Selective exploitation of spatially structured coastal fish populations by recreational anglers may lead to evolutionary downsizing of adults

Marine Ecology Progress Series

Alexandre Alonso-Fern#xe1ndez¹  Antoni Jordi¹  Ignacio A. Catalan¹  Miquel Palmer¹  Lucie Buttay¹  Beatriz Morales-Nin¹  Robert#xa0Arlinghaus¹  Josep Al#xf3s¹  Gotzon Basterretxea¹ 

关键词: Body size;    Function-valued approach;    Life-history traits;    Population connectivity;    Recreational fishing;    Selective fisheries;   

DOI  :  10.3354/meps10745

学科分类：海洋学与技术

来源: Inter-Research

【 摘 要 】

ABSTRACT: When gene flow is limited and harvesting is intensive, fishing may alter life histories and favour trait combinations that collectively reduce adult body size. However, empirical evidence of downsizing of adults in small-bodied coastal fish is still scarce, in part due to the lack of knowledge about the selective nature of certain fishing gears, such as recreational angling, and the difficulties in estimating the dispersion of pelagic early-life stages. Using the small-bodied sedentary coastal marine fish Serranus scriba as a model, we first empirically show that recreational angling selects for life-history traits (i.e. increased reproductive investment) that promote downsizing of adults. Second, using Lagrangian particle dispersion modelling, we show how local hydrodynamics generates patterns of limited connectivity and the emergence of meta-population structure. Finally, the life histories presently observed in isolated populations of S. scriba that experienced differential fishing pressure matched expectations of fishing-induced downsizing of adult body size. Body size is an important trait in aquatic food webs, and evolutionary downsizing might have unforeseen consequences. From a precautionary perspective, maintaining the meta-population structure and the full range of genotypes inherent in them is important, even for small-bodied, geographically restricted fish species that are mainly harvested by recreational anglers.

【 授权许可】

Unknown