Abstract
Several lines of evidence indicate that aggregations of yellowfin tuna associated with floating objects are more frequently composed of small animals than larger ones. Also, the diet of small yellowfin tuna caught at anchored fish aggregating devices (FADs) around Oahu, Hawaii, was found to shift quite rapidly when these fish reached approximately 50 cm FL. In order to test for ontogenetic changes in aggregation behavior, we tagged and released two distinct size classes of yellowfin tuna in an array of anchored FADs around Oahu, Hawaii. Twenty-four yellowfin tuna 30–39 cm FL and 16 yellowfin tuna 63–83 cm FL were tagged with acoustic transmitters and released near anchored FADs equipped with automated acoustic receivers. Fish in the smaller size class stayed about 2.5 times longer at individual FADs than the larger fish (mean 4.05 days vs. 1.65 days) and displayed larger horizontal movements within the array. However, the durations of unassociated phases, residence times in the entire FAD array, percentage of time spent associated with FADs and numbers of movements between FADs did not show any difference between the two size groups. The observed size-dependent behavior is discussed in terms of physiological abilities, diet segregation and anti-predator behavior.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Brill RW, Block BA, Boggs CH, Bigelow KA, Freund EV, Marcinek DJ (1999) Horizontal movements and depth distribution of large adult yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) near the Hawaiian Islands, recorded using ultrasonic telemetry: implications for the physiological ecology of pelagic fishes. Mar Biol 133:395–408
Castro JJ, Santiago JA, Santana-Ortega AT (2002) A general theory on fish aggregation to floating objects: an alternative to the meeting point hypothesis. Rev Fish Biol Fish 11:255–277
Cayré P (1991) Behaviour of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) and skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) around fish aggregating devices (FADs) in the Comoros Islands as determined by ultrasonic tagging. Aquat Living Resour 4:1–12
Cayré P, Marsac F (1993) Modelling the yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) vertical distribution using sonic tagging results and local environmental parameters. Aquat Living Resour 6:1–14
Cox DR (1972) Regression models and life tables (with discussion). J R Stat Soc Ser B 34:187–220
Dagorn L, Josse E, Bach P (2000) Individual differences in horizontal movements of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) in nearshore areas in French Polynesia, determined using ultrasonic telemetry. Aquat Living Resour 13:193–202
Dagorn L, Holland KN, Itano DG (2007) Behavior of yellowfin (Thunnus albacares) and bigeye (T-obesus) tuna in a network of fish aggregating devices (FADs). Mar Biol 151:595–606
Fonteneau A, Ariz J, Gaertner D, Nordstrom T, Pallares P (2000) Observed changes in the species composition of tuna schools in the Gulf of Guinea between 1981 and 1999, in relation with the fish aggregating device fishery. Aquat Living Resour 13:253–257
Fréon P, Dagorn L (2000) Review of fish associative behaviour: toward a generalisation of the meeting point hypothesis. Rev Fish Biol Fish 10:183–207
Girard C, Benhamou S, Dagorn L (2004) FAD: fish aggregating device or fish attracting device? A new analysis of yellowfin tuna movements around floating objects. Anim Behav 67:319–326
Graham BS, Grubbs D, Holland K, Popp BN (2007) A rapid ontogenetic shift in the diet of juvenile yellowfin tuna from Hawaii. Mar Biol 150:647–658
Hallier JP, Gaertner D (2008) Drifting fish aggregation devices could act as an ecological trap for tropical tuna species. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 353:255–264
Hampton J (2000) Natural mortality rates in tropical tunas: size really does matter. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 57:1002–1010
Holland KN, Brill RW, Chang RKC (1990) Horizontal and vertical movements of yellowfin and bigeye Tuna associated with fish aggregating devices. Fish Bull 88:493–507
Hunter JR, Mitchell CT (1967) Association of fishes with flotsam in the offshore waters of central America. Fish Bull 66:13–29
Jaquemet S, Potier M, Menard F (2011) Do drifting and anchored fish aggregating devices (FADs) similarly influence tuna feeding habits? A case study from the western Indian Ocean. Fish Res 107:283–290
Klimley AP, Holloway CF (1999) School fidelity and homing synchronicity of yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacores. Mar Biol 133:307–317
Marsac F, Fonteneau A, Ménard F (2000) Drifting FADs used in tuna fisheries: an ecological trap? In: Le Gall J-Y, Cayré P, Taquet M (eds) Pêche thonière et dispositifs de concentration de poissons, vol 28. Ed. Ifremer, Actes Colloq, pp 537–552
Ménard F, Fonteneau A, Gaertner D, Nordstrom V, Stequert B, Marchal E (2000) Exploitation of small tunas by a purse-seine fishery with fish aggregating devices and their feeding ecology in an eastern tropical Atlantic ecosystem. ICES J Mar Sci 57:525–530
Mitsunaga Y, Endo C, Anraku K, Selorio CM, Babaran RP (2011) Association of early juvenile yellowfin tuna Thunnus albacares with a network of payaos in the Philippines. Fish Sci. doi:10.1007/s12562-011-0431-y
Ohta I, Kakuma S (2005) Periodic behavior and residence time of yellowfin and bigeye tuna associated with fish aggregating devices around Okinawa Islands, as identified with automated listening stations. Mar Biol 146:581–594
Pitcher TJ, Parrish JK (1993) Functions of shoaling behavior in teleosts. In: Behaviour of teleost fishes, 2nd edn. Chapman and Hall, London, pp 363–439
Robert M, Dagorn L, Deneubourg JL (2010) Comparing condition factors of skipjack tuna associated with natural floating objects and those from free swimming schools in the Mozambique Channel. IOTC- 2010- WPTT-24. http://www.iotc.org/files/proceedings/2010/wptt/IOTC-2010-WPTT-24.pdf
Schaefer KM, Fuller DW (2010) Vertical movements, behavior, and habitat of bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) in the equatorial eastern Pacific Ocean, ascertained from archival tag data. Mar Biol 157:2625–2642
Stehfest KM, Dagorn L (2010) Differences in large scale movement between free swimming and fish aggregating device (FAD) caught tuna. IOTC-2010- WPTT-06. http://www.iotc.org/files/proceedings/2010/wptt/IOTC-2010-WPTT-06.pdf
Uda M (1933) Types of skipjack schools and their fishing qualities. Bull Jpn Soc Sci Fish 2(3):107–111
Acknowledgments
The authors are deeply indebted to many colleagues who volunteered their time for scientific diving and contributed their fishing and tagging expertise. Data collection was funded by Cooperative Agreement number NA17RS1230 between the Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research (JIMAR) and the National Oceano-graphic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of NOAA or any of its subagencies. The experiments comply with the current laws of the country in which the experiments were performed. Data analyses were carried out with financial support from the Commission of the European Communities, specific RTD programme of Framework Programme 7, “Theme 2-Food, Agriculture, Fisheries and Biotechnology,” through the research project MADE (Mitigating adverse ecological impacts of open ocean fisheries). It does not necessarily reflect its views and in no way anticipates the Commission’s future policy in this area.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Communicated by S. Garthe.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Robert, M., Dagorn, L., Deneubourg, J.L. et al. Size-dependent behavior of tuna in an array of fish aggregating devices (FADs). Mar Biol 159, 907–914 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-011-1868-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-011-1868-3