CoChat
Sign Up
Cited by 105Marine and fisheries researchIchthyology and Marine BiologyFish Ecology and Management Studies

Spawning Behaviour and Post-Spawning Migration Patterns of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) Ascertained from Satellite Archival Tags

Open access
Aranda, Guillermo, Abascal, Francisco Javier, Varela, José Luis, Medina, Antonio·2013·PLoS ONE
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0076445PMC PMC3788109
Open this paper in CoChat — free accountOpen PDF

Abstract

Spawning behaviour of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) was investigated using electronic satellite tags deployed in the western Mediterranean spawning ground, around the Balearic Islands (years 2009-2011). All the fish were tagged underwater and released within schools. In general, the fish tagged in the same year/school displayed common migratory trends. Following extended residency around the Balearic Islands, most tagged tuna crossed the Strait of Gibraltar heading for the North Atlantic. Discrepancies between the migratory tracks reconstructed from this and previous electronic tagging studies suggest that the bluefin tuna Mediterranean population may comprise distinct units exhibiting differing migratory behaviours. The diving behaviour varied between oceanic regions throughout the migratory pathways, the shallowest distribution taking place in the spawning ground and the deepest at the Strait of Gibraltar. A unique diving pattern was found on the majority of nights while the fish stayed at the spawning ground; it consisted of frequent and brief oscillatory movements up and down through the mixed layer, resulting in thermal profiles characterized by oscillations about the thermocline. Such a pattern is believed to reflect recent courtship and spawning activity. Reproductive parameters inferred from the analysis of vertical profiles are consistent with those estimated in previous studies based on biological samples.

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1371/journal.pone.0076445

Cites

6 of 6 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • Electronic tagging of 13 bluefin showed that fish remained on the spawning ground around the Balearic Sea for an average of 31 ± 7 days after tagging, and were assumed to be in a spawning phase for an average of 24 ± 4 of those days.

    “Electronic tagging of 13 bluefin showed that fish remained on the spawning ground around the Balearic Sea for an average of 31 ± 7 days after tagging, and were assumed to be in a spawning phase for an average of 24 ± 4 of those days [43].”

    From Spawning Dynamics and Size Related Trends in Reproductive Parameters of Southern Bluefin Tuna, Thunnus maccoyii (2015) · cites this paper as [43]

    Table 3 (Materials and Methods; page unavailable) reports 31.22 ± 7.07 days in the Mediterranean and an estimated spawning-phase duration of 23.90 ± 4.11 days, rounded as claimed. However, those two means exclude four of the 13 tags, and the Discussion says mean time in the Balearic spawning area after tagging was about 25 days—not 31. The claim conflates time in the wider Mediterranean with time on the spawning ground. (LLM, conf=0.90)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Similar data are available for eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna that spawn in the Mediterranean Sea between May and July.

    “Similar data are available for eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna that spawn in the Mediterranean Sea between May and July [43].”

    From Spawning Dynamics and Size Related Trends in Reproductive Parameters of Southern Bluefin Tuna, Thunnus maccoyii (2015) · cites this paper as [43]

  • During the spawning phase, the average eastern Atlantic bluefin spawned on 80.3% of days, and spawned for 4.5 ± 3.2 consecutive days before resting.

    “The study also suggested that during the spawning phase, the average fish spawned on 80.3% of days, and spawned for 4.5 ± 3.2 consecutive days before ‘resting’ [43]”

    From Spawning Dynamics and Size Related Trends in Reproductive Parameters of Southern Bluefin Tuna, Thunnus maccoyii (2015) · cites this paper as [43]

  • The eastern Atlantic bluefin spawning pattern is consistent with our indirect results for SBT.

    “which is consistent with our indirect results for SBT.”

    From Spawning Dynamics and Size Related Trends in Reproductive Parameters of Southern Bluefin Tuna, Thunnus maccoyii (2015) · cites this paper as [43]

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 41

  1. [1]Webster DG (2011) The irony and the exclusivity of Atlantic bluefin tuna management. Mar Policy 35: 249- 251. doi: 10.1016/j.marpol.2010.08.004. · DOI
  2. [2]Sumaila UR, Huang L (2012) Managing bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean Sea. Mar Policy 36: 502- 511. doi: 10.1016/j.marpol.2011.08.010. · DOI
  3. [3]Taylor NG, McAllister MK, Lawson GL, Carruthers T, Block BA (2011) Atlantic bluefin tuna: A novel multistock spatial model for assessing population biomass. PLOS ONE 6(12): e27693. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0027693. PubMed: 22174745. 22174745 PMC3235089 · DOI
  4. [4]Lutcavage ME, Bril RW, Skomal GB, Chase BC, Howey PW (1999) Results of pop-up satellite tagging of spawning size class fish in the Gulf of Maine: Do North Atlantic bluefin tuna spawn in the mid-Atlantic? Can J Fish Aquat Sci 56: 173- 177. doi: 10.1139/f99-016. · DOI
  5. [5]Lutcavage ME, Bril RW, Skomal GB, Chase BC, Goldstein JL et al. (2000) Tracking adult North Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) in the northwestern Atlantic using ultrasonic telemetry. Mar Biol 137: 347- 358. doi: 10.1007/s002270000302. · DOI
  6. [7]Block BA, Dewar H, Blackwell SB, Williams TD, Prince ED et al. (2001) Migratory movements, depth preferences, and thermal biology of Atlantic bluefin tuna. Science 293: 1310- 1314. doi: 10.1126/science.1061197. PubMed: 11509729. 11509729 · DOI · Paper page
  7. [10]Stokesbury MJW, Teo SLH, Seitz A, O’Dor R, Block BA (2004) Movement of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) as determined by satellite tagging experiments initiated off New England. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 61: 1976- 1987. doi: 10.1139/f04-130. · DOI · Paper page
  8. [11]Wilson SG, Lutcavage ME, Brill RW, Genovese MP, Cooper AB et al. (2005) Movements of bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean recorded by pop-up satellite archival tags. Mar Biol 146: 409- 423. doi: 10.1007/s00227-004-1445-0. · DOI
  9. [12]Sibert JR, Lutcavage M, Nielsen A, Brill R, Wilson SG (2006) Interannual variations in large-scale movement of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) determined from pop-up satellite archival tags. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 63: 2154- 2166. doi: 10.1139/f06-114. · DOI
  10. [15]Wilson SG, Block BA (2009) Habitat use in Atlantic bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus inferred from diving behavior. Endang Species Res 10: 355- 367. doi: 10.3354/esr00240. · DOI
  11. [16]Galuardi B, Royer F, Golet W, Logan JM, Neilson J et al. (2010) Complex migration routes of Atlantic bluefin tuna question current population structure paradigm. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 67: 966- 976. doi: 10.1139/F10-033. · DOI · Paper page
  12. [17]Galuardi B, Lutcavage M (2012) Dispersal routes and habitat utilization of juvenile Atlantic bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus, tracked with mini PSAT and archival tags. PLOS ONE 7(5): e37829. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037829. PubMed: 22629461. 22629461 PMC3358288 · DOI
  13. [22]De Metrio G, Arnold GP, de la Serna JM, Megalofonou P, Sylos Labini G et al. (2005) Movements and migrations of North Atlantic Bluefin tuna tagged with pop-up satellite tags. In: Spedicato MT Lembo G Proceedings of the Fifth Conference on Fish Telemetry: Rome. FAO/COISPA pp 161- 168.
  14. [28]Fromentin J-M, Powers JE (2005) Atlantic bluefin tuna: population dynamics, ecology, fisheries and management. Fish Fish 6: 281- 306. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-2979.2005.00197.x. · DOI
  15. [30]Rooker JR, Secor DH, De Metrio G, Kaufman JA, Belmonte Ríos A et al. (2008) Evidence of trans-Atlantic mixing and natal homing of bluefin tuna. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 368: 231- 239. doi: 10.3354/meps07602. · DOI
  16. [32]Corriero A, Karakulak S, Santamaria N, Deflorio M, Spedicato D et al. (2005) Size and age at sexual maturity of female bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus L. 1758) from the Mediterranean Sea. J Appl Ichthyol 21: 483- 486. doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0426.2005.00700.x. · DOI
  17. [33]Aranda G, Medina A, Santos A, Abascal FJ, Galaz T (2013) Evaluation of Atlantic bluefin tuna reproductive potential in the western Mediterranean Sea. J Sea Res 76: 154- 160. doi: 10.1016/j.seares.2012.08.005. · DOI
  18. [34]Muhling BA, Lamkin JT, Quattro JM, Smith RH, Roberts MA et al. (2011) Collection of larval bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) outside documented western Atlantic spawning grounds. Bull Mar Sci 87: 687– 694. doi: 10.5343/bms.2010.1101. · DOI · Paper page
  19. [35]Evans K, Patterson TA, Reid H, Harley SJ (2012) Reproductive schedules in southern bluefin tuna: Are current assumptions appropriate? PLOS ONE 7(4): e34550. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0034550. PubMed: 22514636. 22514636 PMC3326032 · DOI · Paper page
  20. [36]Heinisch G, Corriero A, Medina A, Abascal FJ, de la Serna JM et al. (2008) Spatial-temporal pattern of bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus L. 1758) gonad maturation across the Mediterranean Sea. Mar Biol 154: 623- 630. doi: 10.1007/s00227-008-0955-6. · DOI
  21. [38]Gordoa A, Olivar MP, Arévalo R, Viñas J, Molí B et al. (2009) Determination of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) spawning time within a transport cage in the western Mediterranean. ICES J Mar Sci 66: 2205- 2210. doi: 10.1093/icesjms/fsp211. · DOI
  22. [40]Royer F, Lutcavage M (2009) Positioning pelagic fish from sunrise and sunset times: complex observation errors call for constrained, robust modeling. In: Nielsen JL Arrizabalaga H Fragoso N Hobday A Lutcavage M Second International Symposium on Tagging and Tracking Marine Fish with Electronic Devices. Dordrecht: Springer Verlag pp 323- 341.
  23. [41]Zar JH (1996) Biostatistical Analysis. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. 662pp.
  24. [43]Hoolihan JP, Luo J, Abascal FJ, Campana SE, De Metrio G et al. (2011) Evaluating post-release behaviour modification in large pelagic fish deployed with pop-up satellite archival tags. ICES J Mar Sci 68: 880– 889. doi: 10.1093/icesjms/fsr024. · DOI
  25. [44]Musyl MK, Domeier ML, Nasby-Lucas N, Brill RW, McNaughton LM et al. (2011) Performance of pop-up satellite archival tags. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 433: 1- 28. doi: 10.3354/meps09202. · DOI
  26. [45]Viñas J, Gordoa A, Fernández-Cebrián R, Pla C, Vahdet Ü et al. (2011) Facts and uncertainties about the genetic population structure of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) in the Mediterranean. Implications for fishery management. Rev Fish Biol Fish 21: 527- 541. doi: 10.1007/s11160-010-9174-6. · DOI
  27. [46]Riccioni G, Landi M, Ferrara G, Milano I, Cariani A et al. (2010) Spatio-temporal population structuring and genetic diversity retention in depleted Atlantic bluefin tuna of the Mediterranean Sea. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 107: 2102- 2107. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0908281107. PubMed: 20080643. 20080643 PMC2836650 · DOI · Paper page
  28. [47]Klimley AP, Holloway CF (1999) School fidelity and homing synchronicity of yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares. Mar Biol 133: 307- 317. doi: 10.1007/s002270050469. · DOI
  29. [48]Kitagawa T, Kimura S, Nakata H, Yamada H (2007) Why do young Pacific bluefin tuna repeatedly dive to depths through the thermocline? Fish Sci 73: 98– 106. doi: 10.1111/j.1444-2906.2007.01307.x. · DOI
  30. [50]Schaefer KM, Fuller DW, Block BA (2011) Movements, behavior, and habitat utilization of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) in the Pacific Ocean off Baja California, Mexico, determined from archival tag data analyses, including unscented Kalman filtering. Fish Res 112: 22- 37. doi: 10.1016/j.fishres.2011.08.006. · DOI
  31. [51]Walli A, Teo SLH, Boustany A, Farwell CJ, Williams T et al. (2009) Seasonal movements, aggregations and diving behavior of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) revealed with archival tags. PLOS ONE 4(7): e6151. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0006151. PubMed: 19582150. 19582150 PMC2701635 · DOI · Paper page
  32. [52]Lawson GL, Castleton MR, Block BA (2010) Movements and diving behavior of Atlantic bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus in relation to water column structure in the northwestern Atlantic. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 400: 245- 265. doi: 10.3354/meps08394. · DOI
  33. [53]Arnold GP (1974) Rheotropism in fishes. Biol Rev 49: 515- 576. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-185X.1974.tb01173.x. PubMed: 4616732. 4616732 · DOI
  34. [54]Sarà G, Dean JM, D’Amato D, Buscaino G, Oliveri A et al. (2007) Effect of boat noise on the behaviour of bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus in the Mediterranean Sea. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 331: 243– 253. doi: 10.3354/meps331243. · DOI
  35. [56]Tintoré J, La Violette P, Blade I, Cruzado A (1988) A study of an intense density front in the eastern Alboran Sea: the Almeria-Oran front. J Phys Oceanogr 18: 1384- 1397. doi: 10.1175/1520-0485(1988)018. · DOI
  36. [57]Cayré P, Marsac F (1993) Modelling the yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) vertical distribution using sonic tagging results and local environmental parameters. Aquat Living Resour 6: 1- 14. doi: 10.1051/alr:1993001. · DOI
  37. [58]Block BA, Keen JE, Castillo B, Dewar H, Freund EV et al. (1997) Environmental preferences of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) at the northern extent of its range. Mar Biol 130: 119- 132. doi: 10.1007/s002270050231. · DOI
  38. [59]Bushnell PG, Brill RW, Bourke RE (1990) Cardiorespiratory responses of skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis), yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), and bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) to acute reductions of ambient oxygen. Can J Zool 68: 1857- 1865. doi: 10.1139/z90-265. · DOI
  39. [60]Bushnell PG, Brill RW (1992) Oxygen transport and cardiovascular responses in skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) and yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) exposed to acute hypoxia. J Comp Physiol B 162: 131- 143. doi: 10.1007/BF00398338. PubMed: 1592908. 1592908 · DOI
  40. [62]Simon M, Fromentin JM, Bonhommeau S, Gaertner D, Brodziak J et al. (2012) Effects of stochasticity in early life history on steepness and population growth rate estimates: An illustration on Atlantic bluefin tuna. PLOS ONE 7(10): e48583. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048583. PubMed: 23119063. 23119063 PMC3485314 · DOI
  41. [63]Medina A, Abascal FJ, Aragón L, Mourente G, Aranda G et al. (2007) Influence of sampling gear in assessment of reproductive parameters for bluefin tuna in the western Mediterranean. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 337: 221- 230. doi: 10.3354/meps337221. · DOI

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Aranda, G., Abascal, F. J., Varela, J. L., & Medina, A.
Affiliations
  • Universidad de Cádiz (ES)
  • Instituto Español de Oceanografía (ES)
Corresponding author
Medina, Antonio
ORCID
Venue
PLoS ONE
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Published
2013-10-01
Volume
8
Issue
10
Pages
e76445
ISSN
1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0076445
PMC
PMC3788109
OpenAlex
W1982863564
Cited by
105
References
6
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 3
FWCI
6.10
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DIGITAL.CSIC (Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
Junta de Andalucía (RNM-02469, CTM2007-65178-C02-01/MAR)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Marine and fisheries research
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Ichthyology and Marine Biology
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Fish Ecology and Management Studies
Keywords
Thunnus thynnus, spawning behavior, Strait of Gibraltar, diving behavior, mixed layer, thermocline
MeSH terms
Animals, Atlantic Ocean, Behavior, Animal, Environment, Female, Male, Seasons, Spain, Tuna, Satellite Communications, Animal Migration, Remote Sensing Technology

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review