|
Behavioral and Developmental Ecology
Behavior, sensory ecology, morphology, and physiology of fish larvae and marine mammals.
Research Interests
The past few decades have seen the biology of fish larvae blossom into an exciting field of research. These tiny, usually transparent early life stages had been neglected because of the difficulties in collecting, identifying, and maintaining them. With many of these problems solved, research is directed toward understanding how processes affecting larval fishes have serious consequences for populations of adults. Survival of larvae is a prerequisite for sustained populations, and like adults, larvae must find food and avoid predators. However, unlike adults, they must do so while their abilities vary due to dramatic morphological, physiological, and behavioral changes caused by development.
Our research includes both laboratory and field experiments on the behavioral and sensory capabilities of fish larvae. Much of it involves frame-by-frame motion analysis of video taped experiments. This approach has led to important insights into the change in vulnerability of larvae to predators during early life. We combine the behavioral approach with detailed studies of changing sensory and locomotor morphology to understand how behavior may be constrained. We also study the effects of environmental variables (e.g., temperature and salinity) on a larva's capabilities. We incorporate field experiments to form ecological interpretations for the laboratory results. Our research has now expanded to include assessment of sublethal effects of pollutants and their ecological interpretation.
Selected Publications
Madden, K.M., L.A. Fuiman, T.M. Williams, and R.W. Davis. 2008. Identification of foraging dives in free-ranging Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii): Confirmation using video records. Marine Ecology Progress Series 365:263–275.
McCarthy, I.D., and L.A. Fuiman. 2008. Growth and protein metabolism in red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) larvae exposed to environmental levels of atrazine and malathion. Aquatic Toxicology 88:220–229.
Murphy, C.A., K.A. Rose, M.C. Alvarez, and L.A. Fuiman. 2008. Modeling larval fish behavior: Scaling the sublethal effects of methylmercury to population-relevant endpoints. Aquatic Toxicology 86:470-484.
Fuiman, L.A., K.M. Madden, T.M. Williams, and R.W. Davis. 2007. Structure of foraging dives by Weddell seals at an offshore isolated hole in the Antarctic fast-ice environment. Deep-Sea Research II 54:270-289.
Alvarez, M.C., C.A. Murphy, K.A. Rose, I.D. McCarthy, and L.A. Fuiman. 2006. Maternal body burdens of methylmercury impair survival skills of offspring in Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus). Aquatic Toxicology 80:329-337.
Fuiman, L.A., K.A. Rose, J.H. Cowan, Jr., and E.P. Smith. 2006. Survival skills required for predator evasion by fish larvae and their relationship to laboratory measures of performance. Animal Behaviour 71:1389-1399. (doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2003.10.071)
Alvarez, M.C., and L.A. Fuiman. 2006. Ecological performance of red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) larvae exposed to environmental levels of the insecticide malathion. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 25:1426-1432.
Alvarez, M. C., and L. A. Fuiman. 2005. Environmental levels of atrazine and its degradation products impair survival skills and growth of red drum larvae. Aquatic Toxicology 74:229-241.
Fuiman, L. A., J. H. Cowan, Jr., M. E. Smith, and J. P. O'Neal. 2005. Behavior and recruitment success in fish larvae: Variation with growth rate and the batch effect. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 62:1337-1349.
Smith, M. E., and L. A. Fuiman. 2004. Behavioral performance of wild-caught and laboratory-reared red drum Sciaenops ocellatus (Linnaeus) larvae. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 302:17-33.
complete publication list...
click image for larger view
The early life of fish larvae is characterized by a variety of changes in body structure and physiological and behavioral capabilities. This depiction of the development of red drum shows some of the changes that take place in this species. Most of this information is from research conducted at our institute.
Contact:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
|
Fishery Science info & order form