Cross-continent comparisons reveal differing environmental drivers of growth of the coral reef fish, Lutjanus bohar

Authors

Joyce J L Ong, The University of Western Australia
Adam N. Rountrey, The University Of Michigan
Ross J. Marriott, University of Western Australia
Stephen J. Newman, Department of Fisheries, Western AustraliaFollow
Jessica J. Meeuwig, University of Western Australia
Mark G. Meekan, University of Western Australia

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-2-2016

Journal Title

Coral Reefs

ISSN

Print: 0722-4028 Electronic: 1432-0975

Keywords

Otolith biochronology, Tropical fish, Lutjanus bohar, Climate change, Growth trends, Spatial variability

Disciplines

Aquaculture and Fisheries | Climate | Environmental Monitoring | Marine Biology | Natural Resources and Conservation

Abstract

Biochronologies provide important insights into the growth responses of fishes to past variability in physical and biological environments and, in so doing, allow modelling of likely responses to climate change in the future. We examined spatial variability in the key drivers of inter-annual growth patterns of a widespread, tropical snapper, Lutjanus bohar, at similar tropical latitudes on the north-western and north-eastern coasts of the continent of Australia. For this study, we developed biochronologies from otoliths that provided proxies of somatic growth and these were analysed using mixed-effects models to examine the historical drivers of growth. Our analyses demonstrated that growth patterns of fish were driven by different climatic and biological factors in each region, including Pacific Ocean climate indices, regional sea level and the size structure of the fish community. Our results showed that the local oceanographic and biological context of reef systems strongly influenced the growth of L. bohar and that a single age-related growth trend cannot be assumed for separate populations of this species that are likely to experience different environmental conditions. Generalised predictions about the growth response of fishes to climate change will thus require adequate characterisation of the spatial variability in growth determinants likely to be found throughout the range of species that have cosmopolitan distributions.

Recommended Citation

Ong, J.J.L., Rountrey, A.N., Marriott, R.J. et al. Cross-continent comparisons reveal differing environmental drivers of growth of the coral reef fish, Lutjanus bohar . Coral Reefs 36, 195–206 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-016-1520-2