Abstract

The gray snapper, Lutjanus griseus, is an ecologically and commercially important fish throughout the Caribbean. Despite its significant role in the marine ecosystem and its economic value, relatively little is known about the growth of this species, especially during its early life history stages. As part of a larger study of population connectivity, young of the year L griseus were collected from five sites in the Southeastern United States during Fall 2000 and 2001: Florida Bay, Biscayne Bay, Sebastian Inlet, and Jupiter in Florida, and Core Sound, North Carolina. Fish were measured and weighed and the sagittal otoliths removed for aging. Daily growth increments were enumerated using standard otolith aging techniques and the deposition of daily rings validated. Larvaland juvenile growth rates as well as the planktonic larval duration (PLD) appearto be influenced by various environmental factors across a latitudinal gradient. Otolith records indicate differences in growth rates among sites and years. Comparison of these data with similar data collected along the west coast of Florida provides further insight into environmentally induced differences in growth rate. The age data collected during this project eventually will be used in conjunction with otolith microchemistry to help elucidate the likelihood of population connectivity in this species.

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