BONEFISH SPAWNING

Project Title: Where and when do bonefish spawn?

Bonefish have complex life histories and use different habitats during their larval, juvenile, and adult life stages. While we have sufficient information to paint a general picture of bonefish life history, we lack the necessary details for effective conservation and management. For example, very little quantitative information is available on bonefish reproduction. Based on limited data, it appears that bonefish spawn in large aggregations.

Of particular concern in the Caribbean is that other tropical fish species that spawn in large aggregations, such as Nassau grouper, have been vulnerable to overfishing. In addition, because spawning aggregations often attract adult fish from a large geographic area, fishing pressure on these aggregations can have wide-reaching negative impacts on the abundance of specific bonefish stocks. In St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, for example, fishermen targeting a single Nassau grouper spawning aggregation have caused the species to become “fisheries extinct” (too few fish to warrant fishing effort), forcing the fishery to be closed indefinitely. Research needs to determine where and how bonefish spawn so that proactive conservation measures can be taken.

Based on limited data from the Pacific, Caribbean, and Western Atlantic, spawning of bonefish appears to take place offshore. Limited evidence from the Caribbean and The Bahamas further suggests that spawning likely occurs at the full or new moons between November and May, because this is when most females contain eggs, and larvae are most abundant. This research will quantify when and where bonefish spawning occurs.

• Total Project Cost: $68,000
• Matching Funds: $38,000
• Requested Support: $30,000