This study compares reproductive biology estimates of female red snapper among three habitat types (natural shelf-edge banks, standing petroleum platforms and toppled petroleum platforms) and among six regions in the Gulf of Mexico (central Florida, northwest Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, north Texas and south Texas). In both studies, batch fecundity and spawning frequency increased with length, weight and age, and batch fecundity was best correlated with maternal length. Gulf-wide, 75% maturity was achieved by age-3 and 100% maturity was reached by age-8. Sizes- and ages-at-maturity differed among habitat types and regions. Females from natural habitat reached 50% maturity the slowest (age-5, 450 mm TL), while fish from toppled platforms reached this benchmark the fastest (age-3, 400 mm TL). Among regions, 100% maturity was reached fastest in north Texas (age-6, 625 mm TL), followed by conspecifics in Alabama (age-6, 675 mm TL), while this benchmark was reached slowest in northwest Florida (age-9, 775 mm TL). Mean batch fecundity was significantly greater in Alabama (283,051 ± 35,761) compared to the other regions. Spawning frequency was significantly greater in north Texas (1.9-3.4 days) compared to the other regions. The differences in reproductive biology estimates among habitat types and regions presented here exemplify the diversity of intraspecific life history traits, which may be influenced by varying ecologies, environments and/or fishing pressures. These findings may supplement managers with important knowledge regarding red snapper vital rates, which may be useful for future management decisions.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LSU/oai:etd.lsu.edu:etd-07132012-035018 |
| Date | 18 July 2012 |
| Creators | Kulaw, Dannielle Helen |
| Contributors | Bargu, Sibel Ates, Powers, Joseph E., Cowan, James H. Jr. |
| Publisher | LSU |
| Source Sets | Louisiana State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-07132012-035018/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached herein a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to LSU or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below and in appropriate University policies, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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