A global comparative analysis of the feeding dynamics and environmental conditions of larval tunas, mackerels, and billfishes
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Scombroid fishes, including tunas, mackerels, and billfishes, constitute some of the most important fisheries in lower latitudes around the world. Though the early life stages of these taxa are relatively well-studied, worldwide patterns in larval feeding dynamics and how such patterns relate to environmental conditions are poorly resolved. We present a synthesis of feeding success (i.e. feeding incidences) and diets of larval scombroids from around the world, and relate these results to water column and sea surface properties for the several regions in which larval feeding studies have been conducted. Feeding success of larval tunas was shown to be distinctly different among regions. In some locations (the Straits of Florida and the Mediterranean Sea), nearly no larvae had empty guts, whereas in other locations (the Gulf of California and off NW Australia) ~40–60% of larvae were empty. Diets were consistently narrow in each region (dominated by cyclopoid copepods, appendicularians, nauplii, and other fish larvae), and were usually, but not always, similar for a given scombroid taxon among regions (though diets differed among taxa). Larval habitat conditions were often similar among the 9 regions examined, but some clear differences included low levels of eddy kinetic energy and cooler waters (at the surface and at depth) in the Mediterranean, and lower chlorophyll concentrations around the Nansei Islands, Japan and off NW Australia where feeding success was low. When observe…
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Tuna larvae have a very narrow diet and are highly selective in consuming limited species of zooplankton in the shallow mixed layer.
“They have a very narrow diet and are highly selective in their consumption of limited species of zooplankton inhabiting the shallow mixed layer (such as appendicularians, cladocerans, and cyclopoid copepods in the genera Farranula and Corycaeus) (Llopiz and Hobday, 2015; Artetxe-Arrate et al., 2021).”
From Impacts of phytoplankton availability on bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) recruitment in the Indian Ocean (2024) · cites this paper as Llopiz and Hobday, 2015
Tuna larvae depend on zooplankton availability after yolk sack absorption.
“To meet their metabolic requirements, tuna larvae hinge on the zooplankton availability after the yolk sack absorption (Llopiz and Hobday, 2015; Shropshire et al., 2022).”
From Impacts of phytoplankton availability on bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) recruitment in the Indian Ocean (2024) · cites this paper as Llopiz and Hobday, 2015
The feeding success of larvae is one of the most important processes in their survival.
“The feeding success of larvae is one of the most important processes in their survival (Anderson, 1988; Llopiz and Hobday, 2015).”
From Impacts of phytoplankton availability on bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) recruitment in the Indian Ocean (2024) · cites this paper as Llopiz and Hobday, 2015
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Reproduction and larval biology in tunas, and the importance of restricted area spawning grounds
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“Upon yolk sack absorption, tuna larvae depend entirely on zooplankton to meet their metabolic requirements (Llopiz and Hobday, 2015; Shropshire et al., 2022).”
- Authors
- Llopiz, J. K., & Hobday, A. J.
- Affiliations
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (US)
- Corresponding author
- Llopiz, Joel K.
- Venue
- Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2015-03
- Volume
- 113
- Pages
- 113-124
- ISSN
- 0967-0645 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2091481497
- Cited by
- 47
- References
- 57
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 2.44
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- figshare.com
- Licence
- Locations
- Deep Sea Research Part II Topical Studies in Oceanography (publishedVersion)
- eCite Digital Repository (University of Tasmania) (submittedVersion)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- NOAA (NA13NMF4720057)
- WHOI
- IMBER
- Cooperative Institute for the North Atlantic Region
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Marine and fisheries research
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Aquatic Science › Aquaculture Nutrition and Growth
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Aquatic Science › Fish Biology and Ecology Studies
- Keywords
- tuna, mackerel, billfish, larval nutrition, Cyclopoida, appendicularians, nauplii, eddy kinetic energy, sea surface temperature, chlorophyll, zooplankton abundance, bottom-up control, larval survival, recruitment (biology), regional variation
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