Developing dynamic energy budget (DEB) models for small pelagic fishes in the Southern Benguela

Groenewald, Grea

Developing dynamic energy budget (DEB) models for small pelagic fishes in the Southern Benguela

Doctoral Thesis

2021

Abstract

Dynamic energy budget models are useful for describing energy flow in individual organisms as functions of their state (e.g., age, size, and energetic reserves) and environment (e.g., food and temperature). Anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus), redeye round herring (Etrumeus whiteheadi) and sardine (Sardinops sagax) are short-lived fish species co-occurring in the Southern Benguela upwelling system, where they experience marked environmental variability. This study developed full life cycle dynamic energy budget models of these species in the Southern Benguela, which could be compared to the same or similar species in other ecosystems and investigated trade-offs between temperature and feeding conditions in influencing the growth and reproductive outputs of the three species. The key hypothesis was that there would be niche differences among bioenergetic factors for the three species that allow them to cooccur. Models were created and calibrated using published information and survey data (recruitment, biomass, weight-at-length) from 2012-2016. Best visual fit values were estimated for five parameters, using von Bertalanffy growth models and length-weight relationships of each species. Results indicated that redeye round herring invested less than anchovy and sardine in reproductive storage capacity (larger maintenance ratio) and had lower assimilation rates. Sardine had higher structural growth costs than anchovy and redeye round herring. Larval redeye round herring took longer to reach metamorphosis than anchovy and sardine. In all three species, decreased growth rates of larvae in cool waters were mitigated by increased growth from good food availability. Good feeding condition associated with cooler temperatures halved the time spent as recruits in all three species. Thus, increased growth rates from good food availability outweighed decreased growth rates from cool temperatures and resulted in higher egg batch production in adults. Comparisons of Southern Benguela anchovy and sardine to similar species in other ecosystems showed differences in core parameters between regions because of the influence of environmental inputs and species differences, indicating that model parameters may not be species-specific or transferable between ecosystems. Differential responses of small pelagic fish species to environmental factors help in understanding the variable population dynamics of these species and can help predict the impacts of climate change.

Keywords

Biological Sciences

Reference:

Collections

PhD / Doctoral

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