Snapper, Pagrus auratus is a valuable coastal fish species in New Zealand and forms an important commercial and recreational fishing industry in the north-east of New Zealand. Previous studies revealed evidence that this carnivorous, primarily benthic feeder consumes a non-indigenous macrobenthic species. Many non-indigenous macrobenthic species have now become established in New Zealand waters. For example, in Rangitoto Channel, Hauraki Gulf, non-indigenous macrobenthic species are prolific, with three bivalve species in particular having thriving populations: Limaria orientalis, Musculista senhousia, and Theora lubrica. The role of these species in the diet of snapper, however, is unknown. To assess the availability of indigenous and non-indigenous prey species to snapper, benthic macrofaunal assemblages throughout Rangitoto Channel were surveyed. To do so, sediment samples were collected at 84 sites. At 24 of these sites sediment was also collected for grain size analysis and at 40 of these sites the seafloor was surveyed with video. To investigate the diet of snapper, fish were collected from four monitoring sites within the channel. Bimonthly monitoring of the diet of snapper as well as the benthic macrofauna was completed at these monitoring sites and trends in the abundance of three prey species, two of which were non-indigenous species, within the sediment and the diet of snapper were compared from June to December 2008. A detailed description of the benthic macrofaunal assemblages throughout Rangitoto Channel confirmed that three non-indigenous species are established throughout this area. The analyses revealed that the diet of snapper has shifted compared to previous studies. Snapper now consume large quantities of two non-indigenous species, M. senhousia and L. orientalis. Consumption of the former species apparently results from its dominance and biomass within the sediment. It is therefore not surprising that snapper consumed large amounts of this species. In contrast, L. orientalis occurred disproportionately in the diet of snapper compared to its abundance within the sediment. I suggest that the establishment of some non-indigenous species benefits snapper.

Snapper, Pagrus auratus is a valuable coastal fish species in New Zealand and forms an important commercial and recreational fishing industry in the north-east of New Zealand. Previous studies revealed evidence that this carnivorous, primarily benthic feeder consumes a non-indigenous macrobenthic species. Many non-indigenous macrobenthic species have now become established in New Zealand waters. For example, in Rangitoto Channel, Hauraki Gulf, non-indigenous macrobenthic species are prolific, with three bivalve species in particular having thriving populations: Limaria orientalis, Musculista senhousia, and Theora lubrica. The role of these species in the diet of snapper, however, is unknown. To assess the availability of indigenous and non-indigenous prey species to snapper, benthic macrofaunal assemblages throughout Rangitoto Channel were surveyed. To do so, sediment samples were collected at 84 sites. At 24 of these sites sediment was also collected for grain size analysis and at 40 of these sites the seafloor was surveyed with video. To investigate the diet of snapper, fish were collected from four monitoring sites within the channel. Bimonthly monitoring of the diet of snapper as well as the benthic macrofauna was completed at these monitoring sites and trends in the abundance of three prey species, two of which were non-indigenous species, within the sediment and the diet of snapper were compared from June to December 2008. A detailed description of the benthic macrofaunal assemblages throughout Rangitoto Channel confirmed that three non-indigenous species are established throughout this area. The analyses revealed that the diet of snapper has shifted compared to previous studies. Snapper now consume large quantities of two non-indigenous species, M. senhousia and L. orientalis. Consumption of the former species apparently results from its dominance and biomass within the sediment. It is therefore not surprising that snapper consumed large amounts of this species. In contrast, L. orientalis occurred disproportionately in the diet of snapper compared to its abundance within the sediment. I suggest that the establishment of some non-indigenous species benefits snapper.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Discipline of Environmental Biology, 2004. / "December 2003" Includes bibliographical references (leaves 203-219).

No description available.

Submitted by Claudia Rocha (claudia.rocha@udesc.br) on 2018-03-16T13:26:21Z No. of bitstreams: 1 PGCA17MA217.pdf: 1030045 bytes, checksum: ace9a03fd7a37e7c1a98ed11f28f68e5 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-03-16T13:26:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PGCA17MA217.pdf: 1030045 bytes, checksum: ace9a03fd7a37e7c1a98ed11f28f68e5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-02-21 / PROMOP / The objective of this study was evaluating the efficiency of lutein supplementation on the performance and deposition of skin carotenoids in comparison to other sources for young kinguio. There forean evaluation was made with one controlled diet and four diets enriched with a quantity of 50mg kg-1 of the following pigments: lutein, astaxanthin, canthaxanthin and a combination of lutein + canthaxanthin (25mg kg-1 of each source). The the experiment was designed in an entire casual way with five treatments nd six repetitions. Two hundred and forty young kinguios weighting 1,07±0,57 g were used, they were kept in 30 tanks of 30 liters each, in which they stayed for 84 days. The fish was fed three times a day (8:30 am, 12:30 pm and 5 pm) in a manual way until apparent satiety. At the end of the experiment, the productive performance of the fish was determined based on zootechnical parameters: final weight, weight gain, food consumption, food conversion and survival. The analysis of pigment concentration at the integument was made throught the extraction of carotenoids of skin by using solvents. The solution obtained was filtered and submitted to reading using spectrophotometer with wavelength of 474 nm. The results were run through tests in order to verify the normality of errors and homoscedasticity, and were later analyzed by Parametric Variance Analysis (ANOVA). The data o performance were submitted to Tukey test and the pigments evaluated by the Duncan test, both with a meaningfulness level of 5%. Diets enriched with different carotenoid pigments did not influence on the growth of young Kinguios. In relation to survival, the supplementation of lutein presented higher values compared to the other treatments. The diets containing astaxanthin and canthaxanthin isolated led to increase of deposition of skin carotenoids of young kinguios when compared to treatment control, The lowest indexes were observed on the controlled diet and on the combined one (astaxanthin + canthaxanthin). On the fish fed with the diet containing lutein the skin carotenoid deposition was as effective as pure treatmens (astaxanthin and canthaxanthin), but it did not differ from neither control treatment nor combined treatment (canthaxanthin + lutein). The results suggest that the inclusion of carotenoids on the diet do not influence the growth of young kinguios and that when pigments are supplied separately they are more efficient on skin deposition than in a combined way. On the other hand, the supplementation with lutein enhanced the survival and promoted skind carotenoid deposition on young kinguios similarly to astaxanthin and canthaxanthin / O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar a eficiência da suplementação com luteína no desempenho e deposição de carotenoides na pele em comparação com outras fontes para juvenis de kinguio. Para isto foi avaliada uma dieta controle e quatro dietas enriquecidas com a quantidade de 50 mg kg-1 de pigmento: luteína, astaxantina, cantaxantina e combinação de luteína + cantaxantina (25 mg kg-1 proveniente de cada uma das fontes). O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado com cinco tratamentos e seis repetições. Foram utilizados 240 juvenis de kinguio com peso médio de 1,07±0,57 g, mantidos em 30 aquários de 30 L, ao qual foram cultivados por 84 dias. Os peixes foram alimentados três vezes ao dia (08:30; 12:30; 17:00) de forma manual até saciedade aparente. No final do experimento o desempenho produtivo dos peixes foi determinado com base nos parâmetros zootécnicos: peso final, ganho de peso, consumo de ração, conversão alimentar e sobrevivência. A análise da concentração de pigmentos no tegumento foi realizada através da extração de carotenoides na pele com o uso de solventes. A solução obtida foi filtrada e submetida a leitura em espectrofotômetro com comprimento de onda de 474 nm. Os resultados foram submetidos a testes para verificação da normalidade dos erros e homecedasticidade, sendo analisados posteriormente por meio de Análise de Variância Paramétrica (ANOVA). Os dados de desempenho foram submetidos ao teste de Tukey e os de pigmentação avaliados pelo teste de Duncan, ambos com nível de significância de 5%. Dietas enriquecidas com pigmentos carotenoides não influenciaram no crescimento de juvenis de kinguio. Em relação a sobrevivência, a suplementação com luteína apresentou valores superiores quando comparado aos demais tratamentos. A suplementação com astaxantina e cantaxantina aumentou a deposição de carotenoides na pele de juvenis de kinguios em relação ao tratamento controle. As menores taxas de pigmentação foram observadas no tratamento controle e combinado (cantanxatina + luteína). Nos peixes alimentados com a dieta contendo luteína a deposição de carotenoides foi tão eficiente quanto os tratamentos puros (astaxantina e cantaxantina), porém não diferiu do tratamento controle e do tratamento combinado (cantaxantina + luteína). Os resultados sugerem que a inclusão de carotenoides na dieta não afeta o crescimento e eficiência alimentar de juvenis de kinguio e que quando os pigmentos são fornecidos isoladamente são mais eficientes para serem depositados na pele do que de forma combinada (luteína + cantaxantina). Por outro lado, a suplementação com a luteína melhorou a sobrevivência e promoveu deposição de carotenoides na pele de juvenis de kinguio semelhante a astaxantina e a cantaxantina

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / Quantitative relationships between blood flow velocity, vessel diameter, width of the peripheral plasma layer and induction of thrombus formation were studied in small blood vessels of the retrolingual membrane and intestinal mesentery of the frog, Rana Pipiens, and of the cheek pouch of the golden hamster, Mesocricetus auratus. Blood flow velocity was measured by a modification of the technique described by Hugues (Arch. Int. de Physiol. 61: 565, 1953). Internal vessel diameters and widths of the total peripheral plasma layer were measured with an ocular micrometer. Thrombus thresholds were determined by graded electrical stimulation. Determinations were made on 202 vessels in retrolingual membranes of frogs prepared by single pithing. In 95 arterioles (diameters from 10 to 40 microns), the mean flow velocity was 2.84 mm/sec. and the mean volume flow rate, 1.68xl0-3 cu mm/sec. The mean width of the total peripheral plasma layer was 3.6 microns and its ratio to mean vessel diameter was 1:6. In 107 venules (diameters from 10 to 50 microns), the mean flow rate was 1.20 mm/sec. The mean volume flow rate was 1.02x10-3 cu mm/sec. The mean width of the total peripheral plasma layer was 4.1 microns and its ratio to mean vessel diameter was 1:7.4. The ratios of mean arterial to mean venous velocity and volume flow were 1:2.3 and 1:1.6 respectively. Measurements were made on 100 mesenteric vessels of frogs prepared by single pithing. In 50 arterioles (diameters from 15 to 45 microns), the mean velocity was 3.77 mm/sec. The mean volume flow was 3.05xlo-3 cu mm/sec. The mean width of the total peripheral plasma layer was 2. 7 microns and its ratio to mean vessel diameter was 1:11.5. In 50 venules (diameters from 20 to 50 microns), the mean velocity was 1.55 mm/sec. and the mean volume flow rate, 1.76x10-3 cu mm/sec. The mean width of the total peripheral plasma layer was 6.7 microns and its ratio to mean vessel diameter was 1:5.3. The ratios of mean arterial to mean venous velocity and volume flow were 1:2.3 and 1:1.7 respectively. A total of 109 mesenteric vessels were studied in frogs anesthetized with urethane. In 55 arterioles (diameters from 15 to 45 microns), the mean velocity was 3.28 mm/sec. The mean volume flow was 2.87x10-3 cu mm/sec. The mean width of the total peripheral plasma layer was 3.2 microns and its ratio to mean vessel diameter was 1:9.3. In 54 venules (diameters from 20 to 50 microns), the mean flow rate was 1.61 mm/sec. and the mean volume flow, 1.83x10-3 cu mm/sec. The mean width of the total peripheral plasma layer was 5.6 microns and its ratio to mean vessel diameter was 1:5.9. The ratios of mean arterial to mean venous velocity and volume flow were 1:2.0 and 1:1.5 respectively. In these three series of studies in the frog, no relationship was clearly apparent between velocity and either vessel diameter or width of the peripheral plasma layer in arterioles. Suggestions of a direct relationship between velocity and peripheral plasma layer in veins, however, were evident. In all cases, and in both arterioles and venules, vessel diameter and peripheral plasma layer were clearly and directly related. The effects of flow velocity changes on width of the total peripheral plasma layer in individual vessels were studied in 26 arterioles of the hamster cheek pouch. Blood flow was varied by means of a cuff described by Copley (Biorheology 1: 3, 1962). A direct relationship between velocity and width of the peripheral plasma layer was clearly demonstrated. Thrombus thresholds were determined in mesenteric vessels of the frog. In 103 arterioles (diameters from 20 to 140 microns), the mean strength of stimulus necessary to produce a platelet thrombus was 24.8 volts with an amperage of 0.18 milliamperes. In 100 venules (diameters from 20 to 140 microns), the mean strength of stimulus necessary was 20.7 volts with an amperage of 0.12 milliamperes. Possible relationships of thrombus thresholds to flow velocity in mesenteric arterioles and venules are discussed. / 2031-01-01

The population dynamics and fishery productivity of snapper, Chrysophrys auratus, in South Australia are strongly driven by inter-annual variation in recruitment. This variable recruitment produces the occasional strong year-class which, over a number of years, results in a cycle of increasing and then decreasing biomass. The aim of this study was to develop an understanding of the recruitment dynamics of snapper through a study of the reproductive biology of adults, as well as the biology and ecology of 0+ recruits. Field sampling was done through 2006 to 2008 in northern Spencer Gulf, the region that generally contributes the majority of South Australia’s snapper catch. The recruitment of 0+ snapper was measured from a study of inter-and intra- annual patterns of distribution and abundance. This was done using two independent trawl sampling regimes, one using a beam trawl and the other an otter trawl, at different times in the settlement season. There was considerable inter-annual variation in abundance of 0+ fish of up to two orders of magnitude and, in some years, almost no recruitment was observed. The spatial pattern of dispersion of recruits was clumped and consistent between years; one area, Western Shoal, always produced the highest catches indicating that it is an important nursery. The effects of the timing of spawning and water temperature on growth patterns of the 0+ snapper collected in the trawl sampling were studied to determine possible impacts on recruitment processes. Growth was studied from age/length regressions and by measuring the widths of microincrements in the sagittal otoliths. Sub-surface water temperature was also logged in the region. Growth rate varied inter- and intra-annually but was not limited by temperature in the pre-settlement period. However, post-settlement growth rate was significantly correlated with water temperature and fish exhibited a dramatic slowing of growth as temperature declined in autumn. Later spawned fish were considerably smaller than earlier spawned fish of the same age, which may have implications for post-settlement survival. The reproductive biology of snapper was studied to determine if annual variation in recruitment was related to egg production. Reproductive samples from northern Spencer Gulf were collected over three seasons (2005/06, 2006/07 and 2007/08) and were analysed macro- and microscopically. Spawning activity was determined by calculating estimates of spawning fraction and batch fecundities. The onset of spawning occurred in November but varied between years and corresponded with times when water temperature was between 18 and 20ºC. The length of the spawning season also differed between years. In each year the peak spawning activity occurred during December when fish spawned almost daily. Spawning frequency and relative batch size did not differ between the first two spawning seasons but, in the third season, batch size was considerably greater and spawning fraction lower. However, recruitment was considerably more variable than the annual differences in spawning output could explain. This indicates that mortality processes during the planktonic or early post-settlement period are important in the recruitment dynamics of snapper. The impact of water temperature, lunar cycle and tide on the timing and strength of recruitment was investigated. Pre-settlement duration, spawn dates and settlement dates were determined from the microstructure of the sagittal otoliths of 0+ snapper. The patterns of successful spawning and settlement were determined by back-calculating to the day on which individual recruits were spawned and settled. The frequency distributions of these dates were compared with water temperature, lunar periodicity and the temporal variation in spawning. There was considerable variation within a season in the timing and magnitude of successful recruitment. Strongest recruitment resulted from spawning during December and January on days when water temperatures were between 21 and 23ºC but spawning on days in this range did not necessarily result in recruitment. Pre-settlement duration was unaffected by water temperature. Some evidence of lunar periodicity was detected in both the spawn and settlement date frequencies. Importantly, the spawn date frequency distributions of successful 0+ recruits did not correspond with the measured spawning activity of adults as considerable portions of the spawning season in each year did not produce successful recruits. These results indicated that spawning output and water temperature cannot explain the observed magnitude in recruitment variation. Food availability for 0+ snapper has been implicated in their patterns of distribution and abundance in New Zealand and Japan. Stomach contents of 0+ snapper were described as an initial step in developing some understanding of the dispersion of 0+ recruits. In spite of their generalist feeding habit, in the area of highest abundance (Western Shoal), snapper took considerably more polychaetes than elsewhere in northern Spencer Gulf. If polychaetes are more abundant at Western Shoal, this could explain the higher density of 0+ snapper there but insufficient information was available on these animals for northern Spencer Gulf to address this hypothesis. Food availability and/or quality may influence the distribution of 0+ recruits. The multi-species collections from the beam trawls were described to develop an understanding of the spatial dispersion of recruits and their habitat associations. 0+ snapper co-occurred with an assemblage that was characterised by fish and invertebrate species that are associated with mud/soft bottom, but they never occurred with the assemblage of species associated with seagrass, even when recruitment was strongest. This association partly explains the observed distribution pattern, but not all areas of mud/soft bottom had 0+ recruits, even in strong recruitment years. In northern Spencer Gulf, seagrass areas could be excluded from future snapper recruitment surveys. The recruitment dynamics of snapper in northern Spencer Gulf were characterised by dramatic inter-annual variation but a consistent pattern of dispersion. 0+ snapper were concentrated in a few small areas in northern part of the study region. One of these areas, Western Shoal, appears to be very important as a nursery for snapper. Furthermore, the pattern of 0+ snapper dispersion was independent of recruitment strength. The potential magnitude of 0+ snapper recruitment, set by egg production, was altered by mortality during the early life history. Some of this mortality was related to temperature regimes at the time of spawning but this did not explain all the variation in the magnitude and timing of recruitment. Snapper spawning occurred at times with suitable temperature conditions but recruitment did not always result. This indicates the presence of other factor(s) that have substantial influences on mortality in the early life history. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1374397 / Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Adelaide, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, 2009

This thesis describes research designed to increase our knowledge of the nutritional requirements of Australian snapper Pagrus auratus and provide information on the potential of Australian feed ingredients to reduce the level of fishmeal in diets for this species. The apparent digestibility of organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), crude fat (CF) and gross energy (GE) from selected animal, cereal or oilseed meals incorporated at different inclusion levels was determined. Snapper were extremely efficient at digesting the CP, CF and GE from fishmeal and rendered animal meals (range 80-100%) with the exception of meat meal, where CP and GE digestibility were lower (62-65%). The CP from oilseeds was better digested (87-91%) than OM (57%) or GE (64-67%). Digestibility of nutrients and GE from animal meals and fish oil was not influenced by inclusion level. The CP from extruded wheat was highly digestible (100-105%), but, the OM, CF and GE digestibility of extruded wheat declined as inclusion levels increased. The interactive effects of inclusion level (150, 250, 350 or 450 g kg-1) and fish size (110 vs 375 g snapper) on the apparent digestibility of OM and GE from gelatinised wheat starch were investigated. The OM and GE digestibility of gelatinised wheat starch was high (89%) at low inclusion levels, but declined significantly in both fish sizes as the level of starch increased. There was no interaction between inclusion level and size of fish and the decline in GE digestibility could be predicted by the regression; GEADC = 104.97(±3.39) - 0.109(±0.010) x inclusion level (R2=0.86). Larger fish were more capable of digesting the GE from gelatinised starch than smaller fish. Regardless of fish size, short and longer-term changes in the physiology of snapper fed or injected with carbohydrates were recorded. Liver and tissue glycogen concentrations and the hepatosomatic index (HSI) of snapper fed gelatinised starch were significantly elevated. The plasma glucose concentrations of fish injected intra-peritoneally with D-glucose increased from resting levels (0.4-4.6 mM) to 18.9 mM approximately 3 hours after injection and fish displayed a hyperglycaemic response for nearly 18 hours. In contrast, the post-prandial response to the uptake of glucose from normally digested gelatinised starch was more regulated. A dose-response study to determine the effects of digestible energy (DE) content (15, 18 or 21 MJ kg-1) on the digestible protein (DP) requirements of juvenile snapper was assessed using a four parameter mathematical model for physiological responses (4-SKM). DP content of test diets ranged from 210 to 560 g kg-1. Weight gain and protein deposition was strongly dependent on the ratio of DP:DE. According to the fitted models, diets for snapper weighing between 30-90 g and reared at temperatures ranging from 20-25ºC should contain a minimum of 28 g DP MJ DE-1 to promote optimal weight gain and protein deposition. The effect of varying the absolute content of DP and DE on the weight gain and performance of snapper (100-300 g) fed diets formulated with an optimal ratio of DP:DE was investigated. In addition, non-protein sources of DE were varied by adjusting the ratio of fish oil to gelatinised wheat starch in order to determine if different ratios of these ingredients affected performance. High-energy diets (22-23 MJ DE kg-1) suppressed feed intake, but provided DP intake was not limited by feed intake, maximum weight gain was approached. Lower-energy, lower-protien diets (15-18 MJ DE & 315-390 DP) encouraged higher feed intake but DP intake was restricted, which reduced growth potential. Snapper performed best on high-energy, high-protein diets (490 DP & 21 MJ DE), provided a significant proportion of DE was supplied as DP. Fish oil and pregelatinised wheat starch could be interchanged according to their DE values without unduly affecting fish performance in diets providing 390-490 g DP kg-1. Two utilisation studies were undertaken to investigate the performance of snapper fed diets containing increasing levels of poultry offal meal, meat meal and soybean meal. All diets were formulated with similar DP and DE contents. Snapper readily accepted feeds containing high levels of poultry meal (360 g kg-1), meat meal (345 g kg-1) or soybean meal (420 g kg-1), before weight gain and performance was negatively affected. In combination, these feed ingredients were able to replace all but 160 g fishmeal kg-1 in commercially extruded test feeds for this species. The research described in this thesis has extended knowledge of the nutritional requirements of Australian snapper by providing important information on the digestibility of Australian feed ingredients. These coefficients have been integral in formulating both experimental and semi-commercial test diets for snapper and will increase both the accuracy and flexibility of commercial diet formulations for this species. High performance feeds for snapper will contain high levels of DP, but must provide a significant proportion of DE in the form of protein. These constraints can be satisfied by using alternative, well-digested protein and energy sources that have the potential to replace all but 160 g kg-1 fishmeal.

The population dynamics and fishery productivity of snapper, Chrysophrys auratus, in South Australia are strongly driven by inter-annual variation in recruitment. This variable recruitment produces the occasional strong year-class which, over a number of years, results in a cycle of increasing and then decreasing biomass. The aim of this study was to develop an understanding of the recruitment dynamics of snapper through a study of the reproductive biology of adults, as well as the biology and ecology of 0+ recruits. Field sampling was done through 2006 to 2008 in northern Spencer Gulf, the region that generally contributes the majority of South Australia’s snapper catch. The recruitment of 0+ snapper was measured from a study of inter-and intra- annual patterns of distribution and abundance. This was done using two independent trawl sampling regimes, one using a beam trawl and the other an otter trawl, at different times in the settlement season. There was considerable inter-annual variation in abundance of 0+ fish of up to two orders of magnitude and, in some years, almost no recruitment was observed. The spatial pattern of dispersion of recruits was clumped and consistent between years; one area, Western Shoal, always produced the highest catches indicating that it is an important nursery. The effects of the timing of spawning and water temperature on growth patterns of the 0+ snapper collected in the trawl sampling were studied to determine possible impacts on recruitment processes. Growth was studied from age/length regressions and by measuring the widths of microincrements in the sagittal otoliths. Sub-surface water temperature was also logged in the region. Growth rate varied inter- and intra-annually but was not limited by temperature in the pre-settlement period. However, post-settlement growth rate was significantly correlated with water temperature and fish exhibited a dramatic slowing of growth as temperature declined in autumn. Later spawned fish were considerably smaller than earlier spawned fish of the same age, which may have implications for post-settlement survival. The reproductive biology of snapper was studied to determine if annual variation in recruitment was related to egg production. Reproductive samples from northern Spencer Gulf were collected over three seasons (2005/06, 2006/07 and 2007/08) and were analysed macro- and microscopically. Spawning activity was determined by calculating estimates of spawning fraction and batch fecundities. The onset of spawning occurred in November but varied between years and corresponded with times when water temperature was between 18 and 20ºC. The length of the spawning season also differed between years. In each year the peak spawning activity occurred during December when fish spawned almost daily. Spawning frequency and relative batch size did not differ between the first two spawning seasons but, in the third season, batch size was considerably greater and spawning fraction lower. However, recruitment was considerably more variable than the annual differences in spawning output could explain. This indicates that mortality processes during the planktonic or early post-settlement period are important in the recruitment dynamics of snapper. The impact of water temperature, lunar cycle and tide on the timing and strength of recruitment was investigated. Pre-settlement duration, spawn dates and settlement dates were determined from the microstructure of the sagittal otoliths of 0+ snapper. The patterns of successful spawning and settlement were determined by back-calculating to the day on which individual recruits were spawned and settled. The frequency distributions of these dates were compared with water temperature, lunar periodicity and the temporal variation in spawning. There was considerable variation within a season in the timing and magnitude of successful recruitment. Strongest recruitment resulted from spawning during December and January on days when water temperatures were between 21 and 23ºC but spawning on days in this range did not necessarily result in recruitment. Pre-settlement duration was unaffected by water temperature. Some evidence of lunar periodicity was detected in both the spawn and settlement date frequencies. Importantly, the spawn date frequency distributions of successful 0+ recruits did not correspond with the measured spawning activity of adults as considerable portions of the spawning season in each year did not produce successful recruits. These results indicated that spawning output and water temperature cannot explain the observed magnitude in recruitment variation. Food availability for 0+ snapper has been implicated in their patterns of distribution and abundance in New Zealand and Japan. Stomach contents of 0+ snapper were described as an initial step in developing some understanding of the dispersion of 0+ recruits. In spite of their generalist feeding habit, in the area of highest abundance (Western Shoal), snapper took considerably more polychaetes than elsewhere in northern Spencer Gulf. If polychaetes are more abundant at Western Shoal, this could explain the higher density of 0+ snapper there but insufficient information was available on these animals for northern Spencer Gulf to address this hypothesis. Food availability and/or quality may influence the distribution of 0+ recruits. The multi-species collections from the beam trawls were described to develop an understanding of the spatial dispersion of recruits and their habitat associations. 0+ snapper co-occurred with an assemblage that was characterised by fish and invertebrate species that are associated with mud/soft bottom, but they never occurred with the assemblage of species associated with seagrass, even when recruitment was strongest. This association partly explains the observed distribution pattern, but not all areas of mud/soft bottom had 0+ recruits, even in strong recruitment years. In northern Spencer Gulf, seagrass areas could be excluded from future snapper recruitment surveys. The recruitment dynamics of snapper in northern Spencer Gulf were characterised by dramatic inter-annual variation but a consistent pattern of dispersion. 0+ snapper were concentrated in a few small areas in northern part of the study region. One of these areas, Western Shoal, appears to be very important as a nursery for snapper. Furthermore, the pattern of 0+ snapper dispersion was independent of recruitment strength. The potential magnitude of 0+ snapper recruitment, set by egg production, was altered by mortality during the early life history. Some of this mortality was related to temperature regimes at the time of spawning but this did not explain all the variation in the magnitude and timing of recruitment. Snapper spawning occurred at times with suitable temperature conditions but recruitment did not always result. This indicates the presence of other factor(s) that have substantial influences on mortality in the early life history. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1374397 / Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Adelaide, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, 2009

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:29:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008-03-14Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:17:01Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 gazzola_ra_me_bauru.pdf: 248528 bytes, checksum: 218a7bda6ba9d6f0a378ed3514a7906f (MD5) / Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) / O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar o comportamento de preferência por escuridão em peixes da espécie C. auratus. No primeiro experimento avaliamos os efeitos das condições de alojamento sobre o comportamento de preferência, comparando posteriormente a situações onde foi inserido um substrato de cor intermediária (cinza). No segundo experimento avaliamos se a preferência por escuridão alterava-se após expor os sujeitos a variados regimes de luz. No primeiro experimento utilizamos 48 peixes (c. auratus), medindo entre cinco e sete centímetros, alojados em grupo (n = 24) em aquários de vidro (30 x 45 x 35 cm), com água filtrada e tamponada ph = 7,5 ± 5, sob temperatura de 27 ± 2ºc, ciclo de luz alternados em 12:12 h, controle de luz externa e alimentados uma vez ao dia. O aparato utilizado constituiu-se por seis aquários (15 x 10 x 45 cm) nas cores: preto, branco, cinza, branco-preto, cinza-branco e cinza-preto, com coluna d'água de 10 cm. No segundo experimento utilizamos 32 peixes da mesma espécie e com as mesmas características, mantidos em grupo (n = 11) em condições similares (4h, 8h, 12h, 16h ou 20h de luz). Foi utilizado aparato com medida similar ao experimento anterior e nas cores preto-branco. Após 5 minutos de habituação no centro do aquário as comportas eram removidas. As sessões tiveram duração de quinze 15 min. O procedimento foi o mesmo nos 2 experimentos. Os resultados indicaram maior preferência dos animais pelo substrato preto quando em contraste com o substrato branco, e do cinza, em relação ao preto e ao branco. O segundo experimento indicou que a exposição a regimes de luz diferenciados altera a preferência dos animais fazendo com que no regime de 20 h a preferência por substrato escuro desapareça, desta forma, alguns regimes luminosos, em específico os mais longos,... / The aim of the present study was to evaluate the darkeness preference behavior in fish . The first experiment evaluated the preference among three substratum (dark, white and ash) . The second experiment evaluated the preference by darkness after exposition to differentes light regimes. In the first experiment 48 fish (c. auratus), five to seven centimeters of body size, were housed in group (n = 24) with light cycle alternated in 12:12 h, light control expresses and they were fedded once a day. The apparatus was constituted by six aquariums (15 x 10 x 45 cm) in colors (black, white, ash, white-black, ash-white and ash-black) and column of water of 10 cm. In the second experiment 32 fish of the same species and with the same characteristics, under similar conditions, were exposed to inverted and alternated light cycles (4 h, 8 h, 12 h, 16 h or 20h). The apparatus had similar measures and black-white colors to the previous experiment. After 5 minutes of habituation in the center of the aquarium the floodgates were removed. The sessions finished at 15 minutes. The procedure was the same in two experiments. The data of teh first experiment shows that the subjects prefer black substract than white and they o prefer ash than blak or white. The second experiment suggested that the kind of exposure of light regime effects the preferency in fishes. Twenty hours lighting regime faded out the darkeness preferency. Some luminous regimes, in specific the longest, altered the preference for darkness in the fish. There is preference for the intermediate substratum (ash) when available.