| GEOGRAPHICAL AND ENVIRONMENTALLY DRIVEN SPAWNING DISTRIBUTIONS IN MARINE LARGE PELAGIC PREDATORS |
| REGLERO, P.1,*, L. Ciannelli2, D. Alvarez-Berastegui3, R. Balbn1, J.L. Lopez-Jurado1, F. Alemany1, 1Instituto Espaol de Oceanografa, Centre Oceanogrfic de les Balears, Moll de Ponent s/n, 07015 Palma, Spain; PATRICIA.REGLERO@BA.IEO.ES;rosa.balbin@ba.ieo.es;francisco.alemany@ba.ieo.es;
2 College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, 104 COAS Administration Building, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA; lciannel@coas.oregonstate.edu
3 ICTS SOCIB - Sistema Dobservaci i Predicci Costaner de les Illes Balears. Parc Bit, Naorte, Bloc A 2p. pta. . Palma, Spain; diego.alvarez@ba.ieo.es |
| The spawning habitats of many marine large pelagic predators are poorly known. This lack of knowledge hampers conservation efforts that are aimed at identifying critical habitats for the spawning of these species. We hypothesize that phylogenetically related species with contrasting migration strategies show different adaptations and respond differently to environmental or geographical cues for when and where to spawn. We tested this hypothesis on a five years data set (2001-2005) from the Balearic Islands region (Mediterranean Sea), targeting the early larval stage of three abundant species of tuna: bluefin tuna, a large migratory species, albacore, resident in the Mediterranean, and bullet tuna confined to more coastal areas. Our main result is that the spatial distribution of spawning locations differs in tuna with different migration strategies. Large migratory tuna rely heavily on environmental signals and therefore their spawning habitats can vary depending on the environment. In contrast, the spawning habitat of resident tuna is driven mostly by geography and less variable over contrasting environmental conditions. These regional adaptations for spawning habitats among tuna species with different migration strategies may play a critical role in offspring survival and species interactions and should be taken in account when establishing conservation practices. |
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