Defense Date
12-2-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
Master of Science
Degree Name
Marine Science
First Advisor
David Kerstetter, Ph.D.
Second Advisor
Nicole Kirchhoff. Ph.D.
Third Advisor
Joshua Feingold, Ph.D.
Keywords
Life history, otoliths, length-weight relationships, gonadosomatic index, stomach analysis, baitfish, fisheries, aquaculture, goggle-eye, index of relative importance
Abstract
In southeastern Florida, the bigeye scad (Selar crumenophthalmus) is highly regarded as a baitfish for targeting billfish and other large sportfishes, often commanding market prices as live bait exceeding $180 per dozen. Despite its economic significance, there is limited knowledge regarding the species within the Atlantic Ocean, especially the population that occurs in Florida. Bigeye scad were collected monthly from local bait shops in Pompano Beach, Miami, and Islamorada to assess age-growth, reproductive behaviors, and dietary habits. Specimens from May to August had the highest values for length-weight relationships and gonadsomatic index, indicative of a spawning season during the wet season (May through October). A thorough examination of stomach contents reveals that dietary composition varies with environmental conditions. Individuals collected during the dry season (November through April) exhibited highly statistically significant larger amounts of polychaetes (p < 0.001), other fishes (p = 0.01), and euphausiids (p < 0.001) than those from the wet season. These additional insights into the life history of wild bigeye scad may facilitate the development of aquaculture production as a viable alternative to the baitfish fishery.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
NSUWorks Citation
Mariah France. 2024. Understanding Bigeye Scad (Selar crumenophthalmus) in Southeast Florida: Age-growth, Reproduction, and Diet. Master's thesis. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, . (200)
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/hcas_etd_all/200.