Abstract
BackgroundInformation regarding the movement ecology of horse-eye jack Caranx latus throughout the Caribbean is limited despite their prevalence. Passive acoustic telemetry was used to infer movement patterns of seven adult C. latus within Buck Island Reef National Monument (BIRNM), a no-take marine protected area (MPA) northeast of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. In addition, a preliminary exploration of detections recorded outside of BIRNM was used to gain knowledge of the potential for larger scale movements. Ascertaining long-term movement patterns, including residency, mobility, and identifying core activity spaces can play a considerable role in how MPAs, like BIRNM, are adapted to meet the needs of mobile species.ResultsHigh residency index values were observed for individual C. latus within the BIRNM array (mean ± SE: 0.913 ± 0.04, range 0.75–1.0) across the 17 months monitored. Most fish were also detected on receivers located outside BIRNM. An observed to expected detection ratio revealed that despite high residency, only 9.6% of expected transmissions were detected based on the average tag transmission rate. Network analysis revealed high individual connectivity with many of the receivers inside BIRNM and a large number of core use receivers (mean: 10.7, range 6–14) within individual networks.ConclusionsMost C. latus were present in BIRNM at least twice per day, but were overall detected below the expected rates, demonstrating mobility, large core activity spaces and wide use of the acoustic array inside BIRNM and greater St. Croix shelf. How residency is inferred from acoustic telemetry detections, and interpreted for species with variable mobility, has important considerations for spatial management planning and telemetry analyses. For MPA development to meet the spatial requirements of species with mixed resident–mobile spatial ecology, detailed long-term movement data are required. Assessing residency in MPAs using acoustic telemetry should be formalized and carefully interpreted based on specific species, environmental conditions, and array configuration.
Highlights
Information regarding the movement ecology of horse-eye jack Caranx latus throughout the Carib‐ bean is limited despite their prevalence
Maturity for this species is presumed to occur at a mean fork length (FL) between 35.0 and 40.0 cm [36], suggesting all fish monitored were mature adults
We suggest that additional metrics, such as the observed and expected (O/E) ratio or comparable metric, be included to infer residency and for determining species-specific differences in movement capabilities that directly influence conservation and management goals
Summary
Information regarding the movement ecology of horse-eye jack Caranx latus throughout the Carib‐ bean is limited despite their prevalence. Data from which the spatial extent and patterns in fish movements can be inferred will strengthen our understanding of MPA efficacy for species and ecosystems. Morphological transformations that alter the physiology and ecology of individuals may result in a transition in movement type, such as the development of saltwater tolerance in juvenile anadromous fish followed by an emigration to saltwater ecosystems [10] or ontogenetic shifts in scale of home range and habitat use [11]. Since successful spatial management requires knowledge of animal movements at different scales, it becomes important to ensure the combination of tools used to analyze movements are effective in accurately characterizing whether species are resident, mobile, or where they fall along the movement spectrum between these extremes
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