Habitat selection and quality for multiple cohorts of young-of-the-year bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix): Comparisons between estuarine and ocean beaches in southern New Jersey |
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| Authors: | David L Taylor Ryan S Nichols Kenneth W Able |
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| Institution: | aRutgers University, Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Marine Field Station, 800 c/o 132 Great Bay Boulevard, Tuckerton, NJ 08087-2004, USA;bRoger Williams University, Department of Marine Biology, One Old Ferry Road, Bristol, RI 02809, USA;cNational Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, 2570 Dole St., Honolulu, HI 96822-2396, USA |
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| Abstract: | In this study, seasonal and annual variability in the use of estuarine and ocean beaches by young-of-the-year bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix, was evaluated by indices of abundance in coastal areas of southern New Jersey (1998–2000). Biological and physical factors measured at specific sites were correlated with bluefish abundance to determine the mechanisms underlying habitat selection. In addition, integrative and discrete indicators of bluefish growth were used to examine spatio-temporal dynamics in habitat quality and its effect on habitat selection by multiple cohorts of bluefish. Intra-annual recruitment to coastal areas of southern New Jersey was episodic, and resulted from the ingress of spring-spawned bluefish (hatch-date  April) to estuarine beaches in late May to early June, followed by the recruitment of summer-spawned fish (hatch-date early July) to ocean beaches from July to October. Bluefish utilized estuarine and ocean beaches in a facultative manner that was responsive to dynamics in prey composition and temperature conditions. The recruitment and residency of bluefish in the estuary (1998–1999) and ocean beaches (1998), for example, was coincidental with the presence of the Atlantic silverside Menidia menidia and bay anchovy Anchoa mitchilli, the principal prey species for bluefish occupying these respective habitat-types. Bluefish abundance in the estuary (2000) and ocean beaches (1999–2000) was also correlated with water temperature, with the greatest catches of juveniles coinciding with their optimal growth temperature (24 °C). Bluefish growth, estimated as the slope of age–length relationships and daily specific growth rates, equaled 1.27–2.63 mm fork length (FL) d−1 and 3.8–8.7% body length increase d−1, respectively. The growth of sagittal otoliths was also used as a proxy for changes in bluefish size during and shortly before their time of capture. Accordingly, otolith growth rates of summer-spawned bluefish were greater at ocean beaches relative to the estuary and were explained by the more suitable temperature conditions found at ocean beaches during the mid- to late summer. Notwithstanding the fast growth of oceanic summer-spawned bluefish, individuals spawned in the spring were still larger in absolute body size at the end of the summer growing season (240 and 50–200 mm FL for spring- and summer-spawned bluefish, respectively). The size discrepancy between spring- and summer-spawned bluefish at the onset of autumn migrations and during overwintering periods may account for the differential recruitment success of the respective cohorts. |
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| Keywords: | bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix estuary ocean beach habitat growth cohort otolith |
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