Influences of Salinity on Growth and Survival of Juvenile Pinfish Lagodon rhomboides (Linnaeus)

Abstract

We investigated the effect of salinity on growth, survival, and condition of pinfish Lagodon rhomboides juveniles (36–80 mm standard length) in two laboratory experiments in July 2003 and June/July 2004. Our results show that juvenile pinfish grown in laboratory conditions under a range of salinities experience rapid growth and high survival in typical estuarine-like salinities (15–30 ppt). We also found that relative weight as an index of condition corroborates the idea that pinfish are well adapted to survive and grow in a wide range of salinities. Such rapid growth and high survival in a dynamic environment may afford juvenile pinfish potential ecological advantages over other estuarine-dependent fish species that are relatively more constrained by changes in salinity regime. Because coastal development is wide-spread throughout Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic estuaries, insights concerning the impacts of human-induced changes to estuarine environments are essential for effective management practices.