Productivity and sea surface temperature are correlated with the pelagic larval duration of damselfishes in the Red Sea

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin Vol. 105; no. 2; pp. 566 - 574
• Main Authors: Robitzch, Vanessa S.N., Lozano-Cortés, Diego, Kandler, Nora M., Salas, Eva, Berumen, Michael L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 30.04.2016
• Subjects: Animals; Biogeography; chlorophyll; Chlorophyll - analysis; Dascyllus; Dascyllus aruanus; Endemic; Environment; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Food availability; Indian Ocean; indigenous species; Larva - growth & development; larvae; larval development; latitude; Marine; metabolism; Perciformes - growth & development; PLD; primary productivity; Reef fish; Seawater - chemistry; surface water temperature; Temperature; Time Factors; water pollution; Red Sea; ISW, Red Sea; Biogeography; Environment; PLD; Reef fish; Food availability; Endemic
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.11.045

We examined the variation of pelagic larval durations (PLDs) among three damselfishes, Dascyllus aruanus, D. marginatus, and D. trimaculatus, which live under the influence of an environmental gradient in the Red Sea. PLDs were significantly correlated with latitude, sea surface temperature (SST), and primary production (CHLA; chlorophyll a concentrations). We find a consistent decrease in PLDs with increasing SST and primary production (CHLA) towards the southern Red Sea among all species. This trend is likely related to higher food availability and increased metabolic rates in that region. We suggest that food availability is a potentially stronger driver of variation in PLD than temperature, especially in highly oligotrophic regions. Additionally, variations in PLDs were particularly high among specimens of D. marginatus, suggesting a stronger response to local environmental differences for endemic species. We also report the first average PLD for this species over a broad geographic range (19.82±2.92days). •Pelagic larval durations (PLDs) of damselfishes in the Red Sea•Higher productivity & temperature correlate with shorter PLDs of Dascyllus.•Dascyllus may be an ideal group to study variations in PLD and biogeography.•First PLD measurements from the Red Sea for D. trimaculatus and D. aruanus•First spatially wide-ranging PLD assessment for the endemic D. marginatus