Turbidity influences the recruitment of Argyrosomus japonicus to estuarine nurseries

Estuaries serve as important nursery habitats for several coastal fishery species. The successful recruitment of larvae and early juveniles into estuaries is paramount population persistence maintenance. Several factors have been proposed stimuli that could elicit a response in estuary-associated fish Larvae may trace land-based cues back to an estuary by following the olfactory concentration gradient or use other visual acoustic stimuli. Argyrosomus japonicus iconic estuarine-associated Due overfishing, reduced freshwater input habitat degradation their estuarine habitat, South African has suffered severe stock declines. Turbidity associated with high thought promote estuaries. We used choice-chamber laboratory experiments test hypothesis settlement-stage A. are attracted turbidity rather than gradients when recruiting Three choice (with three replicate trials each) were performed over consecutive days. Each experiment paired combinations six estuarine/seawater types varying characteristics. For each experiment, repeated succession new trial. Settlement-stage showed significant preference turbid water without cues) seawater (no clear cues). No was made between artificial (without cues), suggesting most likely primary factor governing