Density Dependence of Larval Growth of a Marine Fish, the Southern Bluefin Tuna, Thunnus maccoyii

Competition for food among larvae and subsequent reduction in growth rates has been proposed as a mechanism to explain the apparent density-dependent control of some exploited marine fish populations, but has received little support from field data. Growth of larvae of southern bluefin tuna, Thunnus maccoyii, in the East Indian Ocean was significantly different among stations sampled randomly within a 20-km radius. Growth rate was positively correlated with feeding rate but not with temperature, indicating that larvae were food limited to a varying degree. A negative correlation between growth rate and abundance suggested that food limitation was density dependent. Regression analysis indicated that in areas of highest larval densities there was an approximate 25% reduction in growth rate. We suggest that in areas of high abundance, larvae were competing for food, leading to a density-dependent reduction of growth rate. Because the larval stage of high mortality is prolonged, cumulative mortality of slow-growing larvae over this period may be greater, even if the mortality rate is constant.