Labotes surinamensis, are migratory fish that occur worldwide in warm seas, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. In the north-central Gulf of Mexico, tripletail support small recreational and commercial fisheries from April to Oct. and are commonly caught in bays and estuaries. Few studies have evaluated the life history and biological characteristics of tripletail; therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the age and growth, reproductive biology, and diet of tripletail caught off coastal Alabama. Our primary goal was to use life history information to determine. a minimum size limit for harvest. A secondary goal was to compm•e the results of our study with those of previous tripletail studies. A total of 119 specimens, ranging in size from 293-to 763-mm total length (TL), were collected from recreational anglers and from a wholesale seafood dealer between May 1998 and Aug. 2000. Female specimens were significantly longer and heavier than males. Total length varied greatly with age, although significant overlap in lengths was observed among ages. Age ranged from 0.87 to 4.09 yr. No male was older than 3.15 yr of age, whereas five females were estimated to be more than 4 yr old. Fifty percent of females reached sexual maturity by 494-to 594-mm TL and approximately 1 to 2 yr of age. All males greater than 380 mm were sexually mature. Diets were composed primarily of penaeid shrimps, various pelagic fish species, and portunid crabs, with the proportion of fish consumed increasing with tripletail length. On the basis of the results of this study as well as previous research on the life history and population dynamics of tripletail, the state of Alabama implemented a 406 mm (16 inch) minimum size limit for this species. This size limit is below the female size at 50% maturity (19.5-23.5 inch) and should be increased if large increases in fishing pressure occur.
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are portions of the marine environment which are protected from some or all human activity. Where extraction of living resources is forbidden, these MPAs are best referred to as marine reserves. Often these are proposed as a safeguard against collapse of fish stocks, although reserves may have numerous other beneficial purposes. However, as a tool for fisheries management, where optimal and/or maximum sustainable yield is the objective, I submit that reserves are generally not as effective as traditional management measures, and are not appropriate for the vast majority of marine species. This is because most marine species are far too mobile to remain within a reserve and/or are not overfished. However, in the United States, of those marine fishes that are experiencing overfishing or are overfished, most have come under management within the last decade, employing more traditional fishery management measures, and are experiencing recovery. For those few species which could receive benefit, creation of reserves would have an adverse effect on harvest potentials of sympatric forms.
Documenting and responding to species invasions requires innovative strategies that account for ecological and societal complexities. We used the recent expansion of Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) throughout northern Gulf of Mexico coastal waters to evaluate the role of stakeholders in documenting and responding to a rapid marine invasion. We coupled an online survey of spearfishers and citizen science monitoring programs with traditional fishery-independent data sources and found that citizen observations documented lionfish 1-2 years earlier and more frequently than traditional reef fish monitoring programs. Citizen observations first documented lionfish in 2010 followed by rapid expansion and proliferation in 2011 (+367%). From the survey of spearfishers, we determined that diving experience and personal observations of lionfish strongly influenced perceived impacts, and these perceptions were powerful predictors of support for initiatives. Our study demonstrates the value of engaging citizens for assessing and responding to large-scale and time-sensitive conservation problems.
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