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Life-history styles of fishes in South African estuaries

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Alternative life-history styles of fishes

Part of the book series: Developments in environmental biology of fishes ((DEBF,volume 10))

Synopsis

Fish utilizing South African estuaries may be divided into two major groups according to the location of their spawning sites. The marine group comprises large species which spawn at sea, enter estuaries mainly as juveniles, and return to the sea prior to attaining sexual maturity. The estuarine group is dominated by small species which have the ability to complete their life cycle within the estuarine environment. They tend to produce relatively few, demersal eggs, or exhibit parental care, which facilitates the retention of eggs and young within the estuary, whereas the marine group release large numbers of small pelagic eggs during spawning and exhibit no parental care. This is contrary to the theory that estuaries (unpredictable environments) should favour altricial life-history styles and the marine inshore zone (a more predictable environment) should favour precocial styles. However, if the total ichthyofauna of South African estuaries is considered, then altricial species predominate. The fact that both altricial and precocial traits are well represented within the overall estuarine fish community suggests that the various taxa have adapted their life-history styles, in different ways, to ensure the utilization of abundant food resources available within these fluctuating systems. A detailed comparison of the life-history styles of the estuarine teleost Gilchristella aestuaria and the marine fish Mugil cephalus is used to illustrate the contrasting manner in which these two species have succeeded in exploiting South African estuaries.

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  1. J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology, Private Bag 1015, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa

    Alan K. Whitfield

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  1. Alan K. Whitfield
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Michael N. Bruton

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© 1990 Kluwer Academic Publishers

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Whitfield, A.K. (1990). Life-history styles of fishes in South African estuaries. In: Bruton, M.N. (eds) Alternative life-history styles of fishes. Developments in environmental biology of fishes, vol 10. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2065-1_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2065-1_19

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