Dynamics of residency and egress in selected estuarine fishes: evidence from acoustic telemetry

Abstract

In an attempt to determine the extent and periodicity of several large juvenile and adult fishes (smooth dogfish Mustelus canis, black drum Pogonias cromis, hickory shad Alosa mediocris) in a temperate estuary, we tracked acoustically tagged individuals with passive and active telemetry techniques during the summer, fall and winter. This approach confirmed summer residency for all of these species and species-specific and individual patterns of egress ranging from summer through fall. Other species (striped bass Morone saxatilis, summer flounder Paralichthys dentatus, bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix) that were previously tracked in the same estuary with the same techniques were reanalyzed for the same characteristics. There were species-specific and individual differences in residency and egress of these species as well, but all species left the estuary by the end of December. Together, these observations confirm the importance of temperate estuaries in the summer and fall, but not during the winter for the juveniles and adults of these migratory species. However, the duration of residency and timing of egress may vary if warming of estuarine waters continues.