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The Trophic Ecologies Of Larval Billfishes, Tunas, And Coral Reef Fishes In The Straits Of Florida: Piscivory, Selectivity, And Niche Separation, Joel Kent Llopiz
The Trophic Ecologies Of Larval Billfishes, Tunas, And Coral Reef Fishes In The Straits Of Florida: Piscivory, Selectivity, And Niche Separation, Joel Kent Llopiz
Open Access Dissertations
The processes influencing larval fish survival in the low-latitude open ocean are poorly understood, especially with regard to feeding. As part of a large-scale study that included two years of monthly sampling in the Straits of Florida (SOF), the objectives of this dissertation were to elucidate the larval fish feeding behaviors and strategies of 1) istiophorid billfishes, 2) tunas, and 3) coral reef fishes, while also 4) characterizing the feeding environment, synthesizing the dominant trophic pathways to fish larvae, and reviewing the literature for evidence of latitudinal distinctions in larval fish trophodynamics. Larval billfishes exhibited highly selective feeding, and their …
Physical And Biological Characteristics Of Billfish Spawning Habitat In The Straits Of Florida, David Earl Richardson
Physical And Biological Characteristics Of Billfish Spawning Habitat In The Straits Of Florida, David Earl Richardson
Open Access Dissertations
The objective of this dissertation was to examine sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) and blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) spawning in the Straits of Florida, with a specific focus on 1) the physical and biological characteristics of the spawning environment, and 2) the role of the region within the broader spawning patterns of these two species. In order to accomplish these objectives, two years of monthly ichthyoplankton collections and physical measurements across the Straits of Florida were combined with a finer-scale Lagrangian study. Additionally, a molecular species-identification methodology was developed that was both high-throughput and suitable for use with a broad taxonomic range …