Evaluating Movements Of Opakapaka (Pristipomoides Filamentosus) Relative To A Restricted Fishing Area By Using Acoustic Telemetry And A Depth-Constrained Estimator Of Linear Home Ranges

Networks of no-take fishery reserves have emerged as a tool for managing deepwater fish species. In Hawaii and elsewhere, such areas are used to manage deepwater snapper species. However, little is known regarding the movements of these species relative to protected areas. We used passive acoustic telemetry to track crimson jobfish (Pristipomoides filamentosus), also known as opakapaka, in one of Hawaii's bottomfish restricted fishing areas to understand the size required for a reserve to protect this species. From January 2017 through January 2018, 179 fish were tagged. Only 10 fish were classified as alive on the basis of movements indicated by detections in tracking data (tracks). For these fish, the median time between the first and last detection of an individual on an acoustic receiver array was 414.5 d with a mean number of detections per individual of 28,321. Linear estimates of home range averaged 3.7 and 6.0 km in conservative and optimistic scenarios, smaller than the median linear habitat dimension of Hawaii's reserves. Fish were detected within the reserve on 97% or more of the days they were tracked. These results indicate that current reserves in Hawaii are likely sufficient in scale to confer positive biological benefits to opakapaka that reside within their borders.