Population structure and foraging ecology of juvenile black sea bass, tautog, and cunner in a southern New England estuary: Habitat and trophic niche overlap amid a species geographic range expansion.

ABSTRACT: Juvenile black sea bass Centropristis striata populations are increasing in southern New England estuaries of the northeastern United States with possible trophodynamic effects on native labrid species: tautog Tautoga onitis and cunner Tautogolabrus adspersus. In this study, we examined the abundance, size-structure, and feeding ecology of juvenile sea bass and labrids in Narragansett Bay (Rhode Island, USA) from June to October in 2018 and 2019, and evaluated potential interspecific competition using habitat, diet, and isotopic niche overlap indices. Juveniles (age-0+) of each fish species spatiotemporally co-occurred in shallow, polyhaline habitats throughout the estuary. Age-0 cohorts were numerically dominant across species and initially recruited to the study area

SUBMITTER: Taylor DL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11694897 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature