[A-OS12] Marine ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles: theory, observation and modeling

[AOS12-16] The growth patterns and optimum habitat of Larimichthys crocea throughout ontogenesis based on NEMURO.FISH

*Bin Xie¹, Shin-ichi Ito², Lingfeng Huang³, Haiqing Yu⁴, Chenying Guo⁵, Ziqin Wang² (1.Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China, 2.Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8564, Japan, 3.College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China, 4.Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China, 5.South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China)

Keywords:Large yellow croaker, bioenergetics model, growth hotspots, mariculture influence, marine spatial planning

Larimichthys crocea was one of the most common commercially harvested fish in the East China Sea before the 1980s, but overfishing and habitat degradation have contributed to the collapse of this resource. Sansha Bay was one of the most important spawning and nursery grounds of L. crocea, where an enhancement and release program was implemented to recover the wild L. crocea stocks. Sansha Bay is also a well-known mariculture base in southeast China, especially for L. crocea. In this study, a growth model of L. crocea based on a bioenergetics model was developed to investigate crucial periods for survival, the impacts of variations in temperature and food density, and the suitable habitat of L. crocea during its first year. The results show that the Mindong stock of L. crocea has two critical growth periods: summer (in which growth is mainly affected by food limitations) and winter (in which growth is mainly affected by cooler temperatures). In early life, L. crocea showed greater sensitivity to temperature variations than variations in food density, while food density had a greater influence on the growth of L. crocea later in life. The model-estimated suitable habitat of L. crocea varied ontogenetically. Compared to outside of the bay, L. crocea preferred the environment of the inner bay, where its habitat and migration routes were historically located, and where they are currently subject to impacts from anthropogenic activities. Based on limited data, we built the first growth model of L. crocea and described suitable habitat for L. crocea during the first year based on water temperature and prey conditions, which may have implications for the selection of L. crocea release sites and the cessation of excessive mariculture in Sansha Bay.