Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Batch fecundity of Lutjanus carponotatus (Lutjanidae) and implications of no-take marine reserves on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

  • Report
  • Published:
Coral Reefs Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study investigated body size to fecundity relationships of a reef fish species targeted by line fishing, and examines the potential benefits of increased batch fecundity in no-take reserves compared to fished areas around the Palm, Whitsunday and Keppel Island Groups, Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Lutjanus carponotatus batch fecundity increased with fork length in a non-linear relationship that was best described by a power function. Batch fecundity differed by more than 100-fold among individuals, with a range from 7,074 to 748,957 eggs in fish ranging from 184 to 305 mm fork length. Furthermore, egg diameter increased with fish size. Based on underwater visual census, the potential batch fecundity per unit area in all three island groups ranged from 1.0 to 4.2 times greater in the no-take reserves than in the fished areas between 2001 and 2004. In 2002, a mean 2.3-fold difference in biomass between no-take reserves and fished areas converted to a mean 2.5-fold difference in batch fecundity per unit area. Greater batch fecundity, longer spawning seasons and potentially greater larval survival due to larger egg size from bigger individuals might significantly enhance the potential benefits of no-take marine reserves on the Great Barrier Reef.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

References

  • Almany GR, Berumen ML, Thorrold SR, Planes S, Jones GP (2007) Local replenishment of coral reef fish populations in a marine reserve. Science 316:742–744

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Berkeley SA, Hixon MA, Larson RJ, Love MS (2004) Fisheries sustainability via protection of age structure and spatial distribution of fish populations. Fisheries 29:23–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Branch GM, Odenal F (2003) The effects of marine protected areas on the population dynamics of a South African limpet, Cymbula oculus, relative to the wave action. Biol Conserv 114:255–269

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis KLF, Russ GR, Williamson DH, Evans RD (2004) Surveillance and poaching on Inshore reefs of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Coast Manage 32:373–387

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Denny CM, Willis TJ, Babcock RC (2004) Rapid colonisation of snapper Pagrus auratus: Sparidae within an offshore island marine reserve after implementation of no-take status. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 272:183–190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eisenhardt E (2001) Effects of the San Juan Islands Marine Preserves on demographic patterns of nearshore rocky reef fish. MSc Thesis, University of Washington, Seattle, p 171

  • Evans RD, Russ GR (2004) Larger biomass of targeted reef fish in no-take marine reserves on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Aquat Conserv 14:505–519

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ganias G, Somarakis S, Machias A, Theodorou A (2004) Pattern of oocyte development and batch fecundity in the Mediterranean sardine. Fish Res 67:13–23

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graham NAJ, Evans RD, Russ GR (2003) The effects of marine reserve protection on the trophic relationships of reef fishes on the Great Barrier Reef. Environ Conserv 30:200–208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grimes CB (1987) Reproductive biology of the Lutjanidae: a review. In: Polovina J, Ralston S (eds) Tropical snappers and groupers: biology and fisheries management. Westview, London, pp 239–294

    Google Scholar 

  • Halpern B (2003) The impact of marine reserves: do reserves work and does size matter? Ecol Appl 13:S117–S137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hunter JR, Lo NCH, Leong RJH (1985) Batch fecundity in multiple spawning fishes. In: Lasker R (ed) An egg production method for estimating spawning biomass of pelagic fish: application to the Northern Anchovy, Engraulis mordax. NOAA Technical Report NMFS 36, pp 67–77

  • Jennings S, Kaiser MJ, Reynolds JD (2001) Marine fisheries ecology. Blackwell, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones G, Milicich M, Emslie M, Lunow C (1999) Self-recruitment in a coral reef fish population. Nature 402:802–804

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jones GP, Planes S, Thorrold SR (2005) Coral reef fish larvae settle close to home. Curr Biol 15:1314–1318

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kamukuru AT, Mgaya YD (2004) Effects of exploitation on reproductive capacity of black-spotted snapper, Lutjanus fulviflamma (Pisces: Lutjanidae) in Mafia Island, Tanzania. Afr J Ecol 42:270–280

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kelly S, Scott D, MacDiarmid AB, Babcock RC (2000) Spiny lobster, Jasus edwardsii recovery in New Zealand marine reserves. Biol Conserv 92:359–369

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kritzer JP (2002) Variation in the population biology of stripey bass Lutjanus carponotatus within and between two island groups on the Great Barrier Reef. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 243:191–207

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kritzer JP (2004) Sex-specific growth and mortality, spawning season, and female maturation of the stripey bass (Lutjanus carponotatus) on the Great Barrier Reef. Fish Bull 102:94–107

    Google Scholar 

  • Kritzer JP, Davies CR (2005) Demographic variation within spatially structured reef fish populations: when are larger-bodied subpopulations more important? Ecol Model 182:49–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manriquez P, Castilla J (2001) Significance of marine reserves in central Chile as seeding grounds for the gastropod Concholepas concholepas. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 215:201–211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCormick MI (1998) Behavioural induced maternal stress in a fish influences progeny quality by a hormonal mechanism. Ecology 79:1873–1883

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ojanguren AF, Reyes-Gavilan FG, Brana F (1996) Effects of egg size on offspring development and fitness in brown trout, Salmo trutta L. Aquaculture 147:9–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paddack MJ, Estes JA (2000) Kelp forest fish populations in marine reserves and adjacent exploited areas of central California. Ecol Appl 10:855–870

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Palumbi SR (2004) Why mothers matter. Nature 430:621–622

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pauly D, Christensen V, Gu´enette S, Pitcher T, Sumaila UR, Walters C, Watson R, Zeller D (2002) Towards sustainability in world fisheries. Nature 418:689–695

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pepin P, Orr DC, Anderson JT (1997) Time to hatch and larval size in relation to temperature and egg size in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Can J Fish Aquat Sci 54(S1):2–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plan Development Team (PDT) (1990) The potential of marine fishery reserves for reef fish management in the US south Atlantic. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFC-261

  • Russ GR (2002) Yet another review of marine reserves as reef fishery management tools. In: Sale P (ed) Coral reef fishes. Elsevier Science, USA, pp 421–443

    Google Scholar 

  • Sadovy Y (2001) The threat of fishing to highly fecund fishes. J Fish Biol 59(Suppl A):90–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wallace SS (1999) Evaluating the effects of three forms of marine reserve on northern abalone populations in British Columbia, Canada. Conserv Biol 13:882–887

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams DMcB, Russ GR (1994) Review of data on fishes of commercial and recreational fishing interest in the Great Barrier Reef. Volume 1. Research Publication No.33. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville

  • Williamson D, Russ GR, Ayling AM (2004) The effectiveness of marine reserves in protecting fish stocks on fringing reefs of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Environ Conserv 31:149–159

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by an Australian Research Council Discovery Project Grant (#DPO209086), Merit Research Grant, CRC Reef Augmentative and GBRMPA Augmentative grants. The authors would like to thank Rene Abesamis, Andy Bauman, Karin Buchler, Howard Choat, Mel Cowlishaw, Mike Emslie, Monica Gagliano, Nick Graham, Alison Jones, Geoff Jones, Philippa Mantel, Even Moland, Mark McCormick, Marie Roman, Nik Taylor, Paul Tudman, Stefan Walker, David Williamson, Rebecca Weeks, Orpheus Island Research Station, Hook Island Resort, Great Keppel Island Holiday Village, GKI Dive and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Marine and Tropical Biology, Centre of Excellence in Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia

    R. D. Evans & G. R. Russ

  2. Environmental Defense, 257 Park Avenue South, New York, NY, 10010, USA

    J. P. Kritzer

Authors
  1. R. D. Evans
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. G. R. Russ
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J. P. Kritzer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. D. Evans.

Additional information

Communicated by Biology Editor M.I. McCormick.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Evans, R.D., Russ, G.R. & Kritzer, J.P. Batch fecundity of Lutjanus carponotatus (Lutjanidae) and implications of no-take marine reserves on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Coral Reefs 27, 179–189 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-007-0309-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-007-0309-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation