Munpholsri, Nut, Gardiner, Naomi M., Waltham, Nathan, and Leahy, Susannah M. (2025) Habitat‐use strategies of young barramundi (Lates calcarifer) in a heavily modified landscape. Journal of Fish Biology. (In Press)

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Abstract

Barramundi (Lates calcarifer) is a facultatively catadromous species that migrates between saltwater and fresh water to complete its life cycle. Modified riverine landscapes may limit these migratory paths and alter the environmental cues that migratory fish rely on to trigger migration. This study aims to determine the timing and prevalence of migration strategies of L. calcarifer in modified habitats and to identify the environmental parameters associated with these movements. Historical habitat use was interpreted from mean otolith Sr:Ca ratios as a proxy for ambient salinity. In this study, 27.9% (range: 16.1%–50.0% per year) of L. calcarifer exhibited catadromy, which is lower than what has been found for this species in other regions. Juvenile L. calcarifer adopted a catadromous strategy either early in life or not at all. Across the nine cohorts represented in the study, the fraction of catadromous individuals showed a moderately positive trend (r = 0.34–0.50), though not statistically significant, with wetter and cooler wet seasons. In the modified landscape of the Burdekin basin, North Queensland Australia, other factors may influence the likelihood of barramundi adopting a catadromous life strategy. Habitat connectivity is crucial for the viability of wild L. calcarifer populations and associated fisheries. Freshwater management should consider the timing required for juvenile L. calcarifer to access freshwater habitats and consider further interventions to improve habitat connectivity.

Item ID:	86617
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1095-8649
Copyright Information:	This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes. © 2025 The Author(s). Journal of Fish Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Fisheries Society of the British Isles.
Funders:	Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC), Qld Dept Primary Industries
Projects and Grants:	FRDC Project 2018-047
Date Deposited:	12 Aug 2025 01:23
FoR Codes:	31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3103 Ecology > 310305 Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) @ 30% 30 AGRICULTURAL, VETERINARY AND FOOD SCIENCES > 3005 Fisheries sciences > 300502 Aquaculture and fisheries stock assessment @ 50% 31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3103 Ecology > 310304 Freshwater ecology @ 20%
SEO Codes:	10 ANIMAL PRODUCTION AND ANIMAL PRIMARY PRODUCTS > 1003 Fisheries - wild caught > 100399 Fisheries - wild caught not elsewhere classified @ 40% 18 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT > 1802 Coastal and estuarine systems and management > 180201 Assessment and management of coastal and estuarine ecosystems @ 30% 18 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT > 1803 Fresh, ground and surface water systems and management > 180301 Assessment and management of freshwater ecosystems @ 30%
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