Sedentary or mobile? Variability in space and depth use of an exploited coral reef fish

Abstract

Movement of fishes defines the distribution and abundance of populations and occurs on a range of spatial and temporal scales. To successfully parameterise assess- ments and design management strategies for exploited fish populations, knowledge and consideration of their move- ment patterns are essential. Since the efficacy of man- agement approaches vary depending on the sedentary or mobile nature of the target species, presence, space use and depth utilisation were examined to understand the move- ment patterns of redthroat emperor Lethrinus miniatus. Sixty individuals were monitored for up to 12 months in an acoustic array comprising three coral reefs, and variation in space use and movement patterns was observed among 26 individuals. Half of the individuals were recorded only in proximity of one receiver along the reef edge, while the other half were detected at multiple receivers and used horizontal areas of approximately 4 km 2 . Periods