ResearchOnline@JCU This file is part of the following reference: Moore, Bradley Roland (2011) Movement, connectivity and population structure of a large, non-diadromous, tropical estuarine teleost. PhD thesis, James Cook University. Access to this file is available from: http://eprints.jcu.edu.au/29751/ The author has certified to JCU that they have made a reasonable effort to gain permission and acknowledge the owner of any third party copyright material included in this document. If you believe that this is not the case, please contact [email protected] and quote http://eprints.jcu.edu.au/29751/ MOVEMENT, CONNECTIVITY AND POPULATION STRUCTURE OF A LARGE, NON-DIADROMOUS, TROPICAL ESTUARINE TELEOST Thesis submitted by Bradley Roland MOORE BSc (Hons) The University of Queensland in December 2011 for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences James Cook University STATEMENT OF ACCESS I, the undersigned, the author of this thesis, understand that James Cook University will make this thesis available for use within the University Library and, via the Australia Digital Thesis network, for use elsewhere. I understand that, as an unpublished work, a thesis has significant protection under the Copyright Act and; I do not wish to place further restriction on access to this work. Bradley R. Moore Date i STATEMENT OF SOURCES I declare that this thesis is my own work and has not been submitted in any form for another degree or diploma at any university or other institution of tertiary education. Information derived from the published or unpublished work of others has been acknowledged in the text and a list of references is given. Bradley R. Moore Date ii CONTRIBUTION OF OTHERS Research funding: Australian Government Fisheries Research and Development Corporation School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University Graduate Research School, James Cook University Stipend: Australian Postgraduate Award Supervision: Dr. Colin Simpfendorfer, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University Mr. David Welch, Queensland Department of Economic Development, Employment and Innovation (DEEDI) Prof. Robert Lester, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland Sample collection and processing (measuring, sex/maturity stage determination, otolith extraction): Stephen Newman, Gabby Mitsopoulos, Matt Pember, Ben Rome and Craig Skepper (Department of Fisheries Western Australia) (Western Australia samples) Quentin Allsop, Blair Grace and Thor Saunders (Northern Territory Fisheries) (Northern Territory samples) Jason Stapley (Fisheries Queensland) (Queensland Gulf of Carpentaria samples) Aaron Ballagh and Amos Mapleston, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University (some Queensland east coast samples) Laboratory work: Michelle Sellin, DEEDI (prepared and provided an initial read of reference otoliths used for training purposes in Chapter 3) Data entry and database management: Aaron Ballagh, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University (entered collection data (date, location, FL, TL, UJL, sex, maturity stage) for most locations) Bill and Shirley Sawynok, Infofish Services (entered tagging data and managed SUNTAG database) Statistical and analytical support: Dr. Malcolm Haddon, CSIRO (advice on likelihood ratio tests used in Chapter 3) iii Dr. Stephen Newman, Department of Fisheries, Government of Western Australia (provided bootstrap macro used for length and age at maturity and sex change estimates in Chapter 3) Editorial assistance: Dr. Colin Simpfendorfer, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University (all chapters) Mr. David Welch, Queensland Department of Economic Development, Employment and Innovation (all chapters) Prof. Robert Lester, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland (all chapters) Dr. Stephen Newman, Department of Fisheries, Government of Western Australia (Chapters 3 and 4) Assoc. Prof. Thomas Cribb, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland (parts of Chapter 3) iv PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS RESULTING FROM THIS RESEARCH Publications Moore BR, Welch DJ, Newman SJ, Lester RJG (in press). Parasites as indicators of movement and population connectivity of a non-diadromous, tropical estuarine teleost: king threadfin, Polydactylus macrochir. Journal of Fish Biology (Chapter 4). Moore BR, Simpfendorfer CA, Newman SJ, Stapley JM, Allsop Q, Sellin M J, Welch DJ (2012). Spatial variation in life history reveals insight into connectivity and geographical population structure of a tropical estuarine teleost: king threadfin, Polydactylus macrochir. Fisheries Research 113: 214–224. doi:10.1016/j.fishres.2012.02.028 (Chapter 3). Moore BR, Welch DJ, Simpfendorfer CA (2011). Spatial patterns in the demography of a large estuarine teleost: king threadfin, Polydactylus macrochir. Marine and Freshwater Research 62: 937–951. doi:10.1071/MF11034 (Chapter 3). Newman SJ, Allsop Q, Ballagh AC, Garrett RN, Gribble N, Meeuwig JJ, Mitsopoulos GEA, Moore BR, Pember MB, Rome BM, Saunders T, Skepper CL, Stapley J, van Herwerden L, Welch DJ (2010). Variation In stable isotope (δ18O and δ13C) signatures in the sagittal otolith carbonate of king threadfin, Polydactylus macrochir, across northern Australia reveals multifaceted stock structure. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 396: 53–60. doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2010.09.011 (not included in the thesis). v Conference presentations Moore BR, Lester RJG 2011. Spatial variation in parasites of king threadfin (Polydactylus macrochir) and blue threadfin (Eleutheronema tetradactylum) in Australian waters; implications for fisheries. 8th International Symposium on Fish Parasites (2011), Vina del Mar, Chile. Moore BR, Welch DJ, Simpfendorfer CA, Lester RJG 2010. Stock structure of king threadfin in Australian waters; insight from life history parameters and parasite assemblages. Australian Society for Fish Biology Annual Conference (2010) Melbourne, Australia. Moore BR, Welch DJ, Lester RJG 2009. Parasites of king threadfin, Polydactylus macrochir, in Australian waters; implications for fisheries management. Australian National Network in Marine Science Annual Conference (2009) Hobart, Australia. Moore BR, Welch DJ, Bowlen J, Lester RJG 2008. Spatial variation in parasites of king threadfin and blue threadfin in Australian waters; implications for fisheries. Poster presentation. Australian Society for Fish Biology Annual Conference (2008) Sydney, Australia. Workshops and invited talks Moore BR 2011. Movement, connectivity and stock structure of king threadfin, Polydactylus macrochir. Presentation to Fisheries Queensland Assessment and Monitoring Unit, Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, Brisbane, Queensland. Moore BR 2010. Biology of king threadfin in the Brisbane River. Invited seminar to Brisbane Sportfishing Club, Brisbane, Queensland. Moore BR, Welch, DJ 2010. Geographic variability in life history parameters of king threadfin, Polydactylus macrochir, in Australian waters; implications for stock structure. Presentation to FRDC project 2007/032 working group, Townsville, Queensland. Moore BR, Welch, DJ, Lester, RJG 2010. Stock structure of king threadfin, Polydactylus macrochir, in Australian waters, as determined by parasites. Presentation to FRDC project 2007/032 working group, Townsville, Queensland. Moore BR, Welch, DJ, Lester, RJG 2008. Stock structure of king threadfin, Polydactylus macrochir, and blue threadfin, Eleutheronema tetradactylum, as indicated by parasites – preliminary results. Presentation to FRDC project 2007/032 working group, Darwin, Northern Territory. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I have been truly honoured to have worked with some fantastic people over the course of this PhD, to whom I am greatly indebted. First and foremost I wish to thank my supervisors Colin Simpfendorfer, Dave Welch and Bob Lester for their support and assistance throughout my candidature. Colin, thank you for your guidance and belief in my abilities during my many moments of self-doubt. This thesis is considerably better off from your involvement, and I hope it has met your expectations. Dave, without your direction and foresight this project would not have been possible. Thank you for providing me the opportunity to work on such a dynamic project, and a base for my visits to Townsville. I wish you all the best for your future endeavors. Bob, thank you for your friendship, and advice and thoughtful comments on all aspects of this thesis. In no small way, the success of this thesis resulted from opportunities provided by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) funded project ‘Defining the stock structure of northern Australia’s threadfin salmon species’ (Project no. 2007/032), a collaborative exercise between James Cook University, The University of Queensland, Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries, Northern Territory Fisheries, and the Department of Fisheries, Western Australia. Many thanks to all those involved with this project who helped collect samples and/or offered advice, including Aaron Ballagh, Andrew Tobin, Amos Mapleston, Lynne van Herwerden and John Horne (JCU), Neil Gribble and Jason Stapley (Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI), Queensland), Quentin Allsop, Blair Grace and Thor Sanders (Northern Territory Fisheries), and Steve Newman, Ben Rome, Matt Pember and Gabby Mitsopoulos (Department of Fisheries,