SPATIAL VARIATION IN RECRUITMENT, GROWTH, AND FEEDING OF POSTSETTLEMENT KING GEORGE WHITING, SILLAGINODES PUNCTATA, ASSOCIATED WITH SEAGRASS BEDS OF PORT-PHILLIP-BAY, AUSTRALIA
Gp. Jenkins et al., SPATIAL VARIATION IN RECRUITMENT, GROWTH, AND FEEDING OF POSTSETTLEMENT KING GEORGE WHITING, SILLAGINODES PUNCTATA, ASSOCIATED WITH SEAGRASS BEDS OF PORT-PHILLIP-BAY, AUSTRALIA, Canadian journal of fisheries and aquatic sciences, 53(2), 1996, pp. 350-359
In the spring (October and November) of 1991, postsettlement individua
ls of King George whiting, Sillaginodes punctata, were collected from
seagrass beds around the western coast of Port Phillip Bay using a fin
e-mesh beach seine. In October, immediately after most settlement had
occurred, recruitment was negatively correlated with distance into the
bay. By November, however, there was no correlation with distance fro
m Port Phillip Heads. Recruitment was not correlated with seagrass bio
mass. Settlement hindcast from daily increments on otoliths indicated
three settlement events, but only individuals from the first two settl
ement events reached the inner bay by late November. Growth of postset
tlement individuals in the inner bay was significantly (20%) higher th
an it was nearer to Port Phillip Heads. In October, volume of prey in
the diet was negatively correlated with recruitment, whilst in Novembe
r prey volume was positively correlated with recruitment. We hypothesi
ze that initial recruitment patterns were mainly the result of decreas
ing larval supply to the inner bay. Initial patterns were modified ove
r time, possibly in response to variation in food supply.