Investigation into the Occurrence of Juvenile Common Snook Centropomus undecimalis, a Subtropical Estuarine Sport Fish, in Saltmarshes Beyond Their Established Range

Abstract

Given recent trends of warming water temperatures and shifting fish distributions, detecting range expansion is important for resource management and planning. The subtropical common snook Centropomus undecimalis (hereafter referred to as snook) is an estuarine species that historically extended from the tropics to southern portions of Florida and Texas, but this range has been expanding for the past decade. We collected juvenile snook (n = 16; size range = 96–210-mm standard length [SL]) in saltmarshes of South Carolina, which is well outside their usual range but not unprecedented. Growth rates of juvenile snook in South Carolina (0.72-mm SL d−1) were similar to those reported for Florida during a cold period, but faster than rates reported for Florida during a recent period of mild winters (0.49-mm SL d−1). Based on collection and estimated hatch dates, and supported by winter water temperature records, juvenile snook overwintered for at least 1 year allowing them to grow to sizes that are typical for emigration from nursery habitats to open estuarine shorelines. Continued work is needed to determine whether there is potential for ongoing range expansion of snook to the region, and a strategy is proposed to focus on future research.