Striped Blenny Presence and Behavior Between Sunrise and Sunset at Oyster Landing, South Carolina
Presentation Type
Presentation
Full Name of Faculty Mentor
Juliana Harding, Marine Science
Major
Marine Science
Presentation Abstract
Estuaries are important ecosystems to many fishes, including the striped blenny, Chasmodes bosquianus, an abundant intermediate carnivore in Atlantic and Gulf Coast estuaries. Many estuarine demersal fishes including the striped blenny males seasonally occupy and defend nesting shelters. Resident male C. bosquianus tend developing embryos in empty oyster shells at water temperatures above 18°C. Blenny nest shelters were filmed in April-June 2022 at Oyster Landing, North Inlet estuary, South Carolina to quantify lunar and diel patterns of blenny occupancy and behavior. Blenny nest shelter use will be described from sunrise to sunset in relation to water temperature (°C), salinity (psu), depth (m), neighboring demersal fish activity, and adjacent transient nekton activity. Two cameras were situated at two groups of three PVC nesting shelters. Approximately 585 hours of daylight were used to observe fishes on digital video footage. Striped blennies of both sexes were most active from 7:00 to 10:00 AM and 4:00 to 7:00 PM, corresponding to ~ 0.5 hour after sunrise and ~ 4 hours before sunset. Resident males were most abundant between 8:00 and 12:00 PM, and 5:00 to 7:00 PM. On average, one female tended to visit each male's nest shelter each day, with as many as three females visiting one male's nest shelter in a day. Resident males were in their nest shelters for about 90% of the hours between sunrise and sunset. Increasing the number of females depositing eggs in a male’s shelter throughout a long spawning season allows for a higher probability that some egg clutches will be produced successfully.
Start Date
11-4-2023 9:00 AM
End Date
11-4-2023 9:20 AM
Disciplines
Oceanography
Recommended Citation
Schuetze, Madeline, "Striped Blenny Presence and Behavior Between Sunrise and Sunset at Oyster Landing, South Carolina" (2023). Undergraduate Research Competition. 10.
https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/ugrc/2023/fullconference/10
Striped Blenny Presence and Behavior Between Sunrise and Sunset at Oyster Landing, South Carolina
Estuaries are important ecosystems to many fishes, including the striped blenny, Chasmodes bosquianus, an abundant intermediate carnivore in Atlantic and Gulf Coast estuaries. Many estuarine demersal fishes including the striped blenny males seasonally occupy and defend nesting shelters. Resident male C. bosquianus tend developing embryos in empty oyster shells at water temperatures above 18°C. Blenny nest shelters were filmed in April-June 2022 at Oyster Landing, North Inlet estuary, South Carolina to quantify lunar and diel patterns of blenny occupancy and behavior. Blenny nest shelter use will be described from sunrise to sunset in relation to water temperature (°C), salinity (psu), depth (m), neighboring demersal fish activity, and adjacent transient nekton activity. Two cameras were situated at two groups of three PVC nesting shelters. Approximately 585 hours of daylight were used to observe fishes on digital video footage. Striped blennies of both sexes were most active from 7:00 to 10:00 AM and 4:00 to 7:00 PM, corresponding to ~ 0.5 hour after sunrise and ~ 4 hours before sunset. Resident males were most abundant between 8:00 and 12:00 PM, and 5:00 to 7:00 PM. On average, one female tended to visit each male's nest shelter each day, with as many as three females visiting one male's nest shelter in a day. Resident males were in their nest shelters for about 90% of the hours between sunrise and sunset. Increasing the number of females depositing eggs in a male’s shelter throughout a long spawning season allows for a higher probability that some egg clutches will be produced successfully.