Life History of the Gray Snapper at the Warm Edge of Its Distribution Range in the Caribbean

Hector Andrade,Jorge Santos

doi:10.1002/mcf2.10087

Abstract

AbstractKnowledge of the life history of populations at the warm edge of their distributional range can provide a better understanding of how they will adapt to climate warming, including potential poleward redistribution. The range of Gray Snapper Lutjanus griseus has the potential to expand along its northern temperate fringe, but little is known about this species in the warmest portion of its range. We studied the age, growth, reproduction, and mortality of commercially caught Gray Snapper in the Guatemalan Caribbean, where sea surface temperature consistently exceeds 26°C. Longevity was estimated as 10 years, and von Bertalanffy growth parameters that were consolidated through Bayesian estimation incorporating earlier estimates from the Caribbean region were as follows: asymptotic length (L∞) was 35 cm, the growth coefficient (K) was 0.56 year−1, and the theoretical age at zero length (t0) was −0.7 year. Gray Snapper grew slowest in April, prior to the rainy season, and at the onset of the reproductive season, which lasted to September. Fifty percent of the Gray Snapper matured at 31 cm and at 3.5 years of age. Gray Snapper had a lower maximum size, longevity, and peak reproductive investment, a protracted spawning season and reproductive life span, and elevated natural mortality at the warm edge of their distribution relative to temperate climates. Despite the plasticity in life history of Gray Snapper observed in this study, their potential to further adapt to warming remains unknown.

Highlights

There is an increasing interest in the life history of animal populations at the warm edge of their distributional range, because climate warming may lead to poleward displacements and because it provides information on the adaptive potential of populations in cooler areas (Rehm et al 2015)
We investigated the life history and phenological traits of Gray Snapper at the warm edge of its distributional range in the Guatemalan Caribbean by sampling commercial catches from Amatique Bay and Punta de Manabique, two sites located within the warmest physicochemical province in the Caribbean and Neotropics (Chollett et al 2012)
Sea surface temperatures have increased in the Caribbean, affecting the structure of marine communities (Hayes and Goreau 2008; Maharaj et al 2018)

Summary

Introduction

There is an increasing interest in the life history of animal populations at the warm edge of their distributional range, because climate warming may lead to poleward displacements and because it provides information on the adaptive potential of populations in cooler areas (Rehm et al 2015). A contrasting hypothesis suggests that because of a narrow seasonal temperature range, tropical species are poorly. Similar data are available from Cuba (e.g., Báez Hidalgo et al 1980; Claro 1983a, 1983b) and Venezuela (Guerra Campos and Bashirullah 1975), and additional growth estimates are available from Yucatán (Alfaro and López 1986) and Jamaica (Munro 1999)

Methods

Results

Conclusion