Next Article in Journal
An Overview of Modern Applications of Negative Binomial Modelling in Ecology and Biodiversity
Next Article in Special Issue
Cetaceans in the Mediterranean Sea: Encounter Rate, Dominant Species, and Diversity Hotspots
Previous Article in Journal
Advancing Mitochondrial Metagenomics: A New Assembly Strategy and Validating the Power of Seed-Based Approach
Previous Article in Special Issue
Data-Driven Recommendations for Establishing Threshold Values for the NIS Trend Indicator in the Mediterranean Sea
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Diversity
Volume 14
Issue 5
10.3390/d14050318
diversity-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Article

Reproductive Behaviours and Potentially Associated Sounds of the Mottled Grouper Mycteroperca rubra: Implications for Conservation

by
Elena Desiderà
1,2,3,*,
Carlotta Mazzoldi
2,4,
Augusto Navone
5,
Pieraugusto Panzalis
5,
Cédric Gervaise
6,
Paolo Guidetti
1,3,7,* and
Lucia Di Iorio
6,8
1
Department of Integrative Marine Ecology (EMI), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn–National Institute of Marine Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology, Genoa Marine Centre, Villa del Principe, Via San Benedetto 2, 16126 Genoa, Italy
2
Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35121 Padova, Italy
3
UMR 7035 ECOSEAS, CNRS, Université Côte d’Azur, Parc Valrose 28, Avenue Valrose, 06108 Nice, France
4
CoNISMa, Interuniversity National Consortium for Marine Sciences, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196 Rome, Italy
5
Marine Protected Area of Tavolara-Punta Coda Cavallo, Via Dante 1, 07026 Olbia, Italy
6
CHORUS Institute, 5 Rue Gallice, 38016 Grenoble, France
7
National Research Council, Institute for the Study of Anthropic Impact and Sustainability in the Marine Environment (CNR-IAS), Via De Marini 16, 16149 Genoa, Italy
8
UMR 5110 CEFREM, CNRS, Université de Perpignan, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860 Perpignan, France
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Diversity 2022, 14(5), 318; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14050318
Submission received: 15 February 2022 / Revised: 31 March 2022 / Accepted: 19 April 2022 / Published: 21 April 2022
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity Conservation in Mediterranean Sea)
Browse Figures
Review Reports Versions Notes

Abstract

Most grouper species worldwide are threatened by overfishing. Effective marine protected areas (MPAs) are known to enable population recovery, and consideration of vulnerable species’ reproductive behaviours is fundamental to monitoring and management plans. Many groupers produce sounds associated with reproductive behaviours. Recording these sounds helps to locate spawning sites and improve management efforts to ensure reproduction and viability. This study focuses on a poorly studied yet likely vulnerable grouper species, Mycteroperca rubra, providing novel insights into its reproductive biology by combining underwater visual census surveys, direct visual observations and passive acoustic monitoring within a Mediterranean MPA during two consecutive summers (2017 and 2018). Results indicate that M. rubra individuals were more abundant and larger at one of the protected study sites, where they also occasionally formed unusual aggregations (<30 individuals), likely for spawning. These aggregations and the observation of courtship behaviours suggest that M. rubra spawns in the surroundings of this study site. Moreover, grouper-like unknown sounds were recorded exclusively at this site, suggesting they are associated with M. rubra courtship behaviours. Therefore, this study provides a basis for validating M. rubra sound production and supports the monitoring of its spawning sites via passive acoustics to improve MPA conservation effectiveness.
Keywords: Epinephelidae; passive acoustic monitoring; spawning aggregations; Marine Protected Areas; Mediterranean Sea; courtship behaviour; fish sounds Epinephelidae; passive acoustic monitoring; spawning aggregations; Marine Protected Areas; Mediterranean Sea; courtship behaviour; fish sounds

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Desiderà, E.; Mazzoldi, C.; Navone, A.; Panzalis, P.; Gervaise, C.; Guidetti, P.; Di Iorio, L. Reproductive Behaviours and Potentially Associated Sounds of the Mottled Grouper Mycteroperca rubra: Implications for Conservation. Diversity 2022, 14, 318. https://doi.org/10.3390/d14050318

AMA Style

Desiderà E, Mazzoldi C, Navone A, Panzalis P, Gervaise C, Guidetti P, Di Iorio L. Reproductive Behaviours and Potentially Associated Sounds of the Mottled Grouper Mycteroperca rubra: Implications for Conservation. Diversity. 2022; 14(5):318. https://doi.org/10.3390/d14050318

Chicago/Turabian Style

Desiderà, Elena, Carlotta Mazzoldi, Augusto Navone, Pieraugusto Panzalis, Cédric Gervaise, Paolo Guidetti, and Lucia Di Iorio. 2022. "Reproductive Behaviours and Potentially Associated Sounds of the Mottled Grouper Mycteroperca rubra: Implications for Conservation" Diversity 14, no. 5: 318. https://doi.org/10.3390/d14050318

APA Style

Desiderà, E., Mazzoldi, C., Navone, A., Panzalis, P., Gervaise, C., Guidetti, P., & Di Iorio, L. (2022). Reproductive Behaviours and Potentially Associated Sounds of the Mottled Grouper Mycteroperca rubra: Implications for Conservation. Diversity, 14(5), 318. https://doi.org/10.3390/d14050318

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop