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Horizontal and vertical movements of sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) in the Arabian Gulf, determined by ultrasonic and pop-up satellite tagging

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Abstract

Small-scale movement behavior of sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) in the Arabian Gulf was evaluated between April 2002 and April 2004 using temperature- and pressure-sensitive ultrasonic telemetry. Of nine sailfish tagged, eight were successfully tracked for periods ranging from 3 h 33 min to 52 h 6 min. Total tracked distances ranged from 5.5 to 78.7 km, while maximum linear displacement from tagging locations ranged from 4.6 to 37.0 km. Average speed based on vessel positioning ranged from 0.29 to 0.75 m s−1. The cumulative mean vertical distributions showed that 84.3% of time was spent above 10-m depth, even though water temperature altered little with increased depth. Data from two pop-up satellite archival tags deployed in 2002 were used to compare time spent at 5-m depth intervals with data from ultrasonic tags. There was no significant difference (P<0.05) in preferred depths between ultrasonic and pop-up tags for day or night, suggesting that the sailfish in this study recovered from capture stress and returned to normal behavior in relatively short times. Information on vertical and horizontal distribution can reveal preferential habitat that benefits fishery management practices relating to time/area closures, as well as determining optimal gear selection that reduces incidental bycatch and promotes conservation of sailfish in the Arabian Gulf.

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Acknowledgements

Gratitude is extended to Xavier Eichaker, Edwin Grandcourt, Greg Heinricks and Lina Kabbara for support during tracking cruises and to George Foster for providing one of the sailfish for ultrasonic tracking. Anil Kumar Thannapan and Stanley Hartmann provided assistance with data analysis. The manuscript benefited from review by Julian Pepperell, John Benzie and three anonymous reviewers. Appreciation is accorded to the Environmental Research and Wildlife Development Agency (ERWDA) for project funding and ERWDA’s management for their support.

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Correspondence to John P. Hoolihan.

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Communicated by O. Kinne, Oldendorf/Luhe

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Hoolihan, J.P. Horizontal and vertical movements of sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) in the Arabian Gulf, determined by ultrasonic and pop-up satellite tagging. Marine Biology 146, 1015–1029 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-004-1488-2

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