title: Productivity and sea surface temperature are correlated with the pelagic larval duration of damselfishes in the Red Sea.
abstract: We examined the variation of pelagic larval durations (PLDs) among three damselfishes, Dascyllus aruanus, D. marginatus, and D. trimaculatus, which live under the influence of an environmental gradient in the Red Sea. PLDs were significantly correlated with latitude, sea surface temperature (SST), and primary production (CHLA; chlorophyll a concentrations). We find a consistent decrease in PLDs with increasing SST and primary production (CHLA) towards the southern Red Sea among all species. This trend is likely related to higher food availability and increased metabolic rates in that region. We suggest that food availability is a potentially stronger driver of variation in PLD than temperature, especially in highly oligotrophic regions. Additionally, variations in PLDs were particularly high among specimens of D. marginatus, suggesting a stronger response to local environmental differences for endemic species. We also report the first average PLD for this species over a broad geographic range (19.82 ± 2.92 days).
authors.affiliation: Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: Vanessa.RobitzchSierra@kaust.edu.sa.
authors.forename: Vanessa S N
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Robitzch
authors.affiliation: Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia; Coral Reef Ecology Research Group, Department of Biology, Universidad del Valle, Apartado Aéreo 25360, Cali, Colombia.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lozano-Cortés
authors.affiliation: Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Nora M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Kandler
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 100 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA; Section of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Drive, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Salas
authors.affiliation: Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Berumen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000032:analysis; D000077194:Chlorophyll A; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D019156:Indian Ocean; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development*; D010473:Perciformes / Q000254:growth & development*; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry*; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002734:Chlorophyll; D000077194:Chlorophyll A
keywords: Biogeography; Endemic; Environment; Food availability; PLD; Reef fish