Spawning aggregation behaviour in the Creole perch, Percichthys trucha (Percichthyidae): A target species for conservation

Abstract

Habitat fragmentation and loss threaten freshwater biodiversity worldwide. Habitats that are essential as fish spawning and nursery sites are critical, and must be identified for conservation purposes. Littoral zones within Patagonian lakes, especially shallow vegetated areas, represent important areas for the Creole perch, Percichthys trucha. Spawning behaviour has been little studied, so it is not known whether these movements are performed in groups. A particular area of a deep lake in northern Patagonia was studied to identify the environmental conditions under which spawning occurs, and to analyse spawning aggregation behaviour in relation to the lunar cycle. To identify spawning sites, spawning occurrence time, and the environmental parameters that determine it, fish capture data were analysed. Underwater cameras were also set up at three depth strata in the shallow zone to detect spawning aggregation behaviour. Aggregation was scored as the greatest number of individuals present in a single frame, and the number present per depth stratum. The relationship between the lunar cycle and Creole perch abundance by depth was then determined. This is the first visual record of a spawning bed and the spawning aggregation behaviour of Creole perch in Patagonian lakes. The abundance of mature Creole perch in the shallow strata during the austral spring suggests that vegetated areas constitute spawning sites. Spawning aggregation takes place at a shallow depth 2 days before the full moon. As the reproductive behaviours of Creole perch are important phenomena in the life history of the species, the results of this study have important implications for conservation and management.