Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Age, growth, and age at maturity of bonefish (Albula species) among Cuban habitats

  • Published:
Environmental Biology of Fishes Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Bonefish (Albula spp.) are a prized sportfish among avid anglers worldwide. Two morphologically indistinguishable species of bonefish (Albula vulpes and Albula goreensis) occur in coastal areas of the tropical western Atlantic. Growth rates of A. vulpes, which supports an economically important sport fishery, differ among locations where they have been studied, but many locations have not yet been examined. To investigate bonefish growth in Cuba, specimens were obtained from fish markets at three sites around the periphery of the island from November 2016 to January 2017. Sagittal otoliths (for aging) and fin clips (for genetics) were collected from each fish, and sex was determined by examining gonads. A total of 218 bonefish were sampled, with size ranging from 187-530mm fork length (FL), genetic testing indicated that 134 were A. vulpes, 59 were A. goreensis, and seven were hybrids. The oldest fish collected were eight and nine years old for A. vulpes and A. goreensis respectively. A. vulpes females reached larger sizes than males. The overall von Bertalanffy growth model of the two-different species were significantly different. A. vulpes grew to larger sizes than A. goreensis. Almost all A. vulpes greater than 210 mm FL in Cuba were reproductively mature, while 50% size at maturity in Florida occurs at a mean size between 418 mm and 488 mm FL. The insight of different growth patterns between A. vulpes and A. goreensis allows for better management of the species, and further distinguishes differences in the biology of A. vulpes and A. goreensis.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adams AJ, Wolfe MD, Tringali MD, Wallace EM, Kellison GT (2008) Rethinking the status of Albula spp. In the Caribbean and Western Atlantic. CRC Press pp. 203-214

  • Adams AJ, Horodysky AZ, McBride RS, MacDonald TC, Shenker J, Guindon K, Harwell HD, Ward R, Carpenter K (2013) Conservation status and research needs for tarpons (megalopidae), ladyfishes (elopidae), and bonefishes (albulidae). Fish Fish 15(2):280–311

  • Baisre JA (2018) An overview of Cuban commercial marine fisheries: the last 80 years. Bull Mar Sci 94:359–375

    Google Scholar 

  • Baisre JA, Arboleya Z (2006) Going against the flow: Effects of river damming in Cuban fisheries. Fish Res 81:283–292

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beets J (2001) Declines in finfish resources in Tarawa Lagoon, Kiribati emphasize the need for increased conservation effort. Smithsonian Institute Press, Washington

  • Claro R, Lindeman KC (2003) Spawning Aggregation Sites of Snapper and Grouper Species (Lutjanidae and Serranidae) on the Insular Shelf of Cuba. Gulf Caribb Res 14:91–106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colborn J, Crabtree RE, Shaklee JB, Pfeiler E, Bowen BW (2001) The Evolutionary Enigma of bonefishes (Albula spp.): cryptic species and ancient separations in a globally distributed shorefish. Evolution 55:807–820

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Conover DO, Munch SB (2002) Sustaining fisheries yields over evolutionary time scales. Science 297:94–96

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Crabtree RE, Harnden CW, Snodgrass D, Stevens C (1996) Age, growth, and mortality of bonefish, Albula vulpes, from the waters of the Florida Keys. Fish Bull 94:442–451

    Google Scholar 

  • Crabtree RE, Cyr EC, Chaverri DC, McLarney WO, Dean JM (1997) Reproduction of tarpon Megalops atlanticus, from Florida and Costa Rican waters and notes on their age and growth. Bull Mar Sci 61:271–285

    Google Scholar 

  • Dankwa HR, Shenker JM, Lin J, Ofori-Danson PK, Ntiamoa-Baidu Y (2004) Fisheries of two tropical lagoons in Ghana, West Africa. Fish Manag Ecol 11:379–386

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de la Guardia E, Gimenez-Hurtado E, Defeo O, Angulo-Valdes J, Hernandez-Gonzalez Z, Espinosa-Pantoja L, Gracia-Lopez L, Arias-Gonzalez JE (2018) Indicators of overfishing of snapper (Lutjanidae) populations on the southwest shelf of Cuba. Ocean Coast Manag 153:116–123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fedler T (2009) The economic impact of recreational fishing in the everglades region. The Everglades Foundation. https://www.evergladesfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/12/Report-Bonefish-Tarpon-Trust.pdf. Accessed 15 January 2017

  • Gibson PJ, Boyer JN, Smith NP (2008) Nutrient Mass Flux between Florida Bay and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Estuar Coasts 31:21–32

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hamley JM (1975) Review of gillnet selectivity. J Fish Res Board Can 32:1943–1969

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harrison HB, Williamson DH, Evans RD, Almany GR, Thorrold SR, Russ GR, Feldheim KA, van Herwerden L, Planes S, Srinivasan M, Berumen ML, Jones GP (2012) Larval export from marine reserves and the recruitment benefit for fish and fisheries. Curr Biol 22:1023–1028

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hutchings JA (2005) Life history consequences of overexploitation to population recovery in Northwest Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Can J Fish Aquat Sci 62:824–832

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hutchings JA, Rowe S (2008) Consequences of sexual selection for fisheries induced evolution: an exploratory analysis. Evol Appl 1:129–136

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Johannes RE, Yeeting B (2001) I-Kiribati knowledge and management of Tarawa’s lagoon resources. Atoll Res Bull 489:1–24

  • Kough AS, Claro R, Lindeman KC, Paris CB (2016) Decadal analysis of larval connectivity from Cuban snapper (Lutjanidae) spawning aggregations based on biophysical modeling. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 550:175–190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larkin LF (2011) Assessment of south Florida’s bonefish stock. Dissertation, University of Miami

  • Lauer TE, Doll JC, Allen PJ (2008) Changes in yellow perch length frequencies and sex ratios following closure of the commercial fishery and reduction in sport bag limits in southern Lake Michigan. Fish Manag Ecol 15:39–47

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lindeman KC, Pugliese R, Waugh GT, Ault JS (2000) Developmental patterns within a multispecies reef fishery: Management applications for essential fish habitats and protected areas. Bull Mar Sci 66:929–956

    Google Scholar 

  • Lluis-Riera M (1983) Estudios Hidrologicos de la plataforma noroccidental de Cuba. Rep Inces Inst Oceanol Acad Cienc Cuba 13:1–48

    Google Scholar 

  • Neumann RM, Allen MS (2007) Size structure. In: Guy CS, Brown ML, editors. Analysis and interpretation of freshwater fisheries data. Bethesda (MD): American Fisheries. Society:375–422

  • Olsen EM, Helno M, Lilly GR, Morgan MJ, Brattey J, Ernande B, Dleckmann U (2004) Maturation trends indicative of rapid evolution preceded the collapse of northern cod. Nature 428:932–935

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pfieler E, Padron D, Crabtree RE (2000) Growth rate, and size of bonefish from the Gulf of California. J Fish Biol 56:448–453

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R Core Team (2013). R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. URL: http://www.R-project.org. Accessed 1 July 2017

  • Ramsar Convention. (2006) Strategic Framework and guidelines for the future development of the List of wetlands of International Importance. Ramsar Handbooks for the Wise Use of Wetlands, vol. 14.

  • Rijnsdorp AD (1993) Fisheries as a large-scale experiment on life-history evolution: disentangling phenotypic and genetic effects in changes in maturation and reproduction of North Sea Plaice, Pleuronectes Platessa L. Oecologia 96:391–401

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rose GA (1993) Cod spawning on a migration highway in the north-west Atlantic. Nature 366:458–461

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rudstam LG, Magnuson JJ, Tonn WM (1984) Size Selectivity of Passive Fishing Gear: A Correction For the Encounter Probability Applied to Gill Nets. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 41:1252–1255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sadovy YJ (1996) Reproduction of reef fishery species. Pp. 15-59. In: N.V.C. Polunin and C.M. Roberts (ed.) Reef Fisheries. Chapman and Hall. London 477 p.

  • Sadovy Y and Liu M (2004) Report on the current status and exploitation history of reef fish spawning aggregations in eastern Indonesia. Western Pacific Fisher Survey Series: Society for the Conservation of Reef Fish Aggregations, volume 6

  • Shelton PA, Sinclair AF, Chouinard GA, Mohn R, Duplisea DE (2006) Fishing under low productivity conditions is further delaying recovery of Northwest Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Can J Fish Aquat Sci 63:235–238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tilmant JT (1989) A history and overview of recent trends in the fisheries of Florida Bay. Bull Mar Sci 44:3–33

    Google Scholar 

  • von Bertalanffy L (1957) Quantatative laws in metabolism and growth. Q Rev Biol 2:217–231

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wallace EM (2014) Assessing biodiversity, evolution and biogeography in bonefishes (Albuliformes): resolving relationships and aiding management. Dissertation, University of Minnesota

  • Wallace EM, Tringali MD (2010) Identification of a novel member in the family Albulidae (bonefishes). J Fish Biol 76:1972–1983

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wallace EM, Tringali MD (2016) Fishery composition and evidence of population structure and hybridization in the Atlantic bonefish species complex (Albula spp.). Mar Biol 163:142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walsh MR, Munch SB, Chiba S, Conover DO (2006) Maladaptive changes in multiple traits caused by fishing: impediments to population recovery. Ecol Lett 9:142–148

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wankel SD (2003) Using δ15 N of marine plants to understand terrestrial nitrogen sources in an oligotrophic shallow water marine system, San Salvador Bahamas. Proceedings of the ninth symposium on the natural history of the Bahamas.

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank our Cuban colleagues for their invaluable assistance in all phases of field work and sample collection. Additional help with field collections was provided by B. Rennert, W. Szelistowski, and C. Krediet. E. Wallace and B. Kurth of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC), conducted the genetic analysis of bonefish fin clip samples. R. Fidler assisted with processing otoliths and data analysis. J. Carroll and K. Cook (FWC Age and Growth Laboratory), assisted with reading otoliths. The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, through the Florida Sea Grant Program, generously provided the funds to complete this study. This study was in accordance with the Florida Institute of Technology IACUC.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marsh & Associates LLC, 5016 S. Ash Ave, Tempe, AZ, 85282, USA

    Jacob J. Rennert

  2. Florida Institute of Technology, 150 W. University Blvd, Melbourne, FL, 32901, USA

    Jacob J. Rennert & Jonathan M. Shenker

  3. Eckerd College, 4200 54th Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL, 33711, USA

    Jorge A. Angulo-Valdés

  4. Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, 135 San Lorenzo Avenue, Suite 860, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA

    Aaron J. Adams

  5. Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, 5600 N US Highway 1, Fort Pierce, FL, 34946, USA

    Aaron J. Adams

Authors
  1. Jacob J. Rennert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jonathan M. Shenker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jorge A. Angulo-Valdés
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Aaron J. Adams
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jacob J. Rennert.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Rennert, J.J., Shenker, J.M., Angulo-Valdés, J.A. et al. Age, growth, and age at maturity of bonefish (Albula species) among Cuban habitats. Environ Biol Fish 102, 253–265 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-018-0836-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-018-0836-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation