title: Recruitment and ontogenetic habitat shifts of the yellow snapper (Lutjanus argentiventris) in the Gulf of California.
abstract: We examined recruitment and ontogenetic habitat shifts of the yellow snapperLutjanus argentiventrisin the Gulf of California, by conducting surveys and collections in multiple mangrove sites and major marine coastal habitats from 1998 to 2007. Over 1,167 juvenile individuals were collected and 516 otoliths were aged to describe the temporal pattern of the settlement.L.argentiventrisrecruits in mangroves, where juveniles remain until they are approximately 100 mm in length or 300-days-old. Back-calculated settlement dates and underwater surveys indicated a major recruitment peak during September and October, around 8 days before and after the full moon. The majority of mangrove sites in the Gulf of California had a similarL.argentiventrisaverage size at the beginning of the settlement season for the cohort of 2003; although there were significant differences in individual sizes at the end of the nursery stage. When sub-adults leave mangroves, they live in shallow rocky reefs and later become abundant in deeper rocky reefs. The density of migratory individuals (10-20 cm SL) decreased exponentially as the distance between a reef and a nearby mangrove site increased. This finding has important implications for local fishery regulations and coastal management plans.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Marina, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, Carretera al sur km 5.5, La Paz, 23081 Mexico ; Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0202 USA.
authors.forename: Octavio
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Aburto-Oropeza
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Marina, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, Carretera al sur km 5.5, La Paz, 23081 Mexico.
authors.forename: Isaí
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dominguez-Guerrero
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Marina, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, Carretera al sur km 5.5, La Paz, 23081 Mexico.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cota-Nieto
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Marina, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, Carretera al sur km 5.5, La Paz, 23081 Mexico.
authors.forename: Tomás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Plomozo-Lugo