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Appraisal of Warm-Temperate South African Mangrove Estuaries as Habitats to Enhance Larval Nutritional Condition and Growth of Gilchristella aestuaria (Family Clupeidae) Using RNA:DNA Ratios

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Abstract

Estuaries are highly dynamic systems that serve as nursery areas to fishes and are likely to vary in nursery function, mostly due to habitat quality and food availability. Mangroves are thought to be good nurseries as they enhance food availability and protection, improving growth and survival of juvenile fishes. Food quantity and quality may be reflected in nutritional condition, which may in turn be a useful proxy for growth and survival of larval fishes. This study compared the nutritional condition and growth rate of 793 late stage larvae of estuarine roundherring, Gilchristella aestuaria, by using RNA:DNA indices to indirectly compare the feeding environment among similar warm-temperate mangrove and non-mangrove estuaries in South Africa during January 2015 and 2016. Results indicated that G. aestuaria larvae had differing nutritional conditions within the sampling years and within the estuaries. The standardised RNA:DNA (sRD) as well as the RNA residual index values were higher within mangrove estuaries only in 2016. The instantaneous growth rates (Gi) of larvae in mangrove and non-mangrove estuaries were similar; however, post-flexion larvae were found to have a higher Gi and sRD in mangrove estuaries. Turbidity was the major factor influencing the nutritional condition of G. aestuaria larvae. Mangroves have been found to act as sediment sinks and thus may provide advantages that increase feeding success for post-flexion larvae; however, more is yet to be understood in terms of feeding environment dynamics and how habitat quality influences the survival of larval fishes.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research (GEOMAR) for laboratory assistance supported by the EU project BIOC3. We also thank the South African Weather Service for providing rainfall data.

Funding

Funding was provided by the National Research Foundation of South Africa under grant number 93570.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, PO Box 7700, Port Elizabeth, 6031, South Africa

    Eugin Bornman & Nadine Strydom

  2. Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research (GEOMAR), Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105, Kiel, Germany

    Catriona Clemmesen

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  1. Eugin Bornman
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Correspondence to Nadine Strydom.

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The co-author, Nadine A. Strydom, is the M.Sc. supervisor of the first author and is an associate editor of Estuaries and Coasts. The authors declare that there are no other conflicts of interest.

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Fishes were treated in accordance with Nelson Mandela University ethics, under ethics clearance number A15-SCI-ZOO-002.

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Communicated by Matthew D. Taylor

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Bornman, E., Strydom, N. & Clemmesen, C. Appraisal of Warm-Temperate South African Mangrove Estuaries as Habitats to Enhance Larval Nutritional Condition and Growth of Gilchristella aestuaria (Family Clupeidae) Using RNA:DNA Ratios. Estuaries and Coasts 41, 1463–1474 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-018-0375-x

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