Presettlement schooling behaviour of a rocky fish in a shallow area. Is it related to local environmental conditions?

This study evaluates the swimming behaviour of pre-settled fish larvae of the triplefin Helcogrammoides chil­ensis (Tripterygiidae) in relation to local environmental conditions. Larval aggregations were recorded on rocky reefs off central Chile during the austral summer of 2014 and 2016 to describe...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Pamela Palacios-Fuentes, Macarena Díaz-Astudillo, María Antonia Reculé, F. Patricio Ojeda, Mauricio F. Landaeta
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas 2020-09-01
Series:Scientia Marina
Subjects:
Online Access:http://scientiamarina.revistas.csic.es/index.php/scientiamarina/article/view/1860
Description
Summary:This study evaluates the swimming behaviour of pre-settled fish larvae of the triplefin Helcogrammoides chil­ensis (Tripterygiidae) in relation to local environmental conditions. Larval aggregations were recorded on rocky reefs off central Chile during the austral summer of 2014 and 2016 to describe their swimming behaviour (i.e. solitary, shoaling, schooling) and relate it to in situ water temperature, wind stress, wind speed and turbulence. Shoaling and solitary behaviour were influenced only by wind-induced turbulence in 2014 and by seawater temperature and wind stress in 2016. Schooling behaviour was not influenced by any of the environmental variables. In situ swimming behaviour of fish larvae has been little investigated, and this work proposes a non-invasive in situ methodology for studying fish larval behaviour.
ISSN:0214-8358
1886-8134