Positive effects of fast growth on locomotor performance in pelagic fish juveniles

Abstract

Many laboratory experiments on aquatic vertebrates that inhabit closed water or coastal areas have highlighted negative effects of fast growth on swimming performance. Nonetheless, field studies on pelagic fishes have provided evidence of survival advantages of faster-growing individuals. To reconcile this contradiction, we examined the relationship between growth rate and swimming performance as a continuous function for juveniles of chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) using 3D tracking analysis. For experiments, 20, 24, 27, and 30 days post-hatch individuals within the size range of 14.5–25.3 mm were used. We found that the growth–swimming (burst speed) relationship in chub mackerel was substantially positive and it was supported by morphological traits such as muscle area, which were also positively related with growth rate. This finding is consistent with field observations showing selective survival of fast-growing individuals of this species, reconciling the current contradiction between laboratory experiments and field observations. A dome-shaped quadratic curve described the relationship between growth rate and burst speed better than a linear or cubic function, suggesting that growth may trade-off with swimming performance, as reported in many previous studies, when it is extremely fast. These results, obtained from the rarely tested offshore species, strongly suggests the importance of experimental verification using animals that inhabit various types of habitats in understanding the principles underlying the evolution of growth–locomotor relationship.

Maternal spawning experience and thermal effects on offspring viability of chub mackerel and their influence on reproductive success

“…Previous studies on the relationship between early growth rate and recruitment indexes of chub mackerel in the western North Pacific support the assumption of growth-selective mortality (Kamimura et al, 2015;Kaneko et al, 2019;Taga et al, 2019;Takasuka et al, 2020;Guo et al, 2022) as found in Atlantic mackerel Scomber scombrus (Robert et al, 2007); faster growth in the early life stages leads to better recruitment. This is likely to be accompanied by the finding that even within the same range of SL, fast-growing individuals of juvenile chub mackerel showed higher swimming ability (burst speed) than the slow-growing conspecifics, probably owing to differences in morphological traits (Nakamura et al, 2022). Offspring have to migrate from coastal waters off Japan, spawning grounds, to Kuroshio-Oyashio transition areas, nurseries, and feeding grounds for recruitment (Figure 2, Yukami et al, 2021).…”

Highly structured habitats mitigate size‐ and growth‐selective mortality of post‐settlement juvenile fish

“…Hence, the juveniles seem to have experienced selection for survival of fast‐growing fish within the high‐mortality cohort during the post‐settlement period. In general, higher growth rate itself is positively related to burst swimming speed (Nakamura et al, 2022). Therefore, S. cheni growth rate during the post‐settlement period is probably an indicator of anti‐predator abilities, such as swimming performance, in the macroalgal bed.…”

“…Second, fast growth can increase the probability of survival for bigger and faster‐growing individuals because they are less vulnerable to predation compared to smaller and slower‐growing individuals (the “bigger‐is‐better” hypothesis; Miller et al, 1988). Third, growth rate itself also contributes to the probability of survival for fish in early life stages regardless of fish size (the “growth‐selective predation” hypothesis; Takasuka et al, 2003), as it reflects antipredator behavior such as burst swimming speed (Nakamura et al, 2022). Many studies have tested these hypotheses in a variety of fishes and ecosystems (e.g., Fennie et al, 2020; Hare & Cowen, 1997; Islam et al, 2010; Takasuka et al, 2017).…”

Highly structured habitats mitigate size- and growth-selective mortality of post-settlement juvenile fish

“…Hence, the juveniles seem to have experienced negative growth-selective mortality within the high-mortality cohort during the post-settlement period. In general, higher growth rate itself is positively related to burst swimming speed (Nakamura et al, 2022). Therefore, S. cheni growth rate during the post-settlement period is probably an indicator of anti-predator abilities, such as swimming performance, in the macroalgal bed.…”

“…The copyright holder for this preprint this version posted October 21, 2022. ; https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.10.21.513133 doi: bioRxiv preprint bigger and faster-growing individuals because they are less vulnerable to predation compared to smaller and slower-growing individuals (the "bigger-is-better" hypothesis; Miller et al, 1988). Third, growth rate itself also contributes to the probability of survival for fish in early life stages regardless of fish size (the "growth-selective predation" hypothesis; Takasuka et al, 2003), as it reflects antipredator behavior such as burst swimming speed (Nakamura et al, 2022). Many studies have tested these hypotheses in a variety of fishes and ecosystems (e.g., Fennie et al, 2020;Hare & Cowen, 1997;Islam et al, 2010;Takasuka et al, 2017).…”