Sounds associated with the reproductive behavior of the black grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci) |
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Authors: | Michelle T. Schärer Michael I. Nemeth Timothy J. Rowell Richard S. Appeldoorn |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Mayagüez, PR, 00681-9013, USA
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Abstract: | Passive acoustic and synchronous video recordings were made at two spawning aggregation sites to study the sounds associated with reproductive behaviors of Mycteroperca bonaci. A characteristic sound was produced during courtship displays involving behaviors commonly observed for groupers of this genus at aggregations. The sound has a short pulsing section followed by a longer tonal portion with a mean peak frequency below 100 Hz. Courtship-associated sounds were quantified over one spawning season at Mona Island, Puerto Rico. Most of the daily sound production occurred during a period of 2 h prior to sunset. The highest rates of sound production lasted for a period of 10 days with lunar periodicity over three consecutive months coincident with the reported season of reproduction. Passive acoustics provide a tool to measure the variability of the reproductive activity of M. bonaci over time and may provide a method to evaluate current strategies designed to protect multi-species spawning aggregations that are critical for the recovery of threatened groupers. |
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