Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Spatial and ontogenetic variation in growth of nursery-bound juvenile lemon sharks, Negaprion brevirostris: a comparison of two age-assigning techniques

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

Synopsis

We compared growth rates of the lemon shark, Negaprion brevirostris, from Bimini, Bahamas and the Marquesas Keys (MK), Florida using data obtained in a multi-year annual census. We marked new neonate and juvenile sharks with unique electronic identity tags in Bimini and in the MK we tagged neonate and juvenile sharks. Sharks were tagged with tiny, subcutaneous transponders, a type of tagging thought to cause little, if any disruption to normal growth patterns when compared to conventional external tagging. Within the first 2 years of this project, no age data were recorded for sharks caught for the first time in Bimini. Therefore, we applied and tested two methods of age analysis: (1) a modified ‘minimum convex polygon’ method and (2) a new age-assigning method, the ‘cut-off technique’. The cut-off technique proved to be the more suitable one, enabling us to identify the age of 134 of the 642 previously unknown aged sharks. This maximised the usable growth data included in our analysis. Annual absolute growth rates of juvenile, nursery-bound lemon sharks were almost constant for the two Bimini nurseries and can be best described by a simple linear model (growth data was only available for age-0 sharks in the MK). Annual absolute growth for age-0 sharks was much greater in the MK than in either the North Sound (NS) and Shark Land (SL) at Bimini. Growth of SL sharks was significantly faster during the first 2 years of life than of the sharks in the NS population. However, in MK, only growth in the first year was considered to be reliably estimated due to low recapture rates. Analyses indicated no significant differences in growth rates between males and females for any area.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • H.B. Bigelow W.C. Schroeder (1948) ArticleTitleFishes of the western North Atlantic Memorial Sears Foundation for Mar. Res. 1 59–545

    Google Scholar 

  • S. Branstetter (1990) Early life-history implications of selected Carcharhinid and Lamnoid sharks of the northwest Atlantic H.L. Pratt S.H. Gruber T. Taniuschi (Eds) Elasmobranchs as Living Resources: Advances in the Biology, Ecology, Systematics, and Status of the Fisheries NOAA Technical Report NMFS 90 United States Department of Commerce Washington, D.C 17–28

    Google Scholar 

  • C.A. Brown S.H. Gruber (1988) ArticleTitleAge assessment of the lemon shark, Negaprion brevirostris, using tetracycline validated vertebral centra Copeia 3 747–753

    Google Scholar 

  • J.I. Castro (1996) ArticleTitleBiology of the blacktip shark, Carcharhinus limbatus, off southeastern United States B. Mar. Sci. 59 508–522

    Google Scholar 

  • Compagno, L.J.V. 1984. FAO Species catalogue, Vol. 4. Sharks of the world, an annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Part 2; Carcharhiniformes. FAO Series Synopsis No. 125, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Rome. pp. 251--655.

  • E. Cortes S.H. Gruber (1994) ArticleTitleEffect of ration size on growth and gross conversion efficiency of young lemon sharks, Negaprion brevirostris J. Fish. Biol. 44 331–341

    Google Scholar 

  • K.A. Feldheim S.H. Gruber M.V. Ashley (2001) ArticleTitlePopulation genetic structure of the lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris) in the western Atlantic: DNA microsatellite variation Mol. Ecol. 10 295–303

    Google Scholar 

  • K.A. Feldheim S.H. Gruber M.V. Ashley (2002a) ArticleTitleThe breeding biology of lemon sharks at a tropical nursery lagoon P. Roy. Soc. Lon. B. 269 1655–1661

    Google Scholar 

  • K.A. Feldheim S.H. Gruber J.R.C. de Marignac M.V. Ashley (2002b) ArticleTitleGenetic tagging to determine passive integrated transponder tag loss in lemon sharks J. Fish. Biol. 61 1309–1313

    Google Scholar 

  • S.H. Gruber (1988) ArticleTitleSharks of the shallows Nat. Hist. 97 50–59

    Google Scholar 

  • S.H. Gruber D.R. Nelson J.F. Morrissey (1988) ArticleTitlePatterns of activity and space utilisation of lemon sharks, Negaprion brevirostris, in a shallow Bahamian lagoon B. Mar. Sci. 43 61–76

    Google Scholar 

  • S.H. Gruber J.R.C. de Marignac J.M. Hoenig (2001) ArticleTitleSurvival of juvenile lemon sharks at Bimini, Bahamas, estimated by mark-depletion experiments T. Am. Fish. Soc. 130 376–384

    Google Scholar 

  • S.H. Gruber W. Parks (2002) ArticleTitleMega-Resort Development on Bimini: Sound Economics or Environmental Disaster Bahamas J. Sci. 9 2–18

    Google Scholar 

  • S.H. Gruber R.G. Stout (1983) ArticleTitleBiological materials for the study of age and growth in a tropical marine elasmobranch the lemon shark NOAA Technical Report NMRS 8 193–205

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Haddon (2001) Modelling and Quantitative Methods in Fisheries CRC Press London 424

    Google Scholar 

  • A.D. Henningsen S.H. Gruber (1985) ArticleTitleAssessment of two lemon shark, Negaprion brevirostris populations, by multiple mark procedures Fla. Sci. 48 32

    Google Scholar 

  • S. Hinckley A.J. Hermann B.A. Megrey (1996) ArticleTitleDevelopment of a spatially explicit, individual-based model of marine fish early life history Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 139 47–68

    Google Scholar 

  • S.J. Holt (1998) ArticleTitleFifty years on Rev. Fish Biol. Fisher 8 357–366

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacobsen, T. 1987. An ecosystem-level study of a shallow, subtropical, marine lagoon, NS, Bimini, Bahamas. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Georgia, Athens. 253 pp.

  • T.E. Lankford T.E. Targett (1994) ArticleTitleSuitability of estuarine nursery zones for juvenile weakfish (Cynoscion regalis): effects of temperature and salinity on feeding, growth and survival Mar. Biol. 119 611–620

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Lessa F.M. Santana R. Paglerani (1999) ArticleTitleAge, growth and stock structure of the oceanic whitetip shark, Carcharhinus longimanus, from the southwestern equatorial Atlantic Fish. Res. 42 21–30

    Google Scholar 

  • C.A. Manire S.H. Gruber (1991) ArticleTitleEffect of M-type dart tags on field growth of juvenile jemon sharks T. Am. Fish. Soc. 120 776–780

    Google Scholar 

  • C.H. Manire S.H. Gruber (1993) ArticleTitleA preliminary estimate of natural mortality of 0-age lemon sharks, Negaprion brevirostris NOAA Technical Report NMFS 115 65–71

    Google Scholar 

  • J.F. Morrissey S.H. Gruber (1993) ArticleTitleHome range of juvenile lemon sharks, Negaprion brevirostris Copeia 2 425–434

    Google Scholar 

  • L.J. Natanson J.G. Casey N.E. Kohler (1995) ArticleTitleAge and growth-estimates for the dusky shark, Carcharhinus obscurus, in the Western North-Atlantic Ocean Fish. Bull. 93 116–126

    Google Scholar 

  • A.J. Nixon S.H. Gruber (1988) ArticleTitleDiel metabolic and activity patterns of the lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris) J. Exp. Zool. 248 1–6

    Google Scholar 

  • NMFS, 2001. Stock assessment and fishery evaluation for Atlantic highly migratory species. U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Silver Spring, Maryland. 255 pp.

  • NOAA/NMFS, 2000. Draft United States national plan of action for the conservation and management of sharks. July, 2000. Silver Springs, MD. 86 pp.

  • M.S. Peterson B.H. Comyns C.F. Rakocinski G.L. Fulling (1999) ArticleTitleDoes salinity affect somatic growth in early juvenile Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus L.) J. Exp. Mar. Biol. and Ecol. 238 199–207

    Google Scholar 

  • C.A. Simpfendorfer (2000) ArticleTitleGrowth rates of juvenile dusky sharks, Carcharhinus obscurus (Lesueur, 1818), from southwestern Australia estimated from tag-recapture data Fisheries Bulletin 98 811–822

    Google Scholar 

  • T.R. Sminkey J.A. Musick (1995) ArticleTitleAge and growth of the sandbar shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus, before and after population depletion Copeia 4 871–883

    Google Scholar 

  • S. Springer (1950) ArticleTitleNatural history notes on the lemon shark, Negaprion brevirostris Texas J. Sci. 3 349–359

    Google Scholar 

  • L.F. Sundstrom S.H. Gruber S.M. Clermont J.P.S. Correia J.R.C. de Marignac J.F. Morrissey C.R. Lowrance L. Thomassen M.T. Oliveira (2001) ArticleTitleReview of elasmobranch behavioral studies using ultrasonic telemetry with special reference to the lemon shark, Negaprion brevirostris, around Bimini Islands, Bahamas Environ. Biol. of Fish. 60 225–250

    Google Scholar 

  • B.M. Wetherbee S.H. Gruber (1993) ArticleTitleAbsorption efficiency of the lemon shark Negaprion brevirostris at varying rates of energy-intake Copeia 2 416–425

    Google Scholar 

  • S.P. Wintner G. Cliff (1996) ArticleTitleAge and growth determination of the blacktip shark, Carcharhinus limbatus, from the east coast of South Africa Fish. Bull. 94 135–144

    Google Scholar 

  • B.J. Worton (1987) ArticleTitleA review of models of home range for animal movement Ecol. Model. 38 277–298

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Coastal and Estuarine Research Unit, Department of Geography, University College London, Chandler House, 2 Wakefield Street, WC1N 1PF, London, U.K.

    Michael James Barker

  2. Division of Marine Biology and Fisheries, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami Florida , U.S.A. and Bimini Biological Field Station Bimini Bahamas, 33149-1098, Bimini, USA

    Samuel H. Gruber

  3. Department of Biological Sciences Plymouth , University of Plymouth, U.K. and Bimini Biological Field Station, Devon, PL4 8AA, Bimini, Bahamas

    Steven P. Newman

  4. Department of Anatomy and Development Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, 4072, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    Vera Schluessel

Authors
  1. Michael James Barker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Samuel H. Gruber
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Steven P. Newman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Vera Schluessel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vera Schluessel.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Barker, M.J., Gruber, S.H., Newman, S.P. et al. Spatial and ontogenetic variation in growth of nursery-bound juvenile lemon sharks, Negaprion brevirostris: a comparison of two age-assigning techniques. Environ Biol Fish 72, 343–355 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-004-2584-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-004-2584-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation