Bioenergetic Approach to Describing Gulf Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) Growth in Two Florida Rivers~!2009-02-17~!2010-02-04~!2010-06-03~!

Bioenergetics models are commonly used by scientist and managers to describe energy uptake and metabolism of fish species. Much data is needed to inform these models and often species specific data is unavailable or difficult to acquire, such as in the case with Gulf of Mexico sturgeon. This study applied a new method, developed by Walters and Essington (this issue), to estimate bioenergetics parameters using field observations for Gulf sturgeon populations in the Apalachicola and Suwannee Rivers, Florida, U.S.A. Bioenergetics derived growth curves were compared to growth curves developed using traditional direct aging methods. We obtained bioenergetic parameter estimates for both populations and the bioenergetic method was able to accurately simulate annual variability in Gulf sturgeon growth rates. Further, the bioenergetics growth estimates, which incorporate length-at-age and length-increment data estimated very different growth trajectories than traditional von Bertalanffy curves that used only length-at-age. This indicates that length-atage data alone can lead to errors in growth estimates, resulting in erroneous management advice. Using field data to inform bioenergetic models should be a useful approach for fisheries researchers and managers to describe the growth and energetic characteristics of fish populations.

[1]  C. Walters,et al.  Recovery of Bioenergetics Parameters from Information on Growth: Overview of an Approach Based on Statistical Analysis of Tagging and Size-At- Age Data , 2010 .

[2]  Steven O. McAdam,et al.  Estimating Differences in Growth and Metabolism in Two Spatially Segregated Groups of Columbia River White Sturgeon Using a Field-Based Bioenergetics Model , 2010 .

[3]  K. Sulak,et al.  Understanding sturgeon life history: Enigmas, myths, and insights from scientific studies , 2002 .

[4]  M. Bevelhimer.  A bioenergetics model for white sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus: assessing differences in growth and reproduction among Snake River reaches , 2002 .

[5]  I. Wirgin,et al.  Impacts of life history and biogeography on the genetic stock structure of Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus, Gulf sturgeon A. oxyrinchus desotoi, and shortnose sturgeon A. brevirostrum , 2002 .

[6]  C. Walters,et al.  The von Bertalanffy growth function, bioenergetics, and the consumption rates of fish , 2001 .

[7]  W. E. Pine,et al.  Population Viability of the Gulf of Mexico Sturgeon: Inferences from Capture–Recapture and Age-Structured Models , 2001 .

[8]  K. Sulak,et al.  Recent advances in life history of Gulf of Mexico sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi, in the Suwannee river, Florida, USA: a synopsis , 1999 .

[9]  John J. Ney,et al.  Bioenergetics Modeling Today: Growing Pains on the Cutting Edge , 1993 .

[10]  T. Smith.  The fishery, biology, and management of Atlantic sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrhynchus, in North America , 1985, Environmental Biology of Fishes.

[11]  C. Wooley,et al.  Movement, Microhabitat, Exploitation, and Management of Gulf of Mexico Sturgeon, Apalachicola River, Florida , 1985 .

[12]  W. B. Scott,et al.  Freshwater fishes of Canada , 1974 .

[13]  Lewis George Coggins,et al.  Active adaptive management for native fish conservation in the Grand Canyon: Implementation and evaluation , 2008 .

[14]  Kyle J. Hartman,et al.  Bioenergetics Modeling: Progress since the 1992 Symposium , 2008 .

[15]  F. Barrows,et al.  Feeding Trials with Hatchery-Produced Gulf of Mexico Sturgeon Larvae , 1998 .

[16]  J. A. Huff.  Life history of Gulf of Mexico sturgeon, Acipenser oxrhynchus desotoi, in Suwannee River, Florida , 1975 .

[17]  A. J. Fabens,et al.  Properties and fitting of the Von Bertalanffy growth curve. , 1965, Growth.