The Importance of Estuarine Production of Large Prey for the Growth of Juvenile Temperate Seabass (Lateolabrax japonicus)

Fuji, Taiki; Kasai, Atsushi; Ueno, Masahiro; Yamashita, Yoh

doi:10.1007/s12237-015-0051-3

Cited by 9 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Many studies of marine and freshwater fish species have revealed correlations that are consistent with this theory: size of preferred prey increases with predator size (Fuji, Kasai, Ueno, & Yamashita, ; Graeb, Mangan, Jolley, Wahl, & Dettmers, ); predator growth rate and/or condition increase when accessibility of larger prey increases (Golet et al., ; Kaufman, Morgan, & Gunn, ); size at maturity and maximum adult size change in concert with changes in typical prey size (Kennedy, Bartley, Gillis, McCann, & Rennie, ; Shuter, Giacomini, de Kerckhove, & Vascotto, ). In addition, physiological measures of activity on top predators (e.g., respiratory enzyme concentrations—Sherwood, Pazzia, Moeser, Hontela, & Rasmussen, ; Kaufman, Gunn, Morgan, & Couture, ; indices based on bioenergetic models of contaminant accumulation—Henderson, Morgan, & Vaillancourt, ; Pazzia, Trudel, Ridgway, & Rasmussen, ) are also consistent with this theory.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Life at the top: Lake ecotype influences the foraging pattern, metabolic costs and life history of an apex fish predator

Cruz‐Font

Shuter

Blanchfield

et al. 2019

Journal of Animal Ecology

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We used acoustic telemetry and acceleration sensors to compare population‐specific measures of the metabolic costs of an apex fish predator living in four separate lakes. We chose our study species and populations to provide a strong test of recent theoretical predictions that optimal foraging by an apex fish predator in a typical aquatic environment would be consistent with feeding to satiation rather than continuous feeding. We chose four populations where the primary prey type differed along a body size gradient (from small invertebrates to large planktivorous fish) and along a thermal accessibility gradient (from easily accessible cold‐water pelagic prey to less accessible warm‐water epilimnetic and littoral prey). We expected that these gradients in prey type would evoke distinctly different activity gradients depending on whether predators fed to satiation (e.g., less frequent “rest” detections where primary prey are smaller/less accessible) or fed continuously (e.g., fixed level of “rest” detections under all prey conditions). Our study organism was a fall spawning, cold‐water visual apex predator (lake trout). Therefore, we focused our study on diel (early night, dawn, day, dusk, late night) changes in metabolic costs associated with summer feeding behaviour. The duration (~20 days) and fine temporal scale (~30 min) of our behavioural data provided a uniquely detailed picture of intra‐ and inter‐population differences in activity patterns over a critical period in the annual growing season. In all populations, diel shifts in activity were qualitatively consistent with that expected of a visual predator (e.g., resting state detections were most frequent at night). Between‐lake differences in daytime thermal experience were qualitatively consistent with between‐lake differences in the location of primary prey (e.g., excursions to warm habitats were common in lakes with epilimnetic/littoral fish as primary prey and relatively rare in lakes with pelagic cold‐water invertebrates/fish as primary prey). Daytime activity patterns were more consistent with the feeding pattern expected from feeding to satiation rather than continuous feeding: (a) individuals in all four populations exhibited clearly delineated bouts of resting behaviour and active behaviour; (b) the frequency of resting bouts and the resultant overall cost of daily activity were strongly associated with the size and accessibility of prey—in lakes with smaller and/or less accessible prey, predators rested less frequently, exhibited marginally higher costs when active and had higher overall daytime activity costs. Within each lake, similar changes in activity occurred concurrently with diel changes in prey accessibility/relative density.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Life at the top: Lake ecotype influences the foraging pattern, metabolic costs and life history of an apex fish predator

Cruz‐Font

Shuter

Blanchfield

et al. 2019

Journal of Animal Ecology

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“…Fuji () found a positive correlation between the Yura River discharge and a recruitment index in YCs 2007–2013, which was defined as the ratio of the abundance of benthic larvae/juveniles to the abundance of planktonic larvae in each year class. Positive effects of the enhancement of estuarine circulation and/or coastal production on the survival of L. japonicus during the planktonic period were hypothesized (Fuji, ). In the present study, higher survival indices were found in winters of larger freshwater discharges, although the correlation was statistically insignificant (Figure e).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The present study demonstrated that northwesterly cold winds characteristic of EAWM play a critical role in transporting L. japonicus eggs and larvae toward the innermost part of Tango Bay (Figure ). In contrast to low densities and small sizes of L. japonicus larvae and juveniles occurring outside the bay, developed juveniles occur abundantly in the Yura River estuary as well as sandy beaches and seagrass beds inside the bay (Fuji, ). Among these habitats, estuaries serve as an important nursery for L. japonicus in and around Tango Bay (Fuji et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ecological information about its early life history has been accumulated mainly in Japan (Fujita, Kinoshita, Takahashi, & Azuma, ; Kasai et al, ; Mito, ; Watanabe, ): Larvae hatch offshore in winter before being transported toward nursery habitats in coastal and estuarine waters. Partial migration and flexible feeding habits characterize the early life history of L. japonicus (Fuji, Kasai, Suzuki, Ueno, & Yamashita, ; Fuji, Kasai, Ueno, & Yamashita, ; Hibino, Ohta, Isoda, Nakayama, & Tanaka, ; Hibino, Ueda, & Tanaka, ; Suzuki, Kasai, Isoda, Nakayama, & Tanaka, ; Suzuki, Kasai, Ohta, Nakayama, & Tanaka, ), potentially contributing to the stability of L. japonicus stocks despite degradation and fragmentation of the coastal environment. The planktonic period is considered to be critical in determining the year class strength, since L. japonicus well survives the juvenile stage in nursery habitats (Yamazaki, , , ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Winter monsoon promotes the transport of Japanese temperate bass Lateolabrax japonicus eggs and larvae toward the innermost part of Tango Bay, the Sea of Japan

Suzuki

Fuji

Kasai

et al. 2019

Fisheries Oceanography

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Northwesterly cold winds characteristic of the East Asian Winter Monsoon (EAWM) dictate winter climatic conditions over the Japanese Archipelago. Japanese temperate bass Lateolabrax japonicus is a commercially important coastal fish that spawns offshore in winter and uses shallow waters as nursery habitats. To investigate the effects of EAWM on the planktonic period of L. japonicus, eggs, larvae, and juveniles were quantitatively collected in Tango Bay on the Sea of Japan side in winter and spring from 2007 to 2017. Although eggs occurred close to the mouth of the bay, planktonic larvae occurred further inside as they developed. The horizontal distribution of planktonic larvae, combined with water velocity data obtained from mooring observations, indicated that planktonic larvae are transported south‐ to westward through Ekman current and an anticyclonic circulation, which are driven by northwesterly winds. To evaluate survival during the planktonic period in each year class, the abundance of benthic larvae/juveniles was divided by winter total landings of Lateolabrax spp. (proxy of the spawning stock size). This survival index exhibited a positive correlation with the northwesterly component of winter winds, and a negative correlation with winter air temperature (average from December to February, Spearman's correlation, p < .05). There was, however, no significant correlation with winter water temperature or winter freshwater discharge in the bay. We conclude that northwesterly cold winds of EAWM play a critical role in transporting L. japonicus eggs and larvae toward nursery habitats, specifically beaches and estuaries fringing the innermost part of Tango Bay.

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“…For example, the amphipod Corophium salmonis was the primary prey of white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) ≥80 cm total length, but not in size-classes <80 cm (Muir, Emmett, & McConnell, 1988); and mean food size increased (i.e. from copepods to mysids) with the size of juvenile Japanese seabass (Lateolabrax japonicus) (Fuji, Kasai, Ueno, & Yamashita, 2016). Generally, larger individuals have relatively higher δ 13 C and δ 15 N due to size-based feeding (Galván, Funes, Liberoff, Botto, & Iribarne, 2015;Jardine, Gray, McWilliam, & Cunjak, 2005;Willis et al, 2013).…”

Section: Feeding Ecology Of Juvenile Chinese Sturgeon In the Yangtzmentioning

confidence: 99%

Migration and feeding habits of juvenile Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis Gray 1835) in the Yangtze Estuary: Implications for conservation

Wang

Tao

Yang

et al. 2018

Aquatic Conservation

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Spatial and temporal variation in migration and feeding ecology of juvenile Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis Gray 1835) is reported for waters around Chongming Island, Yangtze Estuary, between April and August 2015. A migration survey showed that juvenile Chinese sturgeon remained within the Yangtze Estuary for a period of time preceding their onward migration to the sea; upper estuarine reaches were an important transition habitat during April and May, while nearshore coastal areas were foraging habitat during June to August. Stable isotopic analysis revealed (1) significantly lower isotope values in smaller‐sized Chinese sturgeon (≤100 mm) than larger‐ sized fish (>100 mm), which indicated a dietary shift likely occurs at fork lengths greater than 100 mm; (2) the increase in values of δ13C and δ15N from May to August implied an ontogenetic dietary shift from lower to higher trophic‐level prey items; and (3) slight changes in distributional range among different coastal sites implied that individuals fed on similar food items. Coastal shallows represent major foraging areas for juvenile Chinese sturgeon in the Yangtze Estuary. In addition to the conventional conservation measures at the nature reserve, we suggest additional conservation actions to better protect juvenile Chinese sturgeon residing in the estuary; namely: (1) expanding the protected area and adding a seasonal component, from April to August, to afford better protection of juvenile Chinese sturgeon in the whole estuary, but particularly just upstream of the estuary mouth and in nearshore waters; and (2) banning all fishing activities and extending protection to the food resources (such as zoobenthos and small‐sized fishes) of juvenile Chinese sturgeon in coastal shallows.

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The Importance of Estuarine Production of Large Prey for the Growth of Juvenile Temperate Seabass (Lateolabrax japonicus)

Cited by 9 publications

References 49 publications

Life at the top: Lake ecotype influences the foraging pattern, metabolic costs and life history of an apex fish predator

Life at the top: Lake ecotype influences the foraging pattern, metabolic costs and life history of an apex fish predator

Winter monsoon promotes the transport of Japanese temperate bass Lateolabrax japonicus eggs and larvae toward the innermost part of Tango Bay, the Sea of Japan

Migration and feeding habits of juvenile Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis Gray 1835) in the Yangtze Estuary: Implications for conservation

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