Download LIFE HISTORY VARIATION AND DIET OF THE ENDANGERED

Document related concepts

Community fingerprinting wikipedia , lookup

Occupancy–abundance relationship wikipedia , lookup

Banksia brownii wikipedia , lookup

Habitat conservation wikipedia , lookup

Overexploitation wikipedia , lookup

Cryoconservation of animal genetic resources wikipedia , lookup

Maximum sustainable yield wikipedia , lookup

Decline in amphibian populations wikipedia , lookup

Theoretical ecology wikipedia , lookup

Animal genetic resources for food and agriculture wikipedia , lookup

Molecular ecology wikipedia , lookup

Transcript
LIFE HISTORY VARIATION AND DIET OF THE ENDANGERED TIDEWATER
GOBY, EUCYCLOGOBIUS NEWBERRYI
by
Michael Hellmair
A Thesis
Presented to
The Faculty of Humboldt State University
In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree
Masters of Science
In Natural Resources (Fisheries)
May, 2011
LIFE HISTORY VARIATION AND DIET OF THE ENDANGERED TIDEWATER
GOBY, EUCYCLOGOBIUS NEWBERRYI
by
Michael Hellmair
Approved by the Master's Thesis Committee:
Andrew P. Kinziger, Major Professor
Date
David G. Hankin, Committee Member
Date
Timothy J. Mulligan, Committee Member
Date
Gary L. Hendrickson, Graduate Coordinator
Date
John G. Lyon Dean of Research and Graduate Studies
Date
ii
ABSTRACT
LIFE HISTORY VARIATION AND DIET OF THE ENDANGERED TIDEWATER
GOBY, EUCYCLOGOBIUS NEWBERRYI
Michael Hellmair
The fitness consequences of low genetic diversity in wild animal populations are
of great concern to species conservation. The endangered tidewater goby, Eucyclogobius
newberryi, occurs in reproductively isolated populations along the California coast that
exhibit tremendous variation in genetic diversity. Otolith microstructural analysis was
conducted to evaluate the relationship between genetic diversity and life history variation
in two focal populations exhibiting high and low genetic diversity (HO = 0.58 and 0.08).
Daily increment deposition in sagittal otolith of tidewater goby was validated and a
predominantly annual life cycle was observed in both populations (annual survivorship,
, < 3%). Back-calculation of birthdates indicates year-round reproductive activity in the
population with high genetic diversity, but reveals a very narrow, single annual
reproductive period in the genetically depauperate population. Analysis including genetic
and demographic data from ten additional populations reveals a correlation between
genetic diversity and life history variation, as expressed in variation in the duration of the
reproductive period within populations. The threat of reduced genetic diversity to isolated
populations was dramatically illustrated through extinction of the genetically depauperate
focal population following a drastic increase in salinity. Naturally, the presence of more
resilient adult individuals allows tidewater goby populations to persist through these
iii
periodic environmental fluctuations with high juvenile mortality. In contrast, a narrow
population age structure, associated with reduced genetic diversity, resulted in localized
extinction. These findings support the assertion that genetic and life history variation can
serve as a safeguard against environmental stochasticity.
This study also documents predation by the tidewater goby upon the invasive
New Zealand mudsnail, Potamopyrgus antipodarum, in Big Lagoon, California, USA.
The gastric contents of 411 individuals, collected monthly from April 2009 to August
2010, were examined. New Zealand mudsnails were found in the digestive tract of
tidewater goby that ranged in size from 14 mm to 52 mm total length, corresponding to
post-settlement and nearly maximal size of this species. Tidewater goby fully digest this
hard-shelled prey, as evidenced by the presence of shell fragments and complete absence
of intact shells in the hind gut. The number of ingested NZ mudsnail ranged from 1 to 27
(mean 4.4), and ranged in length from 0.39 mm to 4.0 mm. The average size of ingested
snails increased with fish length (r2 = 0.42, p < 0.001). Mudsnails were found in over
80% of individuals during the summer and fall of 2009, when the estimated population
size of tidewater goby in Big Lagoon was over three million. This study documents the
first instance of a native and endangered species that preys upon and utilizes the NZ
mudsnail as a food source, and suggests that tidewater goby can exert substantial
predation pressure upon NZ mudsnails and take advantage of this readily available,
exotic prey item.
iv
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First and foremost, I wish to thank Dr. Andrew Kinziger for his relentless support,
excellent mentorship and guidance, and for providing a host of opportunities far beyond
his responsibilities. My gratitude also to Greg Goldsmith and the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service for funding this project and tremendous help with obtaining the
necessary permits as well as lending me required equipment. I thank my committee
member Drs. Dave Hankin and Tim Mulligan for advice and direction and for
outstanding mentorship in their areas of expertise.
Further, I would like to mention Tom Laidig, Martin Koenig, Drs. Hendrickson
and Varkey for help with microscopy and providing access to specialized equipment.
Also, I would like to extend my gratitude to Rosie Records for help with the creation of
maps, and the numerous individuals who have helped me throughout my sampling effort,
including K. Guadalupe, A. Hellmair, A. Dockham, M. Peterson, J. Stagg, K. Crane and
K. Lindke, Special thanks also to E. Tonning for laboratory assistance with diet analysis.
v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
CHAPTER 1: LIFE HISTORY VARIATION, GENETIC DIVERSITY AND
EXTINCTION RISK IN THE ENDANGERED TIDEWATER GOBY,
EUCYCLOGOBIUS NEWBERRYI ..........................................................................3
ABSTRACT .........................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................3
METHODS ..........................................................................................................................8
Sample Collection ................................................................................................................8
Daily age determination .....................................................................................................10
Demographics ....................................................................................................................11
Genetic diversity and meta-analysis ..................................................................................12
RESULTS ..........................................................................................................................15
Sample collection ...............................................................................................................15
Age determination and demographics ...............................................................................15
Genetic diversity and meta-analysis ..................................................................................23
DISCUSSION ....................................................................................................................25
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...............................................................................................31
LITERATURE CITED ......................................................................................................32
CHAPTER 2: PREYING ON INVASIVES: THE EXOTIC NEW ZEALAND
MUDSNAIL IN THE DIET OF THE ENDANGERED TIDEWATER
GOBY ....................................................................................................................37
ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................................38
INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................39
METHODS ........................................................................................................................41
RESULTS AN D DISCUSSION .......................................................................................43
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...............................................................................................49
LITERATURE CITED ......................................................................................................50
vi
LIST OF TABLES
CHAPTER 1: LIFE HISTORY VARIATION, GENETIC DIVERSITY AND
EXTINCTION RISK IN THE ENDANGERED TIDEWATER GOBY,
EUCYCLOGOBIUS NEWBERRYI
Table
Page
1
Summary of northern California tidewater goby populations, including sample
size (n), collection dates, mean total length (mm), standard deviation (SD),
length range and observed heterozygosity across nine microsatellite loci
(HO) ........................................................................................................................14
2
Mortality rate estimates ( ) obtained using Hoenig’s estimator and
corresponding survivorship of tidewater goby from two northern
California populations ............................................................................................18
3
Growth parameter estimates for two northern California populations of
tidewater goby, using the traditional von Bertalanffy growth equation and
Schnute’s four-parameter model ............................................................................22
CHAPTER 2: PREYING ON INVASIVES: THE EXOTIC NEW ZEALAND
MUDSNAIL IN THE DIET OF THE ENDANGERED TIDEWATER GOBY
Table
Page
1
Summary of tidewater goby diet analysis including salinity, sample size,
range of fish sizes examined, proportion of sample with ingested New
Zealand mudsnails and mean monthly counts of ingested snails ..........................44
2
Summary of a Peterson mark-recapture estimation of population
size ( ) of tidewater goby in Big Lagoon, CA .......................................................47
vii
LIST OF FIGURES
CHAPTER 1: LIFE HISTORY VARIATION, GENETIC DIVERSITY AND
EXTINCTION RISK IN THE ENDANGERED TIDEWATER GOBY,
EUCYCLOGOBIUS NEWBERRYI
Figure
Page
1
Maps depicting locations of tidewater goby populations on the northern
California coast (A) and the location of populations within Humboldt Bay
and the Eel River estuary (B). Populations noted with an asterisk represent
focal populations for demographic study .................................................................9
2
Length frequency distributions of tidewater goby from two northern California
populations, illustrating the reduction in abundance of small individuals
following a salinity increase ..................................................................................17
3
Distribution of birthdates estimated from daily otolith increment counts
for two northern California populations of tidewater goby ...................................19
4
Von Bertalanffy growth curves for two northern California populations of
tidewater goby........................................................................................................20
5
Schnute’s four-parameter growth curves for two northern California
populations of tidewater goby................................................................................21
6
Observed length range found within tidewater goby populations in
northern California as a function of observed heterozygosity at nine
polymorphic microsatellite loci .............................................................................22
CHAPTER 2: PREYING ON INVASIVES: THE EXOTIC NEW ZEALAND
MUDSNAIL IN THE DIET OF THE ENDANGERED TIDEWATER GOBY
Figure
1
Page
Relationship between mean size of ingested New Zealand mudsnails and
tidewater goby length (TL) ....................................................................................46
viii
APPENDICES
Appendix
Page
A
Summary of microsatellite loci used for assessing genotypic diversity in
forty-six tidewater goby from the Arcata marsh population. Measures of
genetic diversity include A (number of alleles per locus), HE (expected
heterozygosity) and HO (observed heterozygosity) ...............................................52
B
Monthly length-frequency distribution of tidewater goby from the Big
Lagoon, CA, collected from April 2009 to August 2010 ......................................53
C
Monthly length-frequency distribution of tidewater goby from the Arcata
marsh , CA (n = total number of fish measured), collected from April 2009
to August 2010 .......................................................................................................54
D
Length frequency distributions of 12 populations of tidewater goby,
from northern California. The marsh population was sampled in June of
2009, while all other populations were sampled in early fall of 2006 ...................55
E
Age-length key of the Arcata marsh, CA, population of tidewater goby, collected
from 2009 until July 2009 ......................................................................................56
F
Age-length key of the Big Lagoon, CA, population of tidewater goby, collected
from April 2009 until August 2010 .........................................................................3
G
Relationship between length and width (μm) of tidewater goby sagittae ..............58
H
Daily age of tidewater goby predicted sagittal length (μm), as measured
from margin to margin along the axis of the primordium .....................................59
J
Complete data summary of Big Lagoon tidewater goby otolith analysis,
including collection date, goby total length (mm), otolith surface area
(μm2), otolith length (μm), width (μm) and estimated daily age ...........................60
J
Length frequency distribution of tidewater goby from Big Lagoon, CA, on
November 3rd, 2009 (n=1200)................................................................................61
K
Complete data summary of Arcata marsh tidewater goby otolith analysis,
including collection date, goby total length (mm), otolith surface area
(μm2), otolith length (μm), width (μm) and estimated daily age ...........................67
ix
CHAPTER I
LIFE HISTORY VARIATION, GENETIC DIVERSITY AND EXTINCTION RISK IN
THE ENDANGERED TIDEWATER GOBY, EUCYCLOGOBIUS NEWBERRYI
ABSTRACT
The fitness consequences of low genetic diversity in wild animal populations are
of great concern to species conservation. The endangered tidewater goby, Eucyclogobius
newberryi, occurs in reproductively isolated populations along the California coast that
exhibit tremendous variation in genetic diversity. Otolith microstructural analysis was
conducted to evaluate the relationship between genetic diversity and life history variation
in two focal populations exhibiting high and low genetic diversity (HO = 0.58 and 0.08).
Daily increment deposition in sagittal otoliths of tidewater goby was validated and a
predominantly annual life cycle was observed in both populations (annual survivorship,
, < 3%). Back-calculation of birthdates indicates year-round reproductive activity in the
population with high genetic diversity, but reveals a very narrow, single annual
reproductive period in the genetically depauperate population. Analysis including genetic
and demographic data from ten additional populations reveals a correlation between
genetic diversity and life history variation, as expressed in variation in the duration of the
reproductive period within populations. The threat of reduced genetic diversity to isolated
populations was dramatically illustrated through extinction of the genetically depauperate
focal population following a drastic increase in salinity. Naturally, the presence of more
resilient adult individuals allows tidewater goby populations to persist through these
periodic environmental fluctuations with high juvenile mortality. In contrast, a narrow
population age structure, associated with reduced genetic diversity, resulted in localized
extinction. These findings support the assertion that genetic and life history variation can
serve as a safeguard against environmental stochasticity.
2
INTRODUCTION
The ultimate measure of fitness in wild populations is their persistence over time.
To persist, populations must cope with and adjust to environmental stochasticity. The
levels of genetic variation within a population are generally thought to be indicative of a
population’s expressed variation, either phenotypic or behavioral, and are directly
correlated to the population’s fitness and long term adaptive potential (Lande and
Barrowclough 1987, Reed and Frankham 2003). Various measures of genetic variability,
such as mean heterozygosity, are often considered indicators of the fitness potential of
populations. In small and reproductively isolated populations, low genetic diversity is
considered an indicator of extinction vulnerability (Saccheri et al. 1998), yet the direct
phenotypic consequences of reduced genetic diversity are difficult to quantify. Evidence
for loss or lack of genetic diversity has been documented for a wide spectrum of animal
taxa, and genetic diversity is generally found to be lower in threatened taxa than in their
non-threatened sister taxa (Spielman et al. 2004). However, the presumed effects thereof,
as manifested in loss of phenotypic variation, are extremely difficult to measure in wild
populations (Ralls et al. 1988, Frankham and Ralls 1998), as confounding effects of
environmental variability make it difficult to attribute phenotypic traits to genetic
diversity.
Controversy exists regarding the relative importance of genetic factors as
compared to ecological and demographic factors in population extinction (Lande1988,
Wilson 1992, Caro and Laurenson 1994, Caughly 1994, Lande 1994, Saccheri et al.
1998, Spielman et al. 2004), yet a clear distinction between the two factors is often
difficult. Most examples of the consequences of genetic diversity loss come from
3
4
laboratory studies of captive populations, and decreased reproductive success is generally
the observed outcome (Charlesworth and Charlesworth 1987, Lande 1988, Ralls et al.
1988, Frankham 1994, Saccheri et al. 1998). However, while reduced reproductive
success invariably leads to ever decreasing population sizes over time, it is only one
manifestation of reduced genetic diversity. A reduction in life history variation and
increasing frequencies of deleterious traits are additional effects of reduced genetic
diversity that can also lead to potentially fatal consequences for the affected population
(Lande 1994). Thus, life history variation contributes to population resilience against
environmental stochasticity and provides the foundation for evolutionary processes that
act upon phenotypic characteristics (Simon 2011).
One approach to evaluate the correlation between genetic diversity and life
history variation of animal populations in the wild is to study reproductively isolated
populations of a single species exhibiting different degrees of genetic diversity. If these
populations occupy stochastically dynamic environments that require life history
variation for population persistence, loss thereof may lead to fatal consequences for a
population. Differences in the magnitude of variation of life history characteristics may
be attributed to varying degrees of genetic diversity if study populations are
reproductively isolated, yet geographically proximal, and subject to similar climatic
influences in order to control for confounding environmental effects as best as possible in
a natural setting.
The endangered tidewater goby (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1994, Lafferty
and Page 1996, Lafferty et al. 1996), Eucyclogobius newberryi (Teleostei: Gobiidae;
Girard 1857), is an ideal species for evaluating genetic diversity and life history
5
correlates. As a result of genetic isolation and rampant genetic drift, northern California
tidewater goby exhibit tremendous variation in levels of genetic diversity between
populations (McCraney et al. 2010). Migration between populations is severely limited,
as tidewater goby inhabit lagoons and estuaries that are separated from the Pacific Ocean
by sandbars for most of the year (Swift 1989, Lafferty et al. 1996, Swenson 1999,
McCraney et al. 2010). Dispersal can occur only during breaching events, which
generally occur 1-2 times annually following periods of high freshwater input and large
surf (Krauss et al. 2002). Consequences of breaching are rapid draining of the estuary and
influx of ocean water over subsequent tidal cycles, resulting in drastic changes to salinity,
water levels and water temperature. Substantial genetic structuring observed among
populations of tidewater goby is generally attributed to the lack of regular marine
dispersal events (low probability of simultaneous breaching events), absence of a marine
larval stage, and the often large geographic separation between suitable habitats (Lafferty
et al. 1999, Dawson et al. 2001, Earl et al. 2010, McCraney et al. 2010). In addition,
distinct morphological characteristics in different regions provide evidence for extremely
low levels of gene flow between tidewater goby populations (Ahnelt et al. 2004).
A number of life history adaptations allow tidewater goby to persist in such
environmentally challenging and isolated environments. Tidewater goby complete their
entire life cycle within estuarine and lagoon environments and are assumed to be an
annual species (Swift et al. 1989, Swenson 1995), yet to date no rigorous evaluation of
age and growth of this species has been conducted. Tidewater goby have an
asynchronous ovarian cycle and can attain reproductive maturity at a young age and
independent of season, though increased spawning activity is generally observed during
6
summer and fall (Goldberg 1977, Swift et al. 1989, Swenson 1995, Swenson 1999).
Furthermore, individuals may reproduce repeatedly over a period of several months
(Goldberg 1977; Swenson 1995), resulting in a broad range of sizes and ages most of the
year, despite the often small and homogenous marsh and lagoon environments inhabited
by tidewater goby. This reproductive pattern is consistent with evolutionary and life
history theory, which predict reproductive maturity at an early age in short lived species
(e.g. Harvey and Zammuto 1985, Reznick et al. 1990). Continuous reproduction and the
resulting broad population age structure within populations of tidewater goby may be a
bet-hedging strategy against reproductive failure by any one population segment in the
event of drastic environmental change (Simon 2011).
Unlike most animal taxa, fishes can often be aged directly through analysis of
periodically deposited increments in bony structures, most notably their otoliths
(earstones). Once periodicity of increment deposition is validated, detailed age
information can be obtained by otolith microstructural analysis, allowing for fine scale
estimates of demographic parameters. The objective of this study was to use otolith
increment analysis to confirm the presumed annual life cycle of tidewater goby and to
estimate and compare demographic and growth parameters, mortality and variation in the
temporal extent of the reproductive period for a large, natural lagoon and a small,
artificially fragmented population exhibiting high and low levels of genetic diversity,
respectively. The results indicate a severely truncated reproductive period in the
genetically depauperate population, in contrast to nearly year-round reproduction in the
genetically diverse population. To assess the generality of the findings, demographic
7
parameters for ten additional northern California populations of varying genetic diversity
described by McCraney et al. (2010) were included in the analysis.
METHODS
Sample collection
Tidewater goby were sampled monthly from two populations in northern
California, USA, for age determination (Figure 1). Due to concerns regarding periodic
lethal sampling of this endangered species, two populations with high abundance and
considered representative of genetically diverse and inbred stocks were chosen for
comparison. The sampling goal was to obtain a minimum of 150 individuals monthly
from each population for the construction of length-frequency histograms. In Big Lagoon
(Figure 1), sampling occurred from April 2009 until August 2010. The second
population, a small, brackish pond on the northern end of Humboldt Bay, herein referred
to as the marsh population, was sampled from April 2009 until December 2009 (Figure
1). Tidewater goby were sampled using a 3.3 m by 1.3 m seine with a 1.58 mm mesh in
water no deeper than the height of the seine and no shallower than 0.2 m. There are no
literature reports indicating age- or size-specific aggregation of tidewater goby, so
monthly collections were considered representative subsamples of the respective goby
populations. All samples were measured in the field to the nearest millimeter, and a
subsample of 20 - 25 individuals spanning the length range of goby encountered was
sacrificed (by subjecting them to an overdose of MS222, Tricaine methanesulfonate) and
preserved in 180 proof ethanol. Concurrent with field sample collection, salinity
measurements (parts per thousand, ‰) were obtained using a VEE GEE® STX-3
refractometer. Changes in relative abundances of certain size classes (one mm
increments)
were
calculated
between
months
8
of
drastic
salinity
changes.
9
Figure 1. (A) Map depicting locations of tidewater goby populations on the (A) northern
California coast: Stone Lagoon (SL), Big Lagoon (BL*), Virgin Creek (VC) and
Pudding Creek (PC). (B) illustrates the location of populations within Humboldt
Bay and the Eel River estuary: McDaniel Slough (MS), Arcata Marsh (AM*),
Gannon Slough (GS), Jacoby Creek (JC), Wood Creek (WC), Elk River (ER),
Salmon Creek (SC) and Eel River (EE). Populations noted with an asterisk
represent focal populations for demographic study.
10
Daily age determination
Sagittal otoliths were removed under a dissecting microscope and cleaned in a
bleach immersion. Otoliths were then rinsed in water and ethanol, and mounted on a
microscope slide using wet’n’wild “Wild Shine®” Clear Nail Protector, type 401A, as a
mounting medium. After curing, otoliths were polished by hand using waterproof
sandpaper (GatorGrit®, type 1500-b) and 6 μm lapping film (Allied High Tech Products,
Inc., Diamond Lapping Film #50-30265) to reveal daily increments. Special care was
taken to visualize the progressively narrower increments along the otolith margins of
larger individuals. Otoliths were viewed on a compound microscope under 500X total
magnification, using an oil-immersion lens (MEIJI® Model # 10824). A Lumenera®
Infinity 1TM camera and ImagePro® Plus software, version 7.0, were used to capture
images and enumerate increments. Enumeration of daily increments began at the first
continuous increment outside the core region, herein referred to as the hatch mark.
Whether or not this increment represents the day of hatching has yet to be determined
under laboratory condition, and the time elapsed between the hatch date and the
formation of the first increment was ignored. Increments were counted continuously from
the hatch mark to the otolith margin. Otoliths were discarded when continuous
enumeration of increments was not possible due to large gaps without discernible
increments or the presence of accessory primordia. Otolith length was measured between
margins along the axis of the oblong primordium and otolith width perpendicular thereto.
Otolith area was determined by tracing the otolith margin using the imaging software.
To validate daily growth increment deposition, chemical marks were induced in
otoliths by immersing tidewater goby in a 5% calcein solution. A total of 1441 tidewater
11
goby were marked and released into their natal environment (Big Lagoon, CA), and an
SE-MARK® detector (Western Chemical, Co.) was used to identify marked individuals
during recapture events five, ten, twenty and twenty-eight days after marking. Sagittal
otoliths were prepared as indicated above and examined under a fluorescence
microscope. When a fluorescent mark was detected, identical images were captured
under regular and fluorescent light and increments were enumerated from the fluorescent
mark to the otolith margin.
Demographics
Average instantaneous mortality rate of tidewater goby from the lagoon and
marsh populations was estimated using Hoenig’s (1983) method by converting daily ages
obtained from otolith increment counts to age measured in years:
(1)
where
= instantaneous mortality rate and
survivorship was estimated as
= maximum age. Annual and monthly
and
, respectively. Birth date
distributions were generated for both populations by tabulating, for each fish, the
estimated daily age subtracted from its collection date. Two growth models were fitted to
age-at-length data. Traditional von Bertalanffy growth parameters
(theoretical
average maximum size in mm), k (growth coefficient) and t0 (the theoretical point in time
when a fish has a length of zero, equation 2), were estimated using the software package
FiSat Version 1.2.2 (Gayanilo et al. 2005).
12
(2)
In addition, a re-parameterized, more versatile growth model with stable statistical
estimates was chosen following Schnute’s (1981) selection procedure of sequential model
evaluation and fitted to age at length data:
where
and
and
are the ages of the youngest and oldest fish in the sample (see results),
the corresponding lengths at that age, t is age (in days), a is the inverse of time,
and b is a dimensionless constant.
Growth parameters were estimated for both
populations, and for two separate groups within the lagoon population, as defined by the
timing of estimated birthdates. For this purpose, individuals were divided into a
spring/summer cohort (birthdates from March 23rd to September 23rd) and a fall/winter
cohort (September 24th to March 22nd). Parameter estimates for both models were
compared between groups for significant differences using Hotelling’s T2 test following
the method of Cerrato (1990). Linear regression analysis was used to investigate
correlations between otolith metrics (length, width), fish length (TL) and estimated daily
ages. All statistical comparisons were carried out using R statistical software (2009).
Genetic Diversity and meta-analysis
Heterozygosity for the marsh population was estimated at nine polymorphic
microsatellite loci developed specifically for tidewater goby (n = 46, Mendonca et al.
13
2001, Earl et al. 2010, Appendix I). Observed average heterozygosities (HO) across these
nine loci for Big Lagoon and ten additional northern California tidewater goby
populations, as reported by McCraney et al (2010), were used to test for correlation
between birth date variation and genetic diversity. In organisms with indeterminate
growth (such as fishes), body size is indicative of individual age, therefore range in body
size can be used as a proxy for variation in birthdates within populations, especially in
short-lived species.
Individual length measurements for the additional populations
correspond to individuals assayed by McCraney et al. (2010), which were collected by
the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) between August 10th and October 2nd, 2006
(Table 1). One way ANOVA was used to evaluate differences in mean lengths between
geographically proximal populations. Univariate linear regression models were used to
test for correlation between habitat area (Log10(hectares), an indicator of habitat
heterogeneity), observed cohort length ranges (mm) and observed heterozygosity (Ho).
14
Table 1. Summary of tidewater goby populations from northern California, including
sample size (n), collection dates, mean total length (mm), standard deviation
(SD), length range and observed heterozygosity across nine microsatellite loci
(HO). Heterozygosities marked with asterisks indicate values reported by
McCraney et al. (2010).
Population
n
mean (TL)
SD
Range (mm)
HO
Big Lagoon (BL)
Virgin Creek (VC)
Stone Lagoon (SL)
Pudding Creek (PC)
Eel River (EE)
Elk River (ER)
Salmon Creek (SC)
Gannon Slough (GS)
McDaniel Slough
Jacoby Creek (JC)
Wood Creek (WC)
Arcata Marsh (AM)
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
31
58
59
165
32.47
28.85
28.95
35.28
40.78
32.93
28.90
41.15
27.23
20.00
31.65
40.69
6.46
3.84
8.39
5.16
4.38
6.55
4.21
2.79
2.65
2.54
3.75
1.98
25
18
32
20
20
27
18
13
12
11
13
11
0.59*
0.58*
0.52*
0.45*
0.28*
0.28*
0.23*
0.22*
0.18*
0.16*
0.10*
0.08
RESULTS
Sample collection
The minimum collection goal of 150 individuals per month was met for the
lagoon population every month from April 2009 to August 2010, except June 2009
(n=28). For the marsh population, the collection goal was met from April 2009 to July
2009. In August 2009, extensive sampling yielded only five adult tidewater goby
(TL>35mm), and rigorous sampling using a variety of collection methods in subsequent
months suggests that tidewater goby went extinct from this site. Length frequency
histograms and sample numbers for both collection locations can be found in Appendices
II and III. Salinities ranged from 2 ‰ to 14 ‰ in the lagoon in all months except May
2010 (26 ‰) after a breaching event. In the marsh, salinity measurements ranged from 9
‰ to 12 ‰ between April and July 2009, and increased to 34‰ in August 2009.
Following the salinity increase from 12‰ to 34‰ in the marsh no individuals smaller
than 35mm (TL), comprising over 94% of the population in July, were collected (Figure
2). After the increase in salinity from 11‰ to 27‰ in the lagoon, the relative abundance
of small individuals (< 34mm TL) decreased by almost 50%.
Age determination and demographics
Counts of increments from the fluorescent growth increment, induced by calcein
immersion, to the otolith margin exactly matched the number of days passed between
marking and sacrificing the specimen for all otoliths with a detectable calcein mark (ten
days: n=1, 20 days: n=1, 28 days: n=2). Daily age estimates ranged from 26 to 363 days
for gobies sampled from the marsh (n=88) and from 48 to 421 days for the lagoon
15
16
population (n=413). Estimates of average annual instantaneous mortality were
3.73 for the lagoon and 4.33 for the marsh, corresponding to 2.4% and 1.32% annual
survivorship, confirming that few individuals survive longer than one year (Table 2).
Back-calculated birthdates indicate that the lagoon exhibits year-round
reproductive activity, while in the marsh reproduction only occurred over a brief period
during the summer (Figure 3). A comparison of birth date distributions including only
samples collected contemporaneously (April – July 2009) revealed the same pattern of an
extended reproductive period (every month of the year) in the lagoon, whereas in the
marsh no births occurred between August 13th, 2008 and March 25th, 2009 (Figure 3).
Parameter estimates for the von Bertalanffy model and Schnute’s (1981) growth
function for both populations are summarized in Table 3, and the respective fitted growth
curves and length-at-age distribution of samples from both populations are illustrated in
Figures 4 and 5. Growth curves differed significantly between the marsh and lagoon
populations for the von Bertalanffy model (p = 0.036) and the reparameterized model (p
< 0.001). A larger asymptotic size, indicative of greater growth potential, was observed in
the lagoon for both models. Parameter estimates, irrespective of the model used, did not
differ significantly between seasonal groupings within the lagoon population (p > 0.1).
17
July 2009 (n = 233)
Salinity 12‰
10
5
0
20
August 2009 (n = 5)
Salinity 34‰
10
5
0
0
5
10
%
15
May 2010 (n = 265)
Salinity 27‰
15
20
0
5
10
%
%
15
April 2010 (n = 202)
Salinity 11‰
20
Marsh
15
20
Lagoon
0 4 8
14
20
26
32
Length(mm)
38
44
50
0 4 8
14
20
26
32
38
44
50
Length(mm)
Figure 2. Length frequency distributions of tidewater goby populations from Big Lagoon,
CA, and the Arcata marsh, CA, illustrating the reduction in abundance of small
individuals following a salinity increase.
18
Table 2. Mortality rate estimates ( ) obtained using Hoenig’s estimator and
corresponding survivorship of tidewater goby from two northern California
populations.
Survivorship (%)
(year-1)
(month-1)
annual
monthly
Big Lagoon
3.73
0.31
2.40
73.30
Marsh
4.33
0.36
1.32
69.71
19
Figure 3. Distribution of birthdates estimated from daily otolith increment counts for the
Arcata marsh, CA, and Big Lagoon, CA, populations of tidewater goby. Marsh
and Lagoon* categories represent samples collected from April 2009 until July
2009 (n=85, 98), the Lagoon category represents all samples collected from the
lagoon between April 2009 and August 2010 (n=413).
20
Figure 4. Von Bertalanffy growth curves for populations of tidewater goby from Big
Lagoon, CA, and the Arcata marsh, CA.
21
Figure 5. Schnute’s four-parameter growth curves for populations of tidewater goby from
Big Lagoon, CA, and the Arcata marsh, CA.
22
Table 3. Growth parameter estimates for two northern California populations of tidewater
goby (Big Lagoon and Arcata marsh), using the traditional von Bertalanffy
growth equation and Schnute’s four-parameter model. Asterisks denote
significant differences of parameter estimates between populations.
Big Lagoon
Marsh
n
366
88
von Bertalanffy
(SE)*
k (SE)
(SE)*
94.18 (13.3)
0.67(0.14)
-0.11(0.02)
52.90(11.44)
1.26(0.71)
-0.24(0.11)
Schnute
a (SE)
b (SE)*
l1 (SE)
l2 (SE)*
-0.004(0.002)
2.50(0.62)
12.85(0.96)
55.94(1.24)
-0.007(0.006)
5.53(2.33)
15.00(2.41)
42.40(0.86)
23
Genetic diversity and meta-analysis
Six of the nine microsatellite loci assayed for the marsh population were
monomorphic. The three polymorphic loci did not deviate significantly from HardyWeinberg expectations (Appendix I). Observed heterozygosity across nine loci was 0.08
(Standard Error = 0.01) and mean allelic richness was 1.44 (SE = 0.24, Appendix I).
Observed heterozygosity (HO) in Big Lagoon was 0.59, and ranged from 0.10 to 0.58
across northern California populations (Table 1, McCraney et al. 2010).
Range in total lengths within the twelve north coast populations of tidewater goby
varied from 11 to 32 mm, indicative of differences in the duration of reproductive periods
among populations (Table 1). The correlation between HO and length ranges was
significant (p = 0.009, r2 = 0.52, Figure 6), suggesting that genetic drift has caused
erosion in birthdate variation within isolated tidewater goby populations. Different mean
lengths among populations suggest different mean ages and spawning peaks, even for
geographically proximal populations sampled within a one week interval in late summer,
such as JC, MDS and GS (Table 1, p < 0.01, ANOVA). Although mean lengths differed
greatly among populations, no correlation existed between mean lengths (TL) and length
range of individuals sampled (p = 0.99), indicating that increasing variation in length
with age is not responsible for the observed pattern. There was no significant correlation
between habitat area and length range, suggesting that variation in reproductive timing
cannot be attributed to habitat heterogeneity.
24
Figure 6. Observed length range (mm) found within tidewater goby populations within
Humboldt Bay, CA, and along the northern California coast, as a function of
observed heterozygosity at nine polymorphic microsatellite loci.
DISCUSSION
A single, temporally restricted reproductive period, as observed in the marsh
population, stands in stark contrast to the reproductive pattern observed in the lagoon and
reported from other populations of tidewater goby across the range of the species. Studies
to date indicate that even in small habitats, reproduction can occur at young ages and
during any month of the year (Goldberg 1977, Swenson 1995, Figure 4), traits consistent
with life history- and evolutionary theory which predict early age at maturity in shortlived species. Age at reproductive maturity and timing of reproductive activity have been
shown to be heritable in a variety of taxa (Hankin et al. 1993, Quinn et al. 2000, Quinn et
al. 2004, Henry and Day 2005), and several pieces of evidence suggest that these traits
are heritable in tidewater goby. Back-calculation of birth dates for the parental and filial
generation of the marsh population indicates nearly identical clustering of reproductive
activity in both years (Figure 3). Other Humboldt Bay populations, subject to nearly
identical temperature and precipitation regimes due to geographic proximity (Figure 1),
would be expected to exhibit similar reproductive timing and, therefore, similar size
structure between populations if the spawning season was triggered mainly by
environmental factors. However, tidewater goby populations from Jacoby Creek,
McDaniel Slough and Gannon Slough, separated by a distance less than four kilometers
and sampled within a one-week time span exhibit different mean lengths ( = 20, 27.23
and 41.15 mm, respectively; p < 0.001 ANOVA). In addition, year-round reproductive
activity by an annual species in a seasonal environment strongly implies strong genetic
25
26
control of reproductive activity, suggesting heritability of the unusual pattern of
temporally restricted reproductive activity.
The marsh population exhibits the same genetic diversity characteristics described
for the other populations from Humboldt Bay, namely low levels of heterozygosity and
allelic richness as well as fixation of polymorphic microsatellite loci (Table 1), and a loss
of adaptive potential and fitness are expected consequences thereof (Lande 1994,
Fumagalli et al. 2002, Allendorf and Luikhart 2007). Both growth models fit to daily age
at length data indicate significantly reduced theoretical growth potential for the marsh
compared to the lagoon population (Figures 4,5), a frequently documented consequence
of reduced genetic diversity (e.g. Quattro and Vrijenhoek 1989, Su et al. 1996, Allendorf
and Luikhart 2007). The narrow size ranges within many of the populations in Humboldt
Bay indicate a demography similar to that of the marsh population, with a restricted
spawning period and no population overlap (Table 1). A significant proportion of the
variation in observed size ranges was explained by observed heterozygosity, strongly
suggesting a correlation between the temporal extent of the reproductive season and
population genetic diversity. In contrast, if the extent of the reproductive season was
determined mainly by environmental factors, subsequent variation in ages and sizes
would be explained by environmental variation within an occupied habitat (as
approximated by habitat area). However, as neither size range of individuals sampled nor
observed population heterozygosity was significantly correlated with habitat size (log10
hectares, p > 0.1), habitat heterogeneity does not appear to affect the reproductive period
of tidewater goby.
27
The correlation between reduced genetic diversity and narrow reproductive
season may indicate a loss of important evolutionary adaptations to life in dynamic
lagoon and estuarine environments inhabited by tidewater goby, including absence of
early maturation, lack of multiple or extended spawning periods, and subsequently
reduced environmental tolerance of the population as a whole. In this annual species,
limited variation in reproductive timing implies that population persistence relies entirely
on the reproductive success of a single annual cohort with non-overlapping generations,
and that reproduction is confined to individuals approaching maximum longevity. A
temporally restricted range of birthdates subjects the entire population to identical
seasonal growing conditions and limits the range of sizes, ages and developmental stages
observed during any given season.
While the environmental tolerance of different life history stages of tidewater
goby have not been empirically investigated, it has been shown for a number of estuarine
fishes that early life history stages, including eggs, are more susceptible to salinity
fluctuations than adults (e.g. Healey 1971, Gill and Potter 1993, Matern 2001, Partridge
and Jenkins 2002). Several pieces of evidence suggest that larval and juvenile tidewater
goby are subject to high mortality when exposed to elevated salinities. First, in the marsh
population, a salinity increase from 12‰ to 34‰ resulted in lethal consequences for all
individuals smaller than 35mm (TL), comprising over 94% of all individuals in the
population prior to the salinity change (Figure 6). Second, no new recruits or birthdates
were observed between March 4th and June 4th 2010, the time period around a breaching
event in Big Lagoon that resulted in an increase in salinity from 11‰ to 27‰ between
April and May of 2010 (Figures 4). In addition, the relative abundance of smaller
28
individuals (< 34mm TL) in the lagoon decreased by almost 50% after the breaching
event. In contrast, larger individuals in both populations survived the salinity shock
(Figure 6). Following the salinity increase, adults were extremely rare in the marsh
population, however, not due to salinity induced mortality but due to high natural
mortality following the reproductive period, and all surviving adults had died by the
following month. This example dramatically illustrates how adverse environmental
fluctuation during or shortly after the narrow reproductive period can extirpate the
developing or newly hatched cohort, and the lack of adult individuals with reproductive
potential may result in localized extinction.
Coastal populations with high levels of genetic diversity exhibit almost
continuous reproduction, an apparent natural safeguard against population extinction in
the case of adverse environmental effects on vulnerable life history stages. Continuous
reproduction appears to allow for population persistence and to compensate for high subadult mortality during periods of drastic environmental changes and steep increases in
salinity. Peak spawning activity coinciding with stable conditions during the summer
months reduces the chance of high larval mortality, yet the presence of some level of
reproductive activity throughout the year safeguards populations from extinction in the
event of adverse environmental conditions. Favorable growing conditions during summer
are of short-term benefit to the population, whereas surviving individuals born throughout
the rest of the year, though fewer in number, are necessary for long-term population
persistence through years of summer-cohort failure.
A number of currently extant, but genetically depauperate populations of
tidewater goby are at high risk of extinction in the near future. Populations that exhibit
29
narrow reproductive periods may not persist in the event of marked environmental
fluctuation during or shortly after their single annual reproductive period. The lack of
geneflow between populations implies that, in the event of localized extinction, the
probability of successful permanent recolonization is extremely low. Even if populations
reach high abundance during an episode of environmental stability, the population may
not persist through stochastic events. Restoring habitat connectivity to allow for higher
levels of geneflow and recolonization potential should be considered a priority for
ameliorating reduced within-population genetic and life history diversity. In absence of
natural migration corridors, artificial reciprocal transplants of individuals should be
considered to aid in increasing within-population genetic diversity.
There is controversy regarding the importance of inbreeding depression on the
decline of wild populations, and whether populations have gone extinct as a result thereof
(Caro and Laurenson 1994). While the interaction of many factors ultimately drives
populations to extinction (Soulé and Mills 1998, Laikre 1999), the results of this study
indicate a correlation between loss of genetic diversity and extinction risk of
reproductively isolated populations. The vulnerability of the marsh population could be
attributed to demographic factors (reduced variation in ages resulting from a short
reproductive season and discrete, non-overlapping generations), and extinction was
ultimately brought on by environmental stochasticity (presumably increase in salinity).
However, the underlying causes of this demographic pattern may be attributed to
artificial habitat fragmentation and the subsequent loss of genetic diversity. In summary,
this study provides evidence for the correlation between genetic and life history
variability. This affirms the importance of preserving genetic diversity in the quest for
30
species conservation, as maintaining a population’s viability can be considered the
ultimate goal in conservation biology (Hallerman 2003).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Funding for this study was provided by the US Fish and Wildlife Service
(USFWS). I would like to thank Tom Laidig, Martin Koenig, Drs. Hendrickson and
Varkey for help with microscopy and providing access to specialized equipment. Also, I
would like to extend my gratitude to the numerous individuals who have assisted with
field collections. Samples were collected either by the USFWS or under California
Scientific Collecting Permit SC-10527 following IACUC protocol (08/09.F.44.A).
31
LITERATURE CITED
Ahnelt, H., J. Göschl, M.N. Dawson and D.K. Jacobs. 2004. Geographical variation in
the cephalic lateral line canals of Eucyclogobius newberryi (Teleostei, Gobiidae)
and its comparison with molecular phylogeography. Folia Zoologica 53: 385–398.
Allendorf, F. W. and G. Luikart. 2007. Conservation and the genetics of populations.
Blackwell Publishing, Malden, Massachusetts.
Barnhart, R. A., M. J. Boyd, and J. E. Pequegnat. 1992. The ecology of Humboldt Bay,
California: an estuarine profile. United States Department of the Interior, Fish and
Wildlife Service, Biological Report 1, Washington, D. C.
Caro, T.M. and M.K. Laurenson. 1994. Ecological and genetic factors in conservation: a
cautionary tale. Science 263: 485-486.
Caughly, G. 1994. Directions in conservation biology. Animal Ecology 63: 251-244.
Cerrato, R.M. 1990. Interpretable statistical test for growth comparisons using parameters
in the von Bertalanffy equation. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic
Sciences 47: 1416 – 1426.
Charlesworth, D. and B. Charlesworth. 1987. Inbreeding depression and its evolutionary
consequences. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 18: 237268.
Dawson, M.N., J.L. Staton and D.K. Jacobs. 2001. Phylogeography of the tidewater
goby, Eucyclogobius newberryi (Teleostei, Gobiidae), in coastal California.
Evolution 55: 1167 – 1179.
Dawson M.N., K.D. Louie , M. Barlow, D.K.Jacobs and C.C. Swift. 2002. Comparative
phylogeography of sympatric sister species, Clevelandia ios and Eucyclogobius
newberryi (Teleostei, Gobiidae), across the California transition zone. Molecular
Ecology 11: 1065–1075.
Earl D.A., K.D. Louie, C. Bardeleben, C.C. Swift and D.K. Jacbos. 2010. Rangewide
microsatellite phylogeography of the endangered tidewater goby, (Eucyclogobius
newberryi) (Teleostei: Gobionellidae), a genetically subdivided coastal fish with
marine dispersal. Conservation Genetics 11: 103–114.
Frankham, R. 1995. Inbreeding and Extinction: A Threshold Effect. Conservation
Biology 9: 792-799.
Frankham, R. and K. Ralls. 1998. Inbreeding leads to extinction. Nature 392: 441-442.
32
33
Fumagalli, L., A. Snoj, D. Jesensek, F. Balloux, T. Jug, O. Duron, F. Brossier, A.J.
Crivelli and P. Berrebi. 2002. Extreme genetic differentiation among the remnant
populations of marble trout (Salmo marmoratus) in Slovenia. Molecular Ecology
11: 2711–2716.
Gill, H.S. and I.C. Potter. 1993. Spatial segregation amongst goby species within an
Australian estuary, with a comparison of the diets and salinity tolerance of the two
most abundant species. Marine Biology 117: 515-526.
Girard, C. 1857. Contributions to the ichthyology of the western coast of the United
States from specimens in the museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Proceedings
Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, VIII, 131-137.
Goldberg, S.R. 1977. Seasonal Ovarian Cycle of the Tidewater Goby, Eucyclogobius
newberryi (Gobiidae). The Southwestern Naturalist 22: 557-559.
Hallerman, E.M. 2003. Population Genetics: Principles and Applications for Fisheries
Scientists. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, MD.
Hankin, D.G., J.W. Nicholas and T.W. Downey. 1993. Evidence for inheritance of age
of maturity in Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). Canadian Journal of
Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 50: 347–358.
Harvey, P.H. and R.M. Zammuto. 1985. Patterns of mortality and age at first
reproduction in natural populations of mammals. Nature 315: 319-320.
Healey, M.C. 1971. The distribution and abundance of sand gobies, Gobius minutus, in
the Ythan estuary. Journal of Zoology 163: 177-228.
Henry, A.P. and T. Day. 2005. Population structure attributable to reproductive time:
isolation by time and adaptation by time. Molecular Ecology 14: 901–914.
Hoenig, J.M. 1983. Empirical use of longevity data to estimate mortality rates. Fishery
Bulletin 82:898–903.
Krauss N.C., A. Militello and G.Todoroff. 2002. Barrier breaching process and barrier
spit breach, Stone Lagoon, California. Shore and Beach 70: 21–28.
Lafferty, K.D. and C.J. Page. 1997. Predation on the endangered tidewater goby,
Eucyclogobius newberryi, by the introduced African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis,
with notes on the frog’s parasites. Copeia 3:589-592.
Lafferty, K.D., R.O. Swenson and C.C. Swift. 1996. Threatened fishes of the world:
Eucyclogobius newberryi Girard, 1857 (Gobiidae). Environmental Biology of
Fishes 46: 254.
34
Lafferty, K.D., C.C. Swift and R.F. Ambrose. 1999. Extirpation and recolonization in a
metapopulation of an endangered fish, the tidewater goby. Conservation Biology
13: 1447 – 1453.
Laikre, L. 1999. Conservation genetics of Nordic carnivores: lessons from zoos.
Hereditas 130: 203-216.
Lande, R. and G.F. Barrowclough. 1987. Effective population size, genetic variation, and
their use in population management. Viable populations for conservation. M.
Soulé (ed.), Pp. 87-123. Cambridge University Press, New York.
Lande, R. 1988. Genetics and demography in biological conservation. Science 241: 14551460.
Lande, R. 1994. Risk of population extinction from fixation of new deleterious
mutations. Evolution 48: 1460-1469.
Matern, A.S. 2001. Using temperature and salinity tolerances to predict the success of
the Shimofuri goby, a recent invader into California. Transaction of the American
Fisheries Society 130: 592-599.
McCraney, W.T., G. Goldsmith, D.K. Jacobs and A.P. Kinziger. 2010. Rampant drift in
artificially fragmented populations of the endangered tidewater goby
(Eucyclogobius newberryi). Molecular Ecology 19: 3315–3327.
Mendonca H., J. Smith and C. Brinegar. 2001. Isolation and characterization of four
microsatellite loci in the tidewater goby (Eucyclogobius newberryi). Marine
Biotechnology 3: 91–95.
Partridge, G.J. and G.I. Jenkins. 2002. The effect of salinity on growth and survival of
juvenile black bream (Acanthopagrus butcheri). Aquaculture 210: 219-230.
Quattro, J.M. and R.C. Vrijenhoek. 1989. Fitness differences among remnant populations
of the endangered Sonoran topminnow. Science 245: 976-978.
Quinn, T.P., M.J. Unwin and M.T. Kinnison. 2000. Evolution of temporal isolation in the
wild: genetic divergence in timing of migration and breeding by introduced
Chinook salmon populations. Evolution 54: 1372–1385.
Quinn, T.P., S. Hodgson, L. Flynn, R. Hilborn and D.E. Rogers. 2007. Directional
selection by fisheries and the timing of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)
migrations. Ecological Applications 17: 731-739.
R Development Core Team. 2009. R: A Language and Environment for Statistical
Computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria.
35
Ralls, K., J.D. Ballou and A. Tempeton. 1988. Estimates of lethal equivalents and the
cost of inbreeding in mammals. Conservation Biology 2: 185-193.
Raymond M. & Rousset F, 1995. GENEPOP (version 4.0.1): population genetics
software for exact tests and ecumenicism. Journal of Heredity 86:248-249.
Reed, D.H. and R. Frankham. 2003. Correlation between fitness and genetic diversity.
Conservation Biology 17: 230 – 237.
Reznick, D.A., H. Bryga and J.A. Endler. 1990. Experimentally induced life-history
evolution in a natural population. Nature 346: 357-359.
Rousset, F. 2008. Genepop'007: a complete reimplementation of the Genepop software
for Windows and Linux. Molecular Ecology Resources 8: 103-106.
Saccheri, I., M. Kuussaari, M. Kankare, P. Vikman, W. Fortelius and I. Hanski. 1998.
Inbreeding and extinction in a butterfly metapopulation. Nature 392: 491 – 494.
Schnute, J. 1981. A versatile growth model with statistically stable parameters. Canadian
Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 38: 1128 – 1140.
Simon, A.M. 2011. Modes of response to environmental change and the elusive empirical
evidence for bet hedging. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Published online
March 16. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2011.0176
Soulé, M.E. and L.S. Mills. 1998. No need to isolate genetics. Science 282: 1658-1659.
Spielman, D., B.W. Brook and R. Frankham, 2004. Most species are driven to extinction
before genetic factors impact them. PNAS 101, 42: 15261-15264.
Su, G.S., L.E. Liljedahl and G. A. E. Gall. 1996. Effects of inbreeding on growth and r
eproductive traits in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Aquaculture 142: 139148.
Swenson, R.O. 1995. The reproductive behavior and ecology of the tidewater goby,
Eucyclogobius newberryi (Teleostei: Gobiidae). Ph. D. Dissertation, University of
California at Berkeley, Berkeley.
Swenson, R.O. 1999. The ecology, behavior, and conservation of the tidewater goby,
Eucyclogobius newberryi. Environmental Biology of Fishes 55: 99-114.
Swift, C.C., J.L. Nelson, C. Maslow and T. Stein. 1989. Biology and distribution of the
tidewater goby, Eucyclogobius newberryi (Pisces: Gobiidae) of California.
Contributions in Science 404. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County,
Los Angeles.
36
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1994. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants;
determination of endangered status for the tidewater goby. Federal Register 59:
5494.
Wilson, E. O. 1992. The diversity of life. Harvard University Press, Cambridge,
Massachusetts.
CHAPTER 2
PREYING ON INVASIVES: THE EXOTIC NEW ZEALAND MUDSNAIL IN THE
DIET OF THE ENDANGERED TIDEWATER GOBY
ABSTRACT
This study documents predation by the endangered tidewater goby,
Eucyclogobius newberryi, upon the invasive New Zealand (NZ) mudsnail, Potamopyrgus
antipodarum, in Big Lagoon, California, USA. To estimate the prevalence of NZ
mudsnails in the diet of tidewater goby, the gastric contents of 411 individuals, collected
monthly from April 2009 to August 2010, were examined. New Zealand mudsnails were
found in the digestive tract of tidewater goby that ranged in size from 14 mm to 52 mm
total length, corresponding to post-settlement and nearly maximal sizes of this species.
Unlike other native species which are unable to extract nutrition from these snails,
tidewater goby fully digest this hard-shelled prey, as evidenced by the presence of shell
fragments and complete absence of intact shells in the hind gut. The number of ingested
NZ mudsnail ranged from 1 to 27 (mean 4.4), and ranged in length from 0.39 mm to 4.0
mm. The average size of ingested snails increased with fish length (r2 = 0.42, p < 0.001).
New Zealand mudsnails were found in over 80% of individuals during the summer and
fall of 2009, when the estimated population size of tidewater goby in Big Lagoon was
over three million. This study documents the first instance of a native and endangered
species that preys upon and utilizes the NZ mudsnail as a food source, and suggests that
tidewater goby can exert substantial predation pressure upon NZ mudsnails and take
advantage of this readily available exotic prey.
38
INTRODUCTION
The New Zealand mudsnail, Potamopyrgus antipodarum, is an extremely
successful invasive species that has colonized a broad range of aquatic habitats on most
continents (Alonso and Castro-Díez 2008). It is an “aquatic hitchhiker”, transferred to
previously uncolonized habitats via ballast water, commercial aquaculture products,
recreational equipment and even through the guts of birds and fish (Aamio and
Bornsdorff 1997, Zaranko et al. 1997, Gangloff 1998, Richards 2002, see Alonso and
Castro-Díez 2008 for a review). The species was first documented in the United States in
1987 in Idaho (Bowler 1991) and has since spread rapidly to many other regions (e.g.
Gangloff 1998, Kearns et al. 2005). Initially, introductions were limited to freshwater
habitats, where the snail can occur in densities of nearly 300,000 individuals per square
meter (Kearns et al. 2005). Biomass production of NZ mudsnails include some of the
highest values ever reported for freshwater invertebrates, raising great concerns about the
impact of this exotic species on native food webs (Hall et al. 2003, 2006). While the snail
occurs exclusively in freshwater environments in its native range, laboratory experiments
have confirmed that the species is able to grow and reproduce at salinities of up to 15 ‰
(Jacobsen and Forbes 1997, Gérard et al. 2003). More recently, the snail has also been
documented from estuarine environments along the Pacific coast of North America
(Bersine et al. 2007), including habitats that serve as important nursery areas for
commercially and recreationally important anadromous salmonids.
The invasion success of the snail has been partially attributed to the lack of biotic
resistance exerted by native communities, including the absence of trematode parasites
39
40
and low predation pressure (Gérard et al. 2003, Alonso and Castro-Díez 2008, Vinson
and Baker 2008). While NZ mudsnails have been identified in the stomach contents of
Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, from the Columbia River estuary, these
occurrences are exceedingly rare (less than 0.1%, Bersine et al. 2007). Deleterious
effects, such as weight loss and poor bioenergetic performance, have been reported on
native fish fauna where the snail has been introduced, and its indigestibility makes it an
unsuitable prey for most native predators (Vinson and Baker 2008). The full effects of
this invasive species on native food webs have not been thoroughly investigated (Levri
1996, Hall et al. 2006, Levri et al. 2007), but decreased species richness and abundance
of native fauna have been noted effects of NZ mudsnail introductions (Kerans et al.
2005).
The NZ mudsnail was first documented in Big Lagoon (California, USA) in
September 2008, at which time it had already reached a high level of abundance and, as
indicated by subsequent surveys, spread to nearby watersheds. Big Lagoon, a natural
estuarine habitat over 600 hectares in size, is home to a large population of the
endangered tidewater goby, Eucyclogobius newberryi (Girard 1857), a small (< 60 mm),
omnivorous fish endemic to California (Swift et al. 1989, Swenson 1999). Gut content
analysis of monthly samples of tidewater goby was conducted to investigate potential
trophic interactions between the NZ mudsnail and tidewater goby, and to determine
whether tidewater goby are able to utilize these exotic snails as a food source.
METHODS
Large numbers of tidewater goby (> 150) were captured in Big Lagoon, CA, by
seining (0.158 cm mesh) on a monthly basis from April 2009 to August 2010 and
measured to the nearest millimeter (total length, TL). Each month, 20 to 30 individuals
across the length range of goby encountered were sacrificed by subjecting them to an
overdose of MS222 (Tricaine methanesulfonate), preserved in 180 proof ethanol and later
dissected under a light microscope. Stomach contents were removed and stored in ethanol
for further analysis. Whole snails, when present, were counted and their shell lengths
measured from the apex to the base of the aperture to the nearest 0.01 mm under a
compound microscope (40x total magnification), using imaging software (ImagePro®
Plus, version 7.0). The proportion of tidewater goby with ingested NZ mudsnail was
calculated for monthly samples and regression analysis was used to test for a correlation
between the mean number of intact snails found in individual goby digestive tracts and
monthly prevalence of NZ mudsnails in tidewater goby diet. Univariate linear regression
analysis was used to test for a correlation between mean size of ingested snails and goby
length, and to investigate the relationship between monthly salinity levels and the
proportion of tidewater goby with ingested NZ mudsnails. Other stomach contents were
identified when possible.
Abundance of tidewater goby was estimated in fall of 2008, 2009 and 2010 using
a ratio-estimation approach to mark-recapture. Tidewater goby were marked by
immersing them in a 5% calcein solution, a fluorescent compound detectable under UV
light, and released into their natal environment. During recapture events (between one
and four weeks after marking, depending on the year), tidewater goby were examined for
41
marks using a SE-MARK
®
42
detector (Western Chemical, Co.). Total abundance of
tidewater goby in the lagoon was estimated as (Jessen 1968):
(Equation 1)
where
is the estimated population total, M is the number of marked individuals, C is the
number of fish captured during the recapture event, and R the number of marked
recaptures. Variance was estimated as:
(Equation 2)
where
and
are the estimated variances in marked individuals and total catches
over all seine-hauls, and
is the estimated ratio of the total catch per seine haul to the
number of marked individuals. While this approach results in large variance estimates, it
provides a more realistic measure of uncertainty than the traditional variance estimator.
All statistical test and estimates were calculated using R statistical software (Version
2.9.1, 2009).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Unlike most other native predators (Alonso and Castro-Diez 2008), tidewater
goby of all sizes (14 mm – 52 mm) appear to be able to completely digest NZ mudsnails,
as indicated by the absence of intact shells in the posterior gut. Full digestion was further
evidenced by a progressively decreasing number of intact shells and increasing number of
shell fragments in the gut and digestive tract as distance from the mouth increased. These
results contrast findings from previous studies, which document that the majority of NZ
mudsnails pass though the digestive tract of fish predators alive and viable, resulting in a
net energy loss for the fish (Aamio and Bornsdorff 1997, Vinson and Baker 2008).
Based on counts of intact shells, minimum estimates of the number of NZ
mudsnails present in the digestive tracts of goby ranged from 1 to 27 (μ = 4.4, SD =
6.03). The monthly proportion of tidewater goby with ingested NZ mudsnail ranged from
0% to over 80% (Table 1), and linear regression analysis indicated that the mean number
of snails consumed by individual fish was correlated with overall monthly prevalence of
snails in goby diet (r2 = 0.34, p = 0.008). Juvenile Chinook salmon are the only native
fish species previously documented to consume NZ mudsnails in estuaries of the western
United States, yet the low frequency of occurrence (<0.1%) may reflect incidental
ingestion (Bersine et al. 2008). In contrast, high numbers of snails in the digestive tract of
seasonally large proportions of goby samples strongly suggest deliberate foraging (Table
1).
Ingested NZ mudsnails ranged in size from 0.39 mm to 4.0 mm (μ = 0.88 mm, SD
= 0.43), and the size of ingested snails increased with fish size (adj. r2 = 0.42, p < 0.001,
43
44
Table 1: Summary of tidewater goby diet analysis including salinity, sample size (n),
range of fish sizes examined, proportion of sample with ingested New Zealand
mudsnails and mean monthly counts of ingested snails.
Year
2009
2010
Month
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
Salinity
‰
10
6
2
3
2
3
3
5
10
2
11
14
11
27
14
11
12
n
23
20
26
15
21
25
23
25
27
30
29
32
27
24
28
27
11
Size Range
(mm)
20 - 49
26 - 52
24 -52
16 - 45
12 - 36
15 - 40
19 - 44
22 - 35
19 - 43
20 - 44
19 - 38
20 - 44
20 - 42
24 - 43
26 - 48
26 - 44
17 – 44
% containing
snails
0
5
15
27
81
60
78
20
0
7
0
13
4
21
7
4
0
mean snail
count
0
3
1.8
2.8
3.2
6.2
6.1
2
0
1.0
0
1.3
1
9.2
2
1
0
45
Figure 1), a pattern observed in many predatory fish species and attributed to maximizing
energetic efficiency (Scharf et al. 2000).
Additional identifiable prey organisms (not quantified) include larval fishes
(family: Atherinidae), clams, copepods, ostracods, shrimp, amphipods, tadpoles and
spiders, attesting to the omnivory of tidewater goby (Swenson and McCray 1996).
Population size estimates for tidewater goby in Big Lagoon ranged from
approximately 20,000 to over 3 million (Table 2). Low numbers of recaptures resulted in
wide confidence intervals around the population size estimates, yet limited recaptures
following the marking of great numbers of goby are a clear indication of large population
size of tidewater goby in Big Lagoon, especially in 2009 (Table 2). These estimates
indicate strong inter-annual variation in tidewater goby abundance, a pattern previously
observed in other populations (Swenson 1999).
While abundance estimates are lacking for NZ mudsnail, our field observations
indicate large monthly and interannual variation in the NZ mudsnail population.
Therefore, the proportion of tidewater goby consuming NZ mudsnails may be related to
seasonal fluctuations in snail density. Big Lagoon is subject to dramatic seasonal salinity
fluctuations, which may temporally constrain the abundance of NZ mudsnails (Gérard et
al. 2003), yet no significant correlation was found between salinity (‰) and prevalence
of snails in goby diet (p > 0.1). Interestingly, field observations suggest that NZ mudsnail
abundance was highest in 2009, when the estimate of tidewater goby population size was
extremely large ( > 3,000 000, Table 2). This may suggest similarity in favorable
46
Figure 1. Relationship between mean size of ingested New Zealand mudsnails and
tidewater goby length (TL).
47
Table 2. Summary of a Peterson mark-recapture estimation of population size ( ) of
tidewater goby in Big Lagoon, CA (M = number of fish marked, C = number
captured during recapture event, R = number of recaptures,
= estimated
population size, SE = standard error).
Year
M
C
R
2008
2009
2010
1441
4071
1343
806
1851
408
55
1
18
SE
21117
3426201
30441
4479
7379852
18719
48
environmental conditions for the two species or facilitation between invasive and native
species through trophic subsidy (Rodriguez 2006), evidenced by the high prevalence of
snails in the diet of tidewater goby.
The high invasion success of the New Zealand mudsnail and the potential impact
of introductions on native plant and animal communities continue to raise great concern
among biologist (e.g. Alonso and Castro-Díez 2008, Bersine et al. 2008, Vinson and
Baker 2008), and while presence of NZ mudsnails has not resulted in observed negative
impacts on the Big Lagoon population of the endangered tidewater goby, its effects on
other species in the lagoon and similar estuarine ecosystems remain largely unknown and
clearly deserve further investigation. We suggest that the lagoon population of tidewater
goby exerts substantial predation pressure on the exotic snail, as evidenced by high
seasonal prevalence and numbers of New Zealand mudsnails in tidewater goby diet, in
combination with a large population size of tidewater goby. Seasonally high abundance
of mudsnails in the diet of tidewater goby indicates that tidewater goby, unlike other
native fish species, take advantage of this readily available novel prey.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Funding for this study was provided by the US Fish and Wildlife Service
(USFWS). I would like to thank E. Tonning for laboratory assistance with diet analysis.
Samples were collected either by the USFWS or under California Scientific Collecting
Permit SC-10527 following IACUC protocol (08/09.F.44.A).
49
LITERATURE CITED
Aamio, K. and E. Bornsdorff. 1997. Passing the gut of juvenile flounder Platichthys
flesus (L.) – differential survival of zoobenthic prey species. Marine Biology 129:
11–14.
Alonso, A. and P. Castro-Díez. 2008. What explains the invading success of the aquatic
mud snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Hydrobiidae, Mollusca)? Hydrobiologia
614: 107-116.
Bersine K., V. E. F. Brenneis, R. C. Draheim , A. M. Wargo Rub, J. E. Zamon, R. K.
Litton, S. A. Hinton, M. D. Sytsma, J. R. Cordell, and J. W. Chapman. 2008.
Distribution of the invasive New Zealand mudsnail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum)
in the Columbia River Estuary and its first recorded occurrence in the diet of
juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). Biological Invasions
10:1381–1388.
Bowler, P. 1991. The rapid spread of the freshwater Hydrobiid snail, Potamopyrgus
antipodarum (Gray), in the Middle Snake River, Southern Idaho. Proceedings of
the Desert Fish Council 21:173–182
Gangloff, M.M. 1998. The New Zealand mudsnail in Western North America. Aquatic
Nuisance Species 2: 25-30.
Gérard, C., A. Blanc and K. Costil. 2003. Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Mollusca:
Hydrobiidae) in continental aquatic gastropod communities: impact of salinity
and trematode parasitism. Hydrobiologia 493: 167-172.
Hall, Robert O., Mark F. Dybdahl, and Maria C. VanderLoop. 2006. Extremely high
secondary production of introduced snails in rivers. Ecological Applications
16:1121–1131.
Jacobsen R. and V.E. Forbes.1997. Clonal variation in life-history traits and feeding rates
in the gastropod, Potamopyrgus antipodarum: Performance across a salinity
gradient. Functional Ecology 11:260–267.
Jessen, R.J. 1978. Statistical survey techniques. John Wiley and Sons, New York, New
York, USA.
Kearns, B.L., M.F. Dybahl, M.M. Gangloff and J.E. Jannot. 2005. Potamopyrgus
antipodarum: distribution, density, and effects on native macroinvertebrate
assemblages in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Journal of the North
American Benthological Society 24: 123-138.
50
51
Levri, E. P. 1998. Perceived predation risk, parasitism, and the foraging behavior of a
freshwater snail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum). Canadian Journal of Zoology
76:1878–1884.
Levri, E.P., A.A. Kelly and E. Love. 2007. The invasive New Zealand mud snail
(Potamopyrgus antipodarum) in Lake Erie. Journal of Great Lakes Research 33:
1–6.
Richards, D.C. 2002. The New Zealand mudsnail invades the Western United States.
Aquatic Nuisance Species 4: 42-44.
Rodriguez, L.F. 2006. Can invasive species facilitate native species? Evidence of how,
when and why these impacts occur. Biological Invasions 8: 927 - 939.
Scharf, F.S., F. Juanes and R.A. Rountree. 2000. Predator size – prey size relationships of
marine fish predators: interspecific variation and effects of ontogeny and body
size on trophic-niche breadth. Marine Ecology Progress Series 208: 229 - 248.
Swenson, R.O. and A. T. McCray. 1996. Feeding ecology of the tidewater goby.
Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 125: 956-970.
Swenson, R.O. 1999. The ecology, behavior, and conservation of the tidewater goby,
Eucyclogobius newberryi. Environmental Biology of Fishes 55: 99-114.
Swift, C.C., J.L. Nelson, C. Maslow and T. Stein. 1989. Biology and distribution of the
tidewater goby, Eucyclogobius newberryi (Pisces: Gobiidae) of California.
Contributions in Science 404. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County,
Los Angeles.
Vinson M. R. and M. A. Baker. 2008. Poor growth of rainbow trout fed New Zealand
mud snails, Potamopyrgus antipodarum. North American Journal of Fisheries
Management 28: 701-709.
Zaranko, D. T., D. G. Farara and F. G. Thompson. 1997. Another exotic mollusk in the
Laurentian Great Lakes: the New Zealand native Potamopyrgus antipodarum
(Gray 1843) (Gastropoda, Hydrobiidae). Canadian Journal of Fisheries and
Aquatic Sciences 54: 809-814.
52
Appendix A. Summary of microsatellite loci used for assessing genotypic diversity in
forty six tidewater goby, Eucyclogobius newberryi, from the Arcata marsh
population. Measures of genetic diversity include A (number of alleles per locus),
HE (expected heterozygosity), HO (observed heterozygosity). Significant
probability of deviance from Hary-Weinberg equilibrium at p < 0.05 (*
probability calculations not available at fixed loci).
Locus
ENE2
ENE5
ENE6
ENE8
ENE9
ENE12
ENE13
ENE16
ENE18
Overall (±SE)
Source
Mendoca et al. (2001)
Earl et al. (2010)
Earl et al. (2010)
Earl et al. (2010)
Earl et al. (2010)
Earl et al. (2010)
Earl et al. (2010)
Earl et al. (2010)
Earl et al. (2010)
A
3
2
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
HE
0.54
0.06
0
0
0.10
0
0
0
0
HO
0.58
0.07
0
0
0.11
0
0
0
0
1.44 (0.24)
0.08(0.02)
0.08 (0.01)
p
0.22
1
NA*
NA*
1
NA*
NA*
NA*
NA*
0.74
number of fish measured).
Appendix B. Monthly length-frequency distribution of tidewater goby from the Big Lagoon, CA (n = total
53
54
Appendix C. Monthly length-frequency distribution of tidewater goby from the Arcata
marsh , CA (n = total number of fish measured).
20
Marsh
May 2009
(n=251)
June 2009
(n=165)
July 2009
(n=233)
5
August 2009
(n=5)
0
%
%
10 15 20
0
5
%
10 15 20
0
5
%
10 15 20
0
5
%
10 15 20
0
5
10
15
April 2009
(n=165)
1
3
5
7
9 11
14
17
20
23
26
29
32
Total Length (mm)
35
38
41
44
47
50
53
56
10 15 20 25
5
%
%
0
10 15 20 25
5
0
10 15 20 25
5
%
%
0
0
4
Eel River
Jacoby Creek
Pudding Creek
8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52
n = 60
n = 58
n = 60
n = 60
Big Lagoon
0
4
Wood Creek
Elk River
Gannon Slough
Total Length (mm)
8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52
n = 59
n = 60
n = 60
n = 60
Stone Lagoon
0
4
Marsh
Salmon Creek
McDaniel Slough
8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52
n = 165
n = 60
n = 31
n = 60
Virgin Creek
marsh population was sampled in June of 2009, while all other populations were sampled in early fall of 2006.
5
0
10 15 20 25
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
10 15 20 25
5
0
10 15 20 25
5
0
10 15 20 25
5
0
5
0
10 15 20 25
Appendix D. Length frequency distributions of 12 populations of tidewater goby from northern California. The
55
56
Appendix E. Age-length key of the Arcata marsh population of tidewater goby, collected
from 2009 until July 2009.
Length (mm)
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
Age (Month)
I
3
1
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
X
1
1
1
4
1
2
4
XI
XII
XIII
4
2
1
3
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
5
5
2
2
2
3
1
1
1
2
4
3
3
2
2
2
1
1
57
Appendix F. Age-length key of the Big Lagoon population of tidewater goby, collected
from April 2009 until August 2010.
Length(mm)
I
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
II
3
5
3
4
2
3
1
III
1
1
1
4
6
6
6
5
1
IV
1
1
1
1
5
6
2
4
2
2
2
2
V
5
6
6
5
5
4
1
7
4
1
2
2
1
1
VI
3
2
7
8
7
1
8
6
1
8
6
2
5
2
Age (Months)
VII VIII IX
3
2
1
6
7
6
3
6
5
7
6
4
3
1
2
2
X
XI
XII
XIII
2
1
1
1
XIV
XV
1
1
1
4
3
2
4
4
6
5
4
2
2
1
2
1
2
2
6
2
2
3
3
2
2
1
3
3
1
3
6
1
3
2
4
1
1
1
1
3
2
5
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
58
Appendix G. Relationship between length and width (μm) of tidewater goby sagittae.
59
Appendix H. Daily age (log) of tidewater goby predicted sagittal length (log, μm), as
measured from margin to margin along the axis of the primordium.
60
Appendix I. Length frequency distribution of tidewater goby from Big Lagoon, CA, on
November 3rd, 2009 (n=1200).
61
Appendix J. Complete data summary of Big Lagoon tidewater goby otolith analysis,
including collection date, goby total length (mm), otolith surface area (A2, μm2),
otolith length (L, μm) as measured along the axis of the oblong primordium,
otolith width (W, μm) measured through the primordium perpendicular to the
length axis, and estimated daily age.
Date
mm
A2
L
W
Age
Date
m
A2
L
W
Age
4/28/09
22
308353
587
623
121
5/26/09
34
679540
969
1010
200
21
273307
591
560
116
37
762275
966
894
201
23
349335
666
631
145
37
835412
1048
942
223
26
446929
792
703
180
40
955481
1169
1177
234
26
432502
754
708
161
38
879856
1171
1117
258
26
454125
761
720
176
41
889632
1075
986
272
27
498139
789
758
165
43
913453
1091
949
280
27
477078
826
738
174
46
1196283
1288
1283
311
51
1442522
1395
1284
341
47
1263016
1327
1180
307
28
524318
828
855
166
49
1390664
1297
1238
334
28
483884
789
772
168
49
1440221
1351
1237
343
28
473781
748
749
172
50
1477607
1310
1423
369
30
622775
913
818
178
49
1317369
1309
1218
289
31
610221
918
889
179
52
1650302
1431
1546
386
33
607475
861
819
189
53
1618075
1522
1546
333
34
734513
968
894
231
55
1543812
1455
1308
378
34
693275
916
894
191
55
1961158
1660
1676
403
34
734424
995
886
167
55
1659265
1477
1547
335
35
661511
925
962
206
34
679540
969
1010
200
35
776745
1013
956
194
37
762275
966
894
201
35
672183
929
870
190
37
835412
1048
942
223
42
905361
1121
1116
247
40
955481
1169
1177
234
44
1113565
1170
1228
336
17
195019
510
479
79
52
1655544
1471
1333
308
22
322401
641
618
149
52
1586110
1336
1408
351
24
364766
719
678
126
29
548219
855
896
174
25
441844
791
725
132
29
567354
855
784
190
30
615174
943
901
194
30
556059
867
864
192
36
1011031
1212
996
260
31
575691
873
793
156
41
1075022
1056
1244
226
33
610698
886
816
215
41
1147831
1204
1242
253
33
788908
1046
920
200
42
1211839
1280
1303
254
34
789155
972
953
193
43
1304941
1351
1310
282
5/26/09
6/26/09
62
Date
mm
A2
L
W
Age
Date
m
A2
L
W
Age
6/26/09
44
1120976
1269
1121
260
7/21/09
27
566113
854
802
111
44
1233582
1289
1155
261
8/28/09
14
198266
542
474
49
44
1147320
1266
1075
279
12
148861
449
419
48
44
1161218
1294
1251
276
13
165267
454
452
55
45
1340250
1260
1249
300
16
231081
575
523
73
45
1435530
1370
1203
307
16
251903
548
545
66
45
1232310
1222
1185
283
12
122213
374
403
61
46
1282278
1275
1233
285
13
152571
450
463
59
47
1537656
1448
1452
287
18
302331
612
583
82
48
1587394
1525
1418
339
13
132422
433
393
50
49
1588647
1458
1311
317
20
402648
751
743
82
49
1527320
1288
1413
340
18
344759
679
669
79
52
1552014
1434
1260
382
14
188756
531
480
54
52
1859624
1633
1566
421
16
263766
606
533
79
16
197651
507
513
55
18
318836
707
624
89
13
168810
478
488
50
12
114462
388
368
60
15
172137
469
460
60
30
700552
966
939
141
17
228820
565
524
71
21
519147
813
817
93
17
246178
552
572
73
14
199118
547
495
69
15
192829
479
486
59
16
318619
646
619
82
15
195756
516
486
59
17
369274
665
664
102
15
181231
482
462
54
20
358756
668
673
88
17
274525
606
601
63
17
330856
702
666
82
17
260870
584
565
70
15
207097
520
537
70
19
310562
644
595
74
22
436949
741
763
103
26
522985
824
734
106
29
684065
938
956
120
21
419187
759
711
88
32
846874
1092
1077
149
19
278468
598
582
81
28
600391
868
850
123
29
525407
835
848
119
30
711609
988
996
159
25
468294
783
727
97
29
722867
965
915
141
22
328724
627
669
99
33
749716
954
962
163
24
481560
805
756
98
20
342025
689
669
90
26
526891
816
762
105
30
701916
968
999
158
45
1422560
1476
1398
313
28
600336
903
801
140
12
125879
406
387
49
34
763361
989
991
163
24
512298
777
797
97
29
666441
930
870
146
27
612315
897
839
116
29
671382
959
996
132
7/21/09
9/25/09
63
Date
mm
A2
L
W
Age
Date
m
A2
L
W
Age
9/25/09
30
644542
934
820
135
11/25/09
28
596713
826
862
152
33
761290
972
913
132
27
654933
939
822
145
33
794068
1027
1073
145
30
737708
1012
902
164
34
816421
1022
996
171
29
603042
870
937
152
34
763137
1011
1019
146
36
804008
1014
942
190
35
843166
1046
965
163
25
581922
878
822
128
36
936461
1152
1115
149
25
478104
793
715
127
38
924074
1071
1028
171
35
880724
1099
957
176
39
962074
1103
1022
189
29
786050
963
960
147
45
1237296
1161
1230
292
22
342451
688
646
107
36
1062554
1185
1208
163
36
960833
1124
1046
180
23
394121
727
661
106
33
875814
1042
966
165
28
653809
938
865
142
26
595484
900
826
143
30
701382
968
902
159
30
681942
965
937
142
36
994171
1141
1140
178
26
511942
896
848
139
10/22/09
11/25/09
27
510328
836
841
126
29
724752
932
948
170
41
1050480
1121
1044
203
34
898170
1018
1095
172
41
967570
1229
1148
195
34
855846
1114
1096
175
36
913315
1030
1042
157
30
763373
1000
887
160
24
498210
811
781
114
33
843482
1094
1019
171
38
952275
1107
1150
169
35
857722
1068
1091
182
33
871816
1065
1012
151
40
1113172
1171
1188
217
26
618779
889
823
128
43
1228457
1302
1325
222
25
541755
876
847
111
22
404071
711
707
111
28
733769
965
945
128
29
702359
920
893
159
30
762212
1008
984
131
27
606668
962
898
134
28
721551
964
891
121
22
386903
744
691
121
24
486452
814
754
111
24
462077
749
733
129
31
826538
1085
1016
141
23
424519
770
776
129
33
800129
1034
993
155
23
455191
776
691
148
36
960273
1066
1080
172
29
705590
1006
901
140
37
886441
1123
1097
183
28
608788
892
804
144
42
1094786
1272
1193
211
29
654927
923
835
155
45
1258365
1280
1254
249
21
342777
644
657
115
45
1244869
1253
143
254
20
342860
672
608
108
29
665191
989
875
146
31
675593
925
884
159
33
785904
1011
970
160
34
902439
1080
1036
175
12/20/09
64
Date
mm
A2
L
W
Age
Date
m
A2
L
W
Age
12/20/09
32
818342
1035
945
148
2/28/10
22
333873
647
916
118
33
837188
1078
1083
174
22
361247
711
638
135
29
685743
959
841
150
22
317935
661
604
125
18
209240
519
497
100
23
347914
707
631
139
23
409457
776
665
120
23
414470
750
712
133
28
629155
907
847
141
24
506593
785
755
134
28
605105
978
855
149
24
491908
816
769
137
39
987995
1187
1163
196
24
468093
813
786
151
42
1178239
1200
1133
227
24
481629
777
731
152
44
1205768
1238
1202
249
24
386013
711
669
131
46
1151692
1287
1226
251
25
483215
791
727
161
21
344315
641
653
113
25
497156
814
738
182
26
566659
860
786
145
26
498248
829
816
153
28
653571
922
939
154
27
555616
846
824
167
28
603490
872
819
146
28
660201
915
947
151
27
562043
853
785
164
28
643258
920
853
193
26
566320
895
869
136
28
577486
843
835
189
25
594148
909
920
146
29
651658
968
900
200
22
362525
690
688
113
30
631365
961
919
175
27
623232
926
906
148
30
681049
946
879
193
29
584413
878
816
153
31
804895
992
954
197
29
595409
857
817
164
32
728908
997
1021
172
29
599911
896
806
173
36
848923
1086
1117
197
30
681994
938
901
161
39
1029049
1191
1160
260
32
936754
1183
1150
181
23
383295
715
645
137
31
734232
982
886
172
24
524668
822
807
151
31
726673
940
982
169
25
535197
843
780
163
32
743126
979
957
189
25
434289
756
735
141
33
751143
994
921
194
26
531606
814
771
179
34
876587
1076
958
209
26
468552
773
807
163
35
864798
1083
1089
203
26
515533
814
750
172
36
840164
1049
971
185
27
628842
891
857
178
37
1023348
1179
1163
188
27
619750
959
913
178
38
978081
1101
1051
197
28
607978
875
804
187
40
931612
1122
1066
246
27
469951
809
761
169
45
1243826
1263
1186
255
28
555656
857
771
192
19
281262
587
617
120
29
694950
982
999
184
1/27/10
2/28/10
3/28/10
65
Date
mm
A2
L
W
Age
Date
m
A2
L
W
Age
3/28/10
30
722683
935
929
218
5/21/10
26
591709
861
814
215
31
704703
949
958
159
27
612574
885
874
221
32
759721
996
897
209
27
639187
977
910
203
34
847216
1042
990
204
26
597481
870
807
204
35
814979
1023
935
222
28
630310
888
810
210
34
917561
1156
1056
200
30
783364
1030
918
224
35
812304
1064
1062
227
25
599647
906
813
182
37
949727
1045
1046
257
25
496682
832
759
190
39
1023332
1193
1176
254
30
697955
1015
969
234
39
911267
1085
1061
256
30
839167
1084
1077
238
41
898670
1056
1018
263
31
888811
1112
1086
235
45
1235562
1251
1160
308
31
770758
1066
926
216
24
459615
785
725
127
32
735814
990
945
217
29
612155
960
925
181
34
859549
1071
958
270
21
324869
672
637
98
34
899690
1072
1099
242
4/28/10
5/21/10
28
646406
911
826
179
36
894289
983
1058
256
36
1001569
1157
1129
219
37
921675
1105
1007
240
27
531382
821
780
164
40
1071057
1213
1145
261
28
620075
911
890
182
42
1315970
1298
1302
301
30
706254
941
958
198
41
1047593
1181
1064
283
33
834717
1112
1073
180
43
1023456
1142
1027
280
42
1201612
1257
1207
312
44
1224148
1267
1138
375
40
1110359
1231
1101
295
45
1240273
1202
1252
298
36
902468
1085
1017
203
40
1156165
1168
1185
296
32
695570
958
878
198
48
1283778
1284
1200
314
32
766300
1053
999
199
29
740049
1026
835
202
33
779632
992
927
196
26
675613
952
847
187
34
788136
1010
922
224
31
829549
1051
1018
206
34
766645
995
904
203
40
1239945
1257
1158
277
35
806047
1053
1071
193
31
796972
1072
1022
222
38
1004375
1134
1096
239
34
847472
1046
965
225
40
1106946
1206
1055
262
35
1023979
1136
1096
243
42
1243522
1300
1206
285
33
878291
1055
990
215
43
1299446
1372
1264
308
36
915927
1112
1106
253
42
1247254
1351
1241
310
32
824395
1037
935
210
41
1316332
1289
1170
285
41
1211729
1255
1150
278
29
654016
922
851
214
36
1010284
1212
1160
262
6/25/10
66
Date
mm
A2
L
W
Age
Date
m
A2
L
W
Age
6/25/10
41
1167438
1207
1099
287
8/25/10
19
291653
627
564
67
38
992979
1112
1031
235
18
294252
652
581
59
37
846182
1139
1070
241
13
95364
351
389
51
45
1409124
1346
1219
326
14
99765
407
334
51
35
965070
1136
988
227
17
226402
544
507
60
47
1399457
1362
1292
371
18
267738
617
563
68
36
967193
1175
1001
240
18
263724
590
573
66
33
848934
1068
991
198
19
299997
657
605
73
32
778920
994
948
211
19
274538
611
619
72
29
776998
973
912
184
19
284277
607
589
75
29
675277
948
854
196
20
312120
666
632
82
28
695346
1017
938
147
20
299218
629
604
78
31
781755
1002
917
190
29
870330
1088
990
180
30
786349
1051
1027
206
29
731913
1008
951
179
33
1017777
1109
1260
212
30
764395
1022
903
195
33
922812
1109
1030
227
35
961732
1145
1117
250
34
882140
1135
1131
230
36
1063407
1233
1173
255
35
953410
1124
1057
225
41
1309262
1267
1255
289
35
1036268
1198
1209
221
43
1327242
1285
1243
247
45
1389285
1326
1392
329
45
1305297
1261
1253
335
45
1508653
1480
1440
375
36
1092626
1176
1082
238
36
909176
1122
959
234
35
1119058
1290
1188
235
49
1552936
1499
1502
370
36
1086495
1237
1194
217
44
1400388
1366
1342
332
37
1001040
1144
1117
239
38
1044329
1250
1025
254
36
1121281
1248
1178
254
41
1185717
1217
1133
305
37
1143240
1226
1091
240
43
1332844
1292
1238
309
17
261649
561
559
59
18
249150
557
563
63
16
168851
481
447
52
17
212222
556
515
57
7/29/10
8/25/10
67
Appendix K: Complete data summary of Arcata marsh tidewater goby otolith analysis,
including collection date, goby total length (mm), otolith surface area (A2, μm2),
otolith length (L, μm) as measured along the axis of the oblong primordium,
otolith width (W, μm) measured through the primordium perpendicular to the
length axis, and estimated daily age.
Date
mm
A2
L
W
Age
Date
m
A2
L
W
Age
4/24/09
33
1013556
11756
1087
280
5/27/09
40
1420310
1383
1204
327
32
956038
1176
1064
281
39
1136834
1227
1218
303
32
870701
1067
912
270
40
1239124
1298
1193
326
34
925297
1124
985
274
42
1334108
1306
1277
330
34
898552
1075
1093
277
42
1364622
1253
1411
329
36
953674
1087
1150
275
43
1535998
1297
1420
325
36
989213
1102
1041
264
43
1417659
1373
1220
329
36
1035636
1159
1065
276
43
1289882
1310
1327
323
37
1050885
1199
1002
286
44
1422143
1390
1353
329
37
1055004
1182
1093
290
46
1439357
1427
1186
324
37
972382
1174
1031
281
40
1408331
1317
1234
344
41
1165714
1228
1144
295
37
1142683
1244
1111
326
42
1271411
1286
1315
289
39
1155070
1231
1172
337
43
1216018
1266
1165
285
38
1374588
1327
1252
321
45
1370095
1359
1210
287
44
1467475
1449
1395
349
46
1429523
1244
1337
299
43
1411209
1394
1174
357
46
1370661
1390
1185
284
36
1092449
1282
1210
332
47
1349285
1389
1334
302
38
1213062
1348
1230
328
47
1487403
1246
1463
299
38
1206053
1321
1263
325
48
1434642
1393
1357
298
38
1254163
1175
1260
334
34
1070704
1205
1252
288
38
1215855
1247
1167
344
35
963706
1123
992
291
39
1248871
1291
1245
345
35
1024295
1152
1065
308
39
1282830
1327
1188
347
34
1024341
1198
1154
298
39
1343881
1310
1321
342
37
1103151
1251
1122
307
40
1298842
1306
1154
341
37
1104042
1208
1283
309
41
1372766
1323
1192
338
37
1273944
1097
1288
297
41
1245550
1308
1148
347
37
1083350
1229
1114
312
42
1287515
1305
1125
354
37
1158239
1225
1207
301
42
1229586
1231
1138
336
38
1073128
1212
1113
319
43
1326357
1285
1361
350
38
1068684
1172
1110
310
44
1467854
1402
1377
363
39
1279592
1369
1206
317
44
1450080
1427
1255
344
5/27/09
6/26/09
68
Date
mm
A
6/26/10
45
7/20/10
17
2
L
W
Age
1387127
1363
1239
339
182358
498
455
31
16
190925
518
456
26
18
251251
604
513
36
17
254442
591
535
32
20
257332
586
547
40
23
404094
741
731
48
29
783393
1007
947
117
23
384581
725
722
47
21
351816
686
634
40
21
291633
636
582
40
17
183531
503
446
29
16
174839
497
437
29
18
259880
595
542
39
21
324763
672
659
48
41
1440480
1532
1350
351
16
185342
516
466
28
17
239842
575
515
34
40
1269104
1295
1148
341
17
211551
541
471
38
25
454280
808
708
86