Abstract
Blennies and gobies are among the most abundant fishes in western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico estuaries. They establish nests and maintain territories in oyster reefs and around other shallow-water structures during warm months. In this study, site fidelity and movements were determined for adult striped blenny, naked goby, freckled blenny, crested blenny, and feather blenny, in descending order of abundance. Recaptures among 221 tagged fishes at nine intertidal oyster reefs in a southeastern U.S. saltmarsh estuary provided information about fidelity for individual oyster reefs and nest sites as well as the size of territories (areas used) around nest sites. An overall recapture rate of 94% for fishes on reefs where they were tagged indicated high fidelity. Total recapture rates for the four blenny species ranged from 38 to 50%, but the naked goby recapture rate was only 9%. Within a breeding season, fidelity for specific nest sites was 58% for all blennies and 17% for gobies. Movements away from nest sites were limited with 56% of all fishes re-occurring ≤ 1 m from the original tagging site. Territories of < 5 m were identified for > 84% of the recaptured fishes. Differences in species composition and abundance between reefs suggested species-specific preferences for habitat features. Crested blenny and freckled blenny were recaptured at nest sites with significantly more oyster cover than nest sites occupied by striped blenny. Blennies occupied nest sites for several months and across annual breeding seasons suggesting continued residency within small areas of individual oyster reefs throughout their lives. Strong fidelity for reefs and nest sites potentially makes blennies more susceptible to disturbances than gobies, but both may be vulnerable to habitat disturbance at scales < 5 m. Thus, blennies and gobies may be useful indicator species for changes within estuarine habitats and ecosystems.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Able, K.W., and L.S. Hales Jr. 1997. Movements of juvenile black sea bass Centropristis striata (Linnaeus) in a southern New Jersey estuary. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 213 (2): 153–167. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-0981(96)02743-8.
Able, K.W., L.S. Hales, and S.M. Hagan. 2005. Movement and growth of juvenile (age 0 and 1+) tautog (Tautoga onitis Linnaeus) and cunner (Tautogolabrus adspersus Walbaum) in a southern New Jersey estuary. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 327: 22–35.
Able, K.W., S.M. Hagan, and S.A. Brown. 2006. Habitat use, movement, and growth of young–of–the–year Fundulus spp. in southern New Jersey salt marshes: comparisons based on tag/recapture. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 335 (2): 177–187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2006.03.004.
Able, K.W., D.N. Vivian, G. Petruzzelli, and S.M. Hagan. 2012. Connectivity among salt marsh subhabitats: residency and movements of Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus). Estuaries and Coasts 35 (3): 743–753. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-011-9471-x.
Allen, D.M., V. Ogburn–Mathews, T. Buck, and E. Smith. 2008. Mesozooplankton responses to climate change and variability in a Southeastern U.S. estuary (1981–2003). Journal of Coastal Research SI (55): 95–110. https://doi.org/10.2112/SI55-004.1.
Allen, D.M., W.B. Allen, R.F. Feller, and J.S. Plunket, editors. 2014. Site profile of the North Inlet–Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Georgetown: North Inlet–Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, 432 pp.
Allen, D.M., V. Ogburn–Mathews, and P.D. Kenny. 2017. Nekton use of flooded salt marsh and an assessment of intertidal creek pools as low–tide refuges. Estuaries and Coasts 40 (5): 1450–1463.
Almada, V.C., E.J. Goncalves, R.F. de Oliveira, and E.N. Barata. 1992. Some features of the territories in the breeding males of the intertidal blenny Lipophrys pholis (Pisces: Blenniidae). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 72: 187–197.
Almada, V.C., E.J. Goncalves, A.J. Santos, and C. Baptista. 1994. Breeding ecology and nest aggregations in a population of Salaria pavo (Pisces: Blenniidae) in an area where nest sites are scarce. Journal of Fish Biology 45: 819–830.
Baltz, D.M., C.F. Rakocinski, and J.W. Fleeger. 1993. Microhabitat use by marsh-edge fishes in a Louisiana estuary. Environmental Biology of Fishes 36: 109–126.
Barlow, G.W. 1984. Patterns of monogamy among teleost fishes. Archiv fur Fischereiwissenchaft 35: 75–123.
Beseres Pollack, J., H.C. Kim, E.K. Morgan, and P.A. Montagna. 2011. Role of flood disturbance in natural oyster (Crassostrea virginica) population maintenance in an estuary in South Texas, USA. Estuaries and Coasts 34: 187–197.
Braithwaite, V.A., and T. Burt de Perara. 2006. Short-range orientation in fish: how fish map space. Marine and Freshwater Behavior and Physiology 39: 37–47.
Breitburg, D.L. 1987. Interspecific competition and the abundance of nest sites: factors affecting sexual selection. Ecology 68 (6): 1844–1855.
Breitburg, D. L. 1999. Are three dimensional structure and healthy oyster populations the keys to an ecologically interesting and important fish community? In Oyster reef habitat restoration: a synopsis and synthesis of approaches, eds. M.W. Luckenbach, R. Mann, and J.A. Wesson, 239–250. Gloucester Point: Virginia Institute of Marine Science Press.
Burt, W.H. 1943. Territoriality and home range concepts as applied to mammals. Journal of Mammalogy 24: 346–352.
Christian, R.R., and D.M. Allen. 2014. Linking hydrogeomorphology and food webs in intertidal creeks. Estuaries and Coasts 37 (Suppl): S74–S90. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-013-9657-5.
Crabtree, R., and D. Middaugh. 1982. Oyster shell size and the selection of spawning sites by Chasmodes bosquianus, Hypleurochilus geminatus, Hypsoblennius ionthas (Pisces, Blenniidae) and Gobiosoma bosci (Pisces, Gobiidae) in two South Carolina estuaries. Estuaries 5: 150–155.
D'Aguillo, M.C., A.S. Harold, and T.L. Darden. 2014. Diet composition and feeding ecology of the naked goby Gobiosoma bosc (Gobiidae) from four western Atlantic estuaries. Journal of Fish Biology 85 (2): 355–373.
Dahlberg, M. 1972. An ecological study of Georgia coastal fishes. Fishery Bulletin 70: 323–353.
Dahlberg, M., and J. Conyers. 1973. An ecological study of Gobiosoma bosci and G. ginsburgi (Pisces: Gobiidae) on the Georgia coast. Fishery Bulletin 71: 279–287.
Darnell, R.M. 1959. Food habits of fishes and larger invertebrates of Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, an estuarine community. Publications of the Institute of Marine Science University of Texas 5: 353–416.
Dawson, C.E. 1966. Studies on the gobies (Pices: Gobiidae) of Mississippi sound and adjacent waters: I. Gobiosoma. American Midland Naturalist 76: 379–409.
Dawson, C.E. 1969. Studies on the gobies of Mississippi sound and adjacent waters: II. An illustrated key to the Gobioid fishes. Publications of the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory Museum 1: 1–60.
Dodson, J.J. 1988. The nature and role of learning in the orientation and migratory behavior of fishes. Environmental Biology of Fishes 23: 161–182.
Dresser, B.K., and R.T. Kneib. 2007. Site fidelity and movement patterns of wild subadult red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus (Linnaeus) within a salt marsh dominated estuarine landscape. Fisheries Management and Ecology 14: 183–190.
Duci, A., E. Giacomello, N. Chimento, and C. Mazzoldi. 2009. Intertidal and subtidal blennies: assessment of their habitat through individual and nest distribution. Marine Ecology Progress Series 383: 273–283.
Gerking, S. 1959. The restricted movements of fish populations. Biological Reviews 34: 221–242.
Gibson, R.N. 1999. Movement and homing in intertidal fishes. In Intertidal fishes: life in two worlds, ed. M.H. Horn, K.L.M. Martin, and M.A. Chotkowski, 97–125. San Diego: Academic Press.
Gibson, R.N. 2003. Go with the flow: tidal migration in marine animals. Hydrobiologia 503:153–161.
Grabowski, J.H., and S.P. Powers. 2004. Habitat complexity mitigates trophic transfer on oyster reefs. Marine Ecology Progress Series 277: 291–295.
Gray, G.A., and H.E. Winn. 1961. Reproductive ecology and sound production of the toadfish, Opsanus tau. Ecology 42 (2): 274–282.
Green, B.C., D.J. Smith, J. Grey, and G.J. Underwood. 2012. High site fidelity and low site connectivity in temperate salt marsh fish populations: a stable isotope approach. Oecologica 168: 245–255.
Grizzle, R.E., J.R. Adams, and L.J. Walters. 2002. Historical changes in intertidal oyster (Crassostrea virginica) reefs in a Florida lagoon potentially related to boating activities. Journal of Shellfish Research 21: 749–756.
Gross, M.R., and R.C. Sargent. 1985. The evolution of male and female parental care in fishes. American Zoologist 25: 807–822.
Halvorson, A. 2009. First records of Hypleurochilus geminatus and Centropristis philadelphica from Chesapeake Bay. Virginia Journal of Science 60: 141–147.
Harding, J.M. 1999. Selective feeding behavior of larval naked gobies Gobiosoma bosc and blennies Chasmodes bosquianus and Hypsoblennius hentzi:preferences for bivalve veligers. Marine Ecology Progress Series 179:145–153.
Harding, J.M., and R. Mann. 1999. Fish species richness in relation to restored oyster reefs, Piankatank River, Virginia. Bulletin of Marine Science 65 (1): 289–300.
Harding, J.M., and R. Mann. 2001. Habitat use by bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) in relation to restored oyster reefs in the Chesapeake Bay. Environmental Biology of Fishes 60: 401–409.
Harding, J.M., and R. Mann. 2003. Influence of habitat on diet and distribution of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) in a temperate estuary. Bulletin of Marine Science 72: 841–851.
Harding, J.A., G.R. Almany, L.D. Houck, and M.A. Hixon. 2003. Experimental analysis of monogamy in the Caribbean cleaner goby Gobiosoma evelynae. Animal Behaviour 65: 865–874.
Harding, J.M., D.M. Allen, S. Dingley, S.M. Krug, R.M. Tremont, and C. Taylor Armstrong. 2015. Ontogenetic changes in predator–prey interactions between two species of larval fishes and oyster veligers. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 471: 164–174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2015.06.004.
Hendon, J. Read, M.S. Peterson, and B.H. Comyns. 2000. Spatio-temporal distribution of larval Gobiosoma bosc adjacent to natural and altered marsh-edge habitats of Mississippi coastal waters. Bulletin of Marine Science 66: 143–156.
Heupel, M.R., C.A. Simpfendorfer, and R.E. Heuter. 2004. Estimation of shark home ranges using passive monitoring technologies. Environmental Biology of Fishes 71: 135–142.
Hildebrand, S., and L. Cable. 1938. Further notes on the development and life history of some teleosts at Beaufort, N.C. Fishery Bulletin 24: 505–642.
Hoese, H.D., and R.H. Moore. 1998. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico: Texas, Louisiana, and adjacent waters, 422 pp. College Station: Texas A&M University Press.
Houser, D.S., and D.M. Allen. 1996. Zooplankton dynamics in an intertidal salt marsh basin. Estuaries 19: 659–673.
Humphries, A.T., M.K. La Peyre, M.E. Kimball, and L.P. Rozas. 2011. Testing the effect of habitat structure and complexity on nekton assemblages using experimental oyster reefs. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 409: 172–179.
Joseph, E.S. 1952. The fishes of Alligator Harbor, Florida with notes on their natural history. M.S. thesis. Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL.
Kells, V., and K. Carpenter. 2011. A field guide to coastal fishes from Maine to Texas, 446 pp. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Kingsley–Smith, P.R., R.E. Joyce, S.A. Arnott, W.A. Roumillat, C.J. McDonough, and M.J.M. Reichert. 2012. Habitat use of intertidal eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) reefs by nekton in South Carolina estuaries. Journal of Shellfish Research 31: 1009–1021. https://doi.org/10.2983/035.031.0413.
Kneib, R.T. 1997. The role of tidal marshes in the ecology of estuarine nekton. Oceanography and Marine Biology. Annual Review 35: 163–220.
Kneib, R.T. 2000. Salt marsh ecoscapes and production transfers by estuarine nekton in the southeastern United States. In Concepts and controversies in tidal marsh ecology, ed. M.P. Weinstein and D.A. Kreeger, 267–291. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publications.
Kneib, R.T., and S.L. Wagner. 1994. Nekton use of vegetated marsh habitats at different stages of tidal inundation. Marine Ecology Progress Series 106: 227–238. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps106227.
Knope, M.L., K.A. Tice, and D.C. Rypkema. 2017. Site fidelity and homing behaviour of intertidal sculpins revisited. Journal of Fish Biology 90 (1): 341–355.
La Peyre, M.K., B. Grossman, and J.F. La Peyre. 2009. Defining optimal freshwater flow for oyster production: effects of freshet rate and magnitude of change and duration on eastern oysters and Perkinsus marinus infection. Estuaries and Coasts 32: 522–534.
Lopez, J.D., M.S. Peterson, E.T. Lang, and A.M. Charbonnet. 2010. Linking habitat and life history for conservation of the rare saltmarsh topminnow Fundulus jenkinsi: morphometrics, reproduction, and trophic ecology. Endangered Species Research 12: 141–155.
Lotrich, V.A. 1975. Summer home range and movements of Fundulus heteroclitus (Pisces: Cyprinodontidae) in a tidal creek. Ecology 56 (1): 191–198. https://doi.org/10.2307/1935311.
Markel, R.W. 1994. An adaptive value of spatial learning and memory in the blackeye goby, Coryphopterus nicholsi. Animal Behavior 47: 1462–1464.
Marraro, C.H., and J.R. Nursall. 1983. The reproductive periodicity and behaviour of Ophioblennius atlanticus (Pisces: Blenniidae) at Barbados. Canadian Journal of Zoology 61: 317–325.
Martins, J., F. Almada, A. Goncalves, P. Duarte-Coelho, and P.E. Jorge. 2017. Home sweet home: evidence for nest-fidelity in the rocky intertidal fish, the shanny Lipophyrs pholis. Journal of Fish Biology 90 (1): 156–166.
McGrath, P., and H.A. Austin. 2009. Site fidelity, home range and tidal movements of white perch during the summer in two small tributaries of the York River, Virginia. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 138: 966–974. https://doi.org/10.1577/T08-176.1.
Miller, M.J., and K.W. Able. 2002. Movements and growth of tagged young-of-the-year Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus L.) in restored and reference marsh creeks in Delaware Bay, USA. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 267: 15–33.
Miller, S.J., L. Peacock, J.M. Shenker, M. Scripter, and A. Farson. 2015. Spatial and temporal distribution of larval naked goby Gobiosoma bosc (Pisces, Gobiidae) in the middle St. Johns River, Florida. Estuaries and Coasts 38: 1477–1491.
Mitamura, H., N. Arai, K. Ichikawa, T. Kakihara, Y. Kawabata, A. Miyagi, Y. Miyamoto, and K. Uchida. 2012. Short-range homing in a site-specific fish: search and directed movements. Journal of Experimental Biology 215 (Pt 16): 2751–2759.
Mok, H.K. 1981. Sound production in the naked goby, Gobiosoma bosci (Pices: Gobiidae). A preliminary study. In Hearing and sound communication in fishes, ed. W.N. Tavolga, A.N. Popper, and R.R. Fay, 447–456. New York: Springer–Verlag.
Murase, A., and T. Sunobe. 2011. Interspecific territoriality in males of the tube blenny Neoclinus bryope (Actinopterygii: Chaenopsidae). Journal of Ethology 29: 467–472.
Myrberg, A.A., Jr., and R.J. Riggio. 1985. Acoustically mediated individual recognition by a coral reef fish (Pomacentrus partitus). Animal Behavior 33: 411–416.
Naylor, P., and D.M. Jacoby. 2016. Territoriality in the tompot blenny Parablennius gattorugine from photographic records. Journal of Fish Biology 88 (4): 1642–1647.
Nevins, J.A., J. Beseres Pollack, and G.W. Stunz. 2014. Characterizing nekton use of the largest unfished oyster reef in the United States compared with adjacent estuarine habitats. Journal of Shellfish Research 33: 227–238.
Nursall, J.R. 1977. Territoriality in Redlip blennies (Ophioblennius atlanticus-Pisces: Blenniidae). Journal of Zoology (London) 182: 205–223.
Peters, K.M. 1981. Reproductive biology and developmental osteology of the Florida blenny, Chasmodes saburrae (Perciformes: Blenniidae). Northeast Gulf Science 4 (2): 79–98.
Phillips, R.R. 1971a. The relationship between social behavior and the use of space in the benthic fish Chasmodes bosquianus Lacepede (Teleostei, Blenniidae). I. Ethology. Zeitschrift fur Tierpsychologie - Journal of Comparative Ethology 29: 11–27.
Phillips, R.R. 1971b. The relationship between social behavior and the use of space in the benthic fish Chasmodes bosquianus Lacepede (Teleostei, Blenniidae). II. The effect of prior residency on social and enclosure behavior. Zeitschrift fur Tierpsychologie - Journal of Comparative Ethology 29: 389–408.
Phillips, R.R., and S.B. Swears. 1979. Social hierarchy, shelter use, and avoidance of predatory toadfish (Opsanus tau) by the striped blenny (Chasmodes bosquianus). Animal Behavior 27: 1113–1121.
Potthoff, M.T., and D.M. Allen. 2003. Site fidelity, home range, and tidal migrations of juvenile pinfish, Lagodon rhomboides, in salt marsh creeks. Environmental Biology of Fishes 67: 231–240. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025874712710.
Powell, E.N., J.M. Klinck, K.A. Ashton–Alcox, E.E. Hofmann, and J. Morson. 2012. The rise and fall of Crassostrea virginica oyster reefs: the role of disease and fishing in their demise and a vignette on their management. Journal of Marine Research 70: 505–558.
Rakocinski, C.F., D.M. Baltz, J.W. Fleeger. 1992. Correspondence between environmental gradients and the community structure of marsh-edge fishes in a Louisiana estuary. Marine Ecology Progress Series 80:135–148.
Reavis, R.H. 1997. The natural history of a monogamous coral-reef fish, Valenciennea strigata (Gobiidae): 2. Behavior, mate fidelity and reproductive success. Environmental Biology of Fishes 49: 247–257.
Richkus, W.A. 1978. A quantitative study of inter tidepool movement of the wooly sculpin Clinocottus analis. Marine Biology 49 (3): 277–284. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00391140.
Ross, S.W., and F.C. Rohde. 2004. The gobioid fishes of North Carolina (Pisces, Gobioidei). Bulletin of Marine Science 74: 287–323.
Rountree, R.A., and K.W. Able. 1992. Fauna of polyhaline subtidal marsh creeks in southern New Jersey: composition, abundance, and biomass. Estuaries 15 (2): 171–185.
Shima, J.S., D. McNaughtan, S.W. Geange, and S. Wilkinson. 2012. Ontogenetic variation in site fidelity and homing behaviour of a temperate reef fish. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 416–417: 162–167.
Sobocinski, K.L., and R.J. Latour. 2015. Trophic transfer in seagrass systems: estimating seasonal production of an abundant seagrass fish, Bairdiella chrysoura, in lower Chesapeake Bay. Marine Ecology Progress Series 523: 157–174.
Soniat, T.M., C.M. Finelli, and J.T. Ruiz. 2004. Vertical structure and predator refuge mediate oyster reef development and community dynamics. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 310: 163–182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2004.04.007.
Springer, V.G. 1959. Blenniid fishes of the genus Chasmodes. Texas Journal of Science 11 (3): 321–334.
Stephens, J.S., R.K. Johnson, G.S. Key, and J.E. McCosker. 1970. The comparative ecology of three sympatric species of California blennies of the genus Hypsoblennius gill (Teleostomi, Blenniidae). Ecological Monographs 40 (2): 213–233.
Stunz, G.W., T.J. Minello, and L.P. Rozas. 2010. Relative value of oyster reef as habitat for estuarine nekton in Galveston Bay, Texas. Marine Ecology Progress Series 406: 147–159.
Takegaki, T. 2000. Monogamous mating system in spawning cycle in the gobiid fish Amblygobius phalaena (Gobiidae). Environmental Biology of Fishes 59: 61–67.
Tavolga, W.N. 1958a. Underwater sounds produced by males of the blenniid fish, Chasmodes bosquianus. Ecology 39 (4): 759–760.
Tavolga, W.N. 1958b. Underwater sounds produced by two species of toadfish, Opsanus tau and Opsanus beta. Bulletin of Marine Science of the Gulf and Caribbean 8: 278–284.
Teo, S.L.H., and K.W. Able. 2003. Habitat use and movement of the mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) in a restored salt marsh. Estuaries 26 (3): 720–730.
Thyssen, L., R. Triay–Portella, A. Santana del Pino, and J.J. Castro. 2014. Homing behavior of rock pool blenny Parablennius parvicornis (Pisces: Blennidae). Journal of Natural History 48: 1169–1179. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2013.859314.
Tremont, R.M., J.M. Harding, and D.M. Allen. 2015. Effects of within–season temperature variations on the early life history of two estuarine demersal fishes. Environmental Biology of Fishes 99: 79–94. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-015-0455-8.
Wall, M., and J. Herler. 2008. Postsettlement movement patterns and homing in a coral-associated fish. Behavioral Ecology 20: 87–95.
Walters, L.J., P.E. Sacks, M.Y. Bobo, D.L. Richardson, and L.D. Coen. 2007. Impact of hurricanes and boat wakes on intertidal oyster reefs in the Indian River lagoon: reef profiles and disease prevalence. Florida Scientist 70: 506–521.
White, G.E., and C. Brown. 2014. A comparison of spatial learning and memory capabilities in intertidal gobies. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 68: 1393–1401.
Worton, B.J. 1987. A review of models of home range for animal movement. Ecological Modelling 38: 277–298.
Worton, B.J. 1989. Kernel methods for estimating the utilization distribution in home-range studies. Ecology 70 (11): 164–168.
Acknowledgments
Thanks are extended to P. Kenny, S. Forehand, J. Blakely, D. Aguilera, T. Thomas, and K. Powers who provided assistance with laboratory infrastructure and logistics. We thank W. Allen, S. Krug, V. Hartigan, T. Swanson, K. Gunning, L. King, A. Yascavage, B. Richards, E. Forzono, K. Smith, S. Wachala, S. Kelahan-Pierson, and G. Elmo for help with field work. T. Swanson and E. Forzono provided assistance with the laboratory survivorship and tag retention studies.
Funding
Funding for this research was provided by Coastal Carolina University Professional Enhancement Grants (JMH), Coastal Carolina University Department of Marine Science (JMH), and the Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences, University of South Carolina (DMA). This research followed protocols set forth by the University of South Carolina IACUC Animal Care and Use Committee (Protocol No. 2338-101197-030317 and No. 2264-101032-080315).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Communicated by Mark S. Peterson
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Harding, J.M., Allen, D.M., Haffey, E.R. et al. Site Fidelity of Oyster Reef Blennies and Gobies in Saltmarsh Tidal Creeks. Estuaries and Coasts 43, 409–423 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-019-00678-z
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-019-00678-z