Browsing by Author "Solomon, Farahnaz Nissa"
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- Connectivity patterns and early life history of the black-faced blenny Tripterygion delaisi (Cadenat and Blache, 1970)Publication . Solomon, Farahnaz Nissa; Borges, Rita; Planes, SergeAn understanding of population connectivity and the scale of larval dispersal is essential for designing management and conservation plans for meta-population dynamics, fisheries, and biodiversity reserves. In demersal reef fish that are relatively sedentary as adults, connectivity tends to occur via the pelagic larval phase. This pelagic larval phase, which is variable in duration, is an extremely critical stage in the life-cycle, and inherent characteristics such as early life history traits and larval behaviour usually interact with oceanographic processes and habitat characteristics to determine patterns of connectivity. In this thesis, connectivity of the black-faced blenny, Tripterygion delaisi was investigated at a local scale indirectly through the use of population genetic structure. Various aspects such as larval spatial distribution, allometric growth and larval development, and early life history characteristics of the critical pelagic larval stage was then examined. Local scale population genetic structure of this species showed that the three sample locations, Arrábida, Sines and Cascais were highly genetically connected over a small spatial scale of approximately 100 km. Within this scenario of high gene flow however, several pieces of evidence indicated that limited or restricted dispersal was occurring leading to some degree or extent of local scale genetic homogeneity. An examination of spatial and temporal distribution showed that T. delaisi larvae has a mainly inshore larval distribution and that all the different developmental stages occur in the nearshore environment where it might be completing its life-cycle. We provided estimates for a number of early life history parameters (size-at-hatch, size-at-settlement, pelagic larval duration, and larval and juvenile growth rates) of T. delaisi. In particular our PLD estimates (both mean the value and minimum – maximum values) are higher than those obtained from two previous studies conducted in the Mediterranean and may have consequences for connectivity. Overall, the early life history traits exhibited by T. delasi can explain a pattern of restricted limited/restricted dispersal.