Movement patterns of gray triggerfish, Balistes capriscus, around artificial reefs in the northern Gulf of Mexico

作者：Herbig J L; Szedlmayer S T^*

来源：Fisheries Management and Ecology, 2016, 23(5): 418-427.

DOI：10.1111/fme.12190

• artificial reefs
• kernel density
• movement
• residency
• survival
• telemetry

Little is known about the movement patterns of gray triggerfish, Balistes capriscus Gmelin, in the northern Gulf of Mexico. To examine fine-scale movements, gray triggerfish (n=17) were tagged with transmitters and tracked with the VR2W Positioning System from 17 October 2012 to 9 December 2013. Most (76%) tagged fish survived and were tracked for 1-57weeks. Tagged fish showed significantly larger home ranges and core areas in autumn than winter-spring and during day than night. Seasonal movement patterns were positively correlated with water temperature. Gray triggerfish stayed close to the reef (mean +/- SD distance=35.9 +/- 28.4m) and showed high site fidelity (64%) and high residency (>57weeks). These patterns emphasise the importance of structured habitat for this species and suggest that artificial reef building in the northern Gulf of Mexico has enhanced this population.

• 出版日期2016-10