Spatial and temporal variability in growth, mortality, and recruitment potential of postsettlement red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus, in a subtropical estuary*

Survival during the larval and juvenile stages of marine fishes is highly variable and plays a critical role in determining recruitment potential (Cushing, 1975; Houde, 1987). Early life survival is a function of both growth and mortality, and it is clear that these mechanisms act in concert to determine an individual’s probability of survival (Houde, 1996). Individuals experiencing rapid growth will spend less time in vulnerable size ranges (reduced stage duration) and achieve a larger body size at a given age, thus enhancing their ability to detect and escape predators (Bailey and Houde, 1989; Fuiman and Magurran, 1994). Consequently, recruitment success or failure is closely linked to variation in growth and mortality during the early life stage. Much of our current understanding of early life growth and mortality is based on information derived from the examination of otolith microstructures. The daily deposition of growth increments on otoliths has been demonstrated for many marine teleosts and provides a means Spatial and temporal variability in growth, mortality, and recruitment potential of postsettlement red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus, in a subtropical estuary*