Recruitment of flatfish species to an estuarine nursery habitat (Lima estuary,NW Iberian Peninsula) |
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| Institution: | 1. MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal;2. Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia;3. INIAV- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Polo de Vairão, 4485-655 Vila do Conde, Portugal;4. REQUIMTE – Rede Química e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Lisboa, Portugal;5. CFE - Centre for Functional Ecology, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Universidade de Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal;6. REQUIMTE/LAQV – Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal;7. Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal;1. IRSTEA, UR HBAN, 1 rue Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, CS10030, 92761 Antony Cedex, France;2. IRSTEA, UR EPBX, 50 avenue de Verdun, 33612 Cestas Cedex, France |
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| Abstract: | One of the present concerns of fish biologists involves defining and identifying nursery habitats in the context of conservation and resource management strategies. Fish nursery studies usually report upon nursery occupation during the latter juvenile stages, despite the fact that recruitment to nurseries can start early in life, during the larval phase. Here we investigated the use of a temperate estuarine nursery area, the Lima estuary (NW Portugal), by initial development stages of flatfish species before and after metamorphosis, integrating the larval and juvenile phases. The Lima estuarine flatfish community comprised twelve taxa, seven of which were present as pelagic larvae, six as juveniles and three as adults. There was a general trend of increasing spring–summer abundance of both larvae and juveniles, followed by a sharp winter decrease, mainly of larval flatfishes. The Lima estuary was used by Solea senegalensis, Platichthys flesus and Solea solea as a nursery area, with direct settlement for the two first species. In contrast, indirect settlement was suggested for S. solea, with metamorphosis occurring outside the estuarine area. Estuarine recruitment of S. senegalensis varied between years, with young larvae occurring in the estuary throughout a prolonged period that lasted 6–9 months, corroborating the protracted spawning season. P. flesus, the second most abundant species, exhibited a typical spring estuarine recruitment, without inter-annual variations. Developed larvae arrived in the estuary during spring, whereas the 0-group juveniles emerged in the following summer period. The present study contributes new insight to our understanding of the economically important S. senegalensis, and highlights the importance of integrating the planktonic larval phase into traditional flatfish nursery studies. |
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