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Habitat Partitioning and Seasonal Movement of Red Drum and Spotted Seatrout

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Abstract

Acoustic telemetry was used to examine habitat use and movement of two sympatric gamefishes, red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) and spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus), at two spatial scales (habitat and bay) within an estuarine complex. Habitat-scale tracking (~ 1 m–1 km) based on an acoustic positioning system revealed that seagrass was used extensively by both species. Red drum also commonly associated with oyster reef and boundaries between habitat types. Spatial overlap between the two species was limited and indicative of habitat partitioning; red drum were commonly observed in the shallow, inner lagoon and spotted seatrout in the deeper, open bay portion of the array. Conspicuous diel shifts were also observed for spotted seatrout; fish transitioned from seagrass to bare substrate and displayed greater rates of movement at night than day. Bay-scale (1–50+ km) tracking over a two-year period primarily showed limited movement within bays; however, directed bay-scale movements by both species were observed during winter and spring, when a small contingent of individuals moved up to 70 km from original tagging locations. Habitat use and movement were species specific and subject to temporal variation, both diel and seasonal. Habitat-scale connectivity was influenced by seascape structure and water depth, and bay-scale connectivity was generally limited, suggesting the sustainability of these fisheries is likely influenced by local conditions.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank members of the Fisheries Ecology Lab at TAMUG and Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation at TAMU-CC for assistance in the lab and field. This publication was supported in part by an Institutional Grant from the Texas Sea Grant College Program from the National Sea Grant Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce (NA10OAR4170099 to JRR). Additional funding was provided by the McDaniel Charitable Foundation (JRR) and the Harte Research Institute (GWS). The manuscript was improved by the comments of two anonymous reviewers.

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  1. Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University, 1001 Texas Clipper Rd., Galveston, TX, 77554, USA

    David L. Moulton, Michael A. Dance, Michelle Z. Sluis & Jay R. Rooker

  2. Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77840, USA

    David L. Moulton, Michael A. Dance & Jay R. Rooker

  3. Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, 6300 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, USA

    Jason A. Williams & Gregory W. Stunz

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  1. David L. Moulton
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Correspondence to David L. Moulton.

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Communicated by Charles Simenstad

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Moulton, D.L., Dance, M.A., Williams, J.A. et al. Habitat Partitioning and Seasonal Movement of Red Drum and Spotted Seatrout. Estuaries and Coasts 40, 905–916 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-016-0189-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-016-0189-7

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