A Comparison of Life Histories and Ecological
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Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2003 A comparison of life histories and ecological aspects among snappers (Pisces: Lutjanidae) Fernando Martinez-Andrade Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons Recommended Citation Martinez-Andrade, Fernando, "A comparison of life histories and ecological aspects among snappers (Pisces: Lutjanidae)" (2003). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 2271. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/2271 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. A COMPARISON OF LIFE HISTORIES AND ECOLOGICAL ASPECTS AMONG SNAPPERS (PISCES: LUTJANIDAE) A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State university and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences by Fernando Martinez-Andrade B.S., Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana, 1992 M.S., Instituto Tecnologico y de Etudios Superiores de Monterrey, 1997 December 2003 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I express my most sincere appreciation to my major Professor, Dr. Donald M. Baltz, who has directed with a positive and honest attitude all my efforts since the beginning of my doctoral studies. I also wish to recognize the rest of my doctoral committee members, Drs. Charles Wilson, Lawrence Rouse, J. Michael Fitzsimons, and Thomas H. Dietz for participating with valuable suggestions and the review of this manuscript. I thank Dr. John E. Randall for allowing me the unconditional use of his photographic collection of snappers. I express my gratitude to the Louisiana State University Libraries system for the fast and efficient acquisition of the enormous amount of publications needed for this study. FishBase (www.fishbase.org) was also an invaluable source of information and it is cited frequently throughout the manuscript. Financial support to finance my doctoral studies was provided by the Fulbright Foundation, the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT) in México, the Louisiana State University Graduate School, the LSU Coastal Fisheries Institute, the U.S. Department of the Interior Minerals Management Service, and the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) Foundation. I thank the LSU School of the Coast and the Environment and the Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences in particular for all the assistance provided and use of facilities during my stay in Baton Rouge. Finally I want to thank my wife, Sabina, for all her support through all these years and other fellow LSU students with whom I have shared so many important events in life. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS………………………………………………………………...ii LIST OF TABLES…….………………………………………………………..................v LIST OF FIGURES………………………………………………………………………vi ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………….viii GENERAL INTRODUCTION………………………………..………………..….…..….1 CHAPTER 1 A BRIEF REVIEW OF LIFE-HISTORY CONCEPTS RELEVANT TO SNAPPERS…………………………………………………………………....5 2 COMPARISON OF LIFE-HISTORY FACTORS AMONG SNAPPERS…………………………………………………………………..14 Introduction………………………………………………………….…….…14 Methodology…………………………………………………………............19 Results…………………………………………………………………..........24 Discussion……………………………………………………………………48 3 COMPARISON OF SOME DISTRIBUTIONAL FACTORS AMONG SNAPPERS…………………………………………………………………..87 Introduction………………………………………………………………......87 Methodology……………………………………………………………...….91 Results……………………………………………………………………......92 Discussion………………………………………………...……………….....93 4 COMPARISON OF FEEDING HABITS AMONG SNAPPERS………….106 Introduction………………………………………………………………....106 Methodology……………………………………………………………..…107 Results………………………………………………………………………110 Discussion…………………………………………………………………..112 5 AN ANALYSIS OF LIFE-HISTORY, DISTRIBUTION AND PREY AMONG SNAPPERS………………………………………………………130 Introduction…………………………………………………………………130 Methodology………………………………………………………………..130 Results………………………………………………………………………132 Discussion…………………………………………………………………..133 BIBLIOGRAPHY.………………………………………………………………….......141 APPENDIX LENGTH CONVERSION FORMULAS…..…………………………….191 iii VITA……………………………………………………………………………………194 iv LIST OF TABLES 2.1 Mean values (± S D (N)) and range for ten variables reported in literature and overall (estimates included) for the family Lutjanidae …………..……….…………25 2.2 Correlation analysis of ten life-history variables in the initial and expanded databases for the family Lutjanidae……………………………………………….…26 2.3 Loadings, eigenvalues, and variance explained by factor from the Principal Component Analysis of life-history variables in the family Lutjanidae…..28 2.4 Mean values of the life-history variables for species and populations in the four subfamilies of the family Lutjanidae………….………………………………...42 2.5 Life-history variables available in literature and estimations for populations within species of snappers……………………………………………………....….53 3.1 Asymptotic length, vertical and latitudinal distribution, range, habitat selection and reproductive peak months for selected species of snappers………...…………..94 3.2 Mean asymptotic length, minimum depth, maximum depth, and latitudinal range by subfamily…………………………………………………………………..97 3.3 Partial listing of estuarine-dependent and estuarine-independent species of snappers……………………………………………………………………………..102 4.1 Inter-population differences and ontogenetic changes in the feeding habits of snappers and closely related species……………………………………………..113 4.2 Mean values of the diet categories for species of the subfamilies Lutjaninae and Etelinae……………………………………………………………………………..121 4.3 Correlation analysis among prey items found in the diets of snappers of the subfamilies Lutjaninae and Etelinae……………………………………………….123 4.4 Loadings, eigenvalues and variance explained by factor from the Principal Component Analysis of the categories in the diets of snappers of the subfamilies Lutjaninae and Etelinae…………………………………………………………..…123 5.1 Loadings, eigenvalues and variance explained by factor from the Principal Component Analysis of all ecological variables for snappers in all subfamilies……134 v LIST OF FIGURES 2.1 Life-history data for species in the family Lutjanidae……………………………...30 2.2 Life-history data for species in the subfamily Lutjaninae…..……………………...31 2.3 Life-history data for species in the families Paradicichthyinae, Etelinae and Apsilinae…………………………………………….……………………………...32 2.4 Length at maturity vs.asymptotic length in species of the subfamily Lujaninae....................................................................................................................37 2.5 Age at maturity vs. longevity in species of the subfamily Lutjaninae……......…….38 2.6 Growth rate vs. mortality rate in species of the subfamily Lutjaninae……………..39 2.7 Growth model of large, medium, and small species within the subfamily Lutjaninae…………………………………………………………………...……...40 2.8 Growth model of Lutjanus campechanus and L. adetii…………………..………….41 2.9 Length at maturity vs. asymptotic length in species of the subfamilies Paradicichthyinae, Etelinae and Apsilinae…………………………………….…..…49 2.10 Age at maturity vs. longevity in species of the subfamilies Paradicichthyinae, Etelinae and Apsilinae…………..………………………………………………….50 2.11 Growth rate vs. mortality rate in species of the subfamilies Paradicichthyinae, Etelinae and Apsilinae……………………………………...…..51 2.12 Growth model of the subfamilies Paradicichthyinae, Etelinae and Apsilinae….......52 2.12 Principal Component Analysis of the life-history data for species in the subfamilies Paradicichthyinae, Etelinae and Apsilinae…………………………….54 3.1 Maximum depth distribution for adults of most species of snappers in the four subfamilies……………………………………………………………….….98 3.2 Suggested life cycle for medium to large species of snappers……………..………104 4.1 Feeding habits in species of the subfamily Lutjaninae……………………………..124 4.2 Feeding habits in species of the subfamily Etelinae………………………………..125 4.3 Feeding habits of the subfamilies Lutjaninae and Etelinae and the family Haemulidae…………………………………………………………………………126 vi 4.4 Variation of feeding habits among snappers………………………………………..127 5.1 Variation of ecological factors among snappers……………………………………135 vii GENERAL INTRODUCTION Life-history variables influence the economic importance of individual species and are of obvious interest to the management of fisheries and other natural resources because they are fundamental determinants of population dynamics. To achieve a sustainable exploitation of any species, these variables must be considered and fully understood (Stearns 1980, Winemiller and Rose 1992). Studies of life-history variables for a particular population or species usually require direct on-site observation and sampling, which involves a considerable amount of time and effort from the scientists who plan and conduct these studies. The resulting publications of all this research have the primary purpose of serving the scientific community in the future by contributing to the scientific knowledge base. This study reviews most of the extensive information available for a fish family of world-wide importance, the snappers,