Choice chamber experiments to test the attraction of postflexion Rhabdosargus holubi larvae to water of estuarine and riverine origin |
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| Authors: | Nicola C James Paul D Cowley Alan K Whitfield Horst Kaiser |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa;2. South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Private Bag 1015, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa |
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| Abstract: | Although the recruitment of larvae and juveniles of marine fishes into estuaries has been well documented, little is known about the factors governing the immigration of estuary-associated marine fishes into estuaries. Fishes have a well-developed sense of smell and it has been suggested by several workers that olfactory cues of freshwater or estuarine origin serve as stimuli, attracting larvae and juveniles of estuary-associated species into estuaries. Attraction of postflexion Rhabdosargus holubi larvae to estuary and river water from the Kowie estuarine system, South Africa, was measured using a rectangular choice chamber. In experiments, conducted during peak recruitment periods, larvae selected estuary and river water with a significantly higher frequency than sea water. This study, the first to assess the possible role of olfaction in the recruitment process of an estuary-associated marine fish species, demonstrates that larvae are able to recognise water from different origins, probably based on odour. |
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| Keywords: | Rhabdosargus holubi postlarval recruitment estuaries olfactory cues |
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