with continuous transmitters. During a period of 4–7 days spanning the full and new moons, primarily between October and May, bonefish moved from their typical shallow flats and aggregated at sites in close proximity to the deep water drop-off of the Exuma Sound. Localized movements of the large schools of bonefish (often >1,000 fish) at these presumptive pre-spawning aggregation sites included brief trips (<8 h) just after sunset until just prior to sunrise to the abyssal wall at the edge of the Exuma Sound (i.e., >1,000 m depth). Tagged bonefish detected at these aggregation sites were subsequently detected back in the tidal creeks and coastal flats shortly after new and full moons and remained at these more typical shallow sites (i.e., <2 m depth). Although we did not directly observe spawning events, we did observe ventral nudging and porpoising behaviors, which are potentially associated with courtship. Timing of the observed movements and possible courtship behaviors was coincident with periods when gametes were well developed. Collectively, our study provides the first objective evidence suggesting that the aggregation and seasonal migration of bonefish to deep shelf environments during certain moon phases is for spawning.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the staff, students, and volunteers of the Cape Eleuthera Institute and The Island School for logistical support and assistance with fieldwork, and in particular S. Langosch, A. Lilleston, T. Voorhees, and T. Thompson. We also thank other research staff including J. Claussen, Mi. Philipp, Ma. Philipp, K. Hanson, A. O’Toole, J. Stein, and D. Petersen. This project was supported by grants from Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, Patagonia’s World Trout Initiative, the Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation, the Baldwin Foundation, as well as generous personal donations from B. Hallig, T. Rice, and J. Spring. Additional financial support was provided by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, the Ontario Research Fund, Carleton University, the Cape Eleuthera Foundation, and the University of Illinois. K.J.M was supported by a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council CGSD fellowship. We also thank B. Richards (Scientific Anglers), J. Shulin (Temple Fork Outfitters), B. Klyn (Patagonia), and The Bahamas Department of Marine Resources for their support. A.J.D. was supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture, and the Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station and Department of Environmental Conservation (project number MAS00987).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 311 Holdsworth Hall, 160 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA

    Andy J. Danylchuk & Christopher R. Haak

  2. Flats Ecology and Conservation Program, Cape Eleuthera Institute, Eleuthera, Bahamas

    Andy J. Danylchuk, Steven J. Cooke, Tony L. Goldberg, Cory D. Suski, Karen J. Murchie, Sascha E. Danylchuk, Aaron D. Shultz, Christopher R. Haak, Edd J. Brooks, Annabelle Oronti, Jeff B. Koppelman & David P. Philipp

  3. Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Steven J. Cooke & Karen J. Murchie

  4. Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Steven J. Cooke

  5. Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA

    Tony L. Goldberg

  6. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA

    Cory D. Suski & Aaron D. Shultz

  7. School of Marine Science and Engineering, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK

    Edd J. Brooks

  8. Illinois Natural History Survey, Institute for Natural Resource Sustainability, Champaign, IL, USA

    Jeff B. Koppelman & David P. Philipp

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  1. Andy J. Danylchuk
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  2. Steven J. Cooke
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Correspondence to Andy J. Danylchuk.

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Communicated by D. Righton.

Appendix

Appendix

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Table 4 Summary of hydrophone receiver array on the north coast of Cape Eleuthera, The Bahamas
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Danylchuk, A.J., Cooke, S.J., Goldberg, T.L. et al. Aggregations and offshore movements as indicators of spawning activity of bonefish (Albula vulpes) in The Bahamas. Mar Biol 158, 1981–1999 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-011-1707-6

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