Comparative early growth patterns across four dominant fish species in a marine protected area in the East China Sea

Abstract

Multiple marine protected areas have been established to protect spawning and recruitment fish stocks in the East China Sea. However, inadequate knowledge on early life histories for most species could be the main limiting factor for the effectiveness of these marine protected areas. To address the knowledge gap, the juvenile specimen of four dominant species (Amblychaeturichthys hexanema, Engraulis japonicus, Pampus argenteus and Trachurus japonicus) were collected in the Wentai marine protected area. Comparative analysis was carried out to explore the early growth patterns of these species. Through otolith microstructure analysis, we estimated daily age for 319 individuals and reconstructure the hatching pattern. The result helps more accurately identify hatching time of the four species, and hatching time of P. argenteus was found to shift to an earlier time. Consistent with the differing ecological characteristics, significant differences in growth rate and response pattern to SST were detected among the four species. The revealed early life characteristics and adaptive pattern to experienced thermal conditions could contribute to ecosystem-based fisheries management.