Mesopelagic fishes in a hurry at low latitudes

S Kaartvedt; S Christiansen; Anders Røstad; DL Aksnes

doi:10.3354/meps14114

Mesopelagic fishes in a hurry at low latitudes

S Kaartvedt, S Christiansen, Anders Røstad, DL Aksnes

Biological, Environmental Sciences and Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

We studied mesopelagic fishes in the Red Sea (22°N), hypothesizing that the rapid shifts between day and night at low latitudes would translate into rapid vertical migration speeds and brief near-surface ‘antipredation windows’. Using a bottom-moored echosounder, we found that diel vertical migration speeds of acoustical scattering layers were up to double that of the global average. Visits to upper water by some of the layers were strikingly brief, around 10 min, and included unusual rapid ascent and descent (up to 22 cm s-1), apparently with a high degree of behavioral plasticity. We suggest that the behavior of mesopelagic fishes in upper waters relates to their respective light sensitivities but is controlled by the arrival of predators. Rapid shifts between day and night appear to be an inherent factor in structuring marine ecosystems at low latitudes.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	149-156
Number of pages	8
Journal	Marine Ecology Progress Series
Volume	694
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14114
State	Published - Aug 11 2022

Bibliographical note

KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2022-09-14
Acknowledgements: The field work was funded by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia. S.K., S.C. and D.L.A. were supported by the EU-project SUMMER (Grant agreement number: 817806) during preparation of the manuscript.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ecology
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Aquatic Science

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.3354/meps14114

https://repository.kaust.edu.sa/bitstream/10754/680350/1/m694p149.pdf

Cite this

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title = "Mesopelagic fishes in a hurry at low latitudes",

abstract = "We studied mesopelagic fishes in the Red Sea (22°N), hypothesizing that the rapid shifts between day and night at low latitudes would translate into rapid vertical migration speeds and brief near-surface {\textquoteleft}antipredation windows{\textquoteright}. Using a bottom-moored echosounder, we found that diel vertical migration speeds of acoustical scattering layers were up to double that of the global average. Visits to upper water by some of the layers were strikingly brief, around 10 min, and included unusual rapid ascent and descent (up to 22 cm s-1), apparently with a high degree of behavioral plasticity. We suggest that the behavior of mesopelagic fishes in upper waters relates to their respective light sensitivities but is controlled by the arrival of predators. Rapid shifts between day and night appear to be an inherent factor in structuring marine ecosystems at low latitudes.",

author = "S Kaartvedt and S Christiansen and Anders R{\o}stad and DL Aksnes",

note = "KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2022-09-14 Acknowledgements: The field work was funded by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia. S.K., S.C. and D.L.A. were supported by the EU-project SUMMER (Grant agreement number: 817806) during preparation of the manuscript.",

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doi = "10.3354/meps14114",

language = "English (US)",

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AU - Kaartvedt, S

AU - Christiansen, S

AU - Røstad, Anders

AU - Aksnes, DL

N1 - KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2022-09-14 Acknowledgements: The field work was funded by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia. S.K., S.C. and D.L.A. were supported by the EU-project SUMMER (Grant agreement number: 817806) during preparation of the manuscript.

PY - 2022/8/11

Y1 - 2022/8/11

N2 - We studied mesopelagic fishes in the Red Sea (22°N), hypothesizing that the rapid shifts between day and night at low latitudes would translate into rapid vertical migration speeds and brief near-surface ‘antipredation windows’. Using a bottom-moored echosounder, we found that diel vertical migration speeds of acoustical scattering layers were up to double that of the global average. Visits to upper water by some of the layers were strikingly brief, around 10 min, and included unusual rapid ascent and descent (up to 22 cm s-1), apparently with a high degree of behavioral plasticity. We suggest that the behavior of mesopelagic fishes in upper waters relates to their respective light sensitivities but is controlled by the arrival of predators. Rapid shifts between day and night appear to be an inherent factor in structuring marine ecosystems at low latitudes.

AB - We studied mesopelagic fishes in the Red Sea (22°N), hypothesizing that the rapid shifts between day and night at low latitudes would translate into rapid vertical migration speeds and brief near-surface ‘antipredation windows’. Using a bottom-moored echosounder, we found that diel vertical migration speeds of acoustical scattering layers were up to double that of the global average. Visits to upper water by some of the layers were strikingly brief, around 10 min, and included unusual rapid ascent and descent (up to 22 cm s-1), apparently with a high degree of behavioral plasticity. We suggest that the behavior of mesopelagic fishes in upper waters relates to their respective light sensitivities but is controlled by the arrival of predators. Rapid shifts between day and night appear to be an inherent factor in structuring marine ecosystems at low latitudes.

UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10754/680350

UR - https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v694/p149-156/

U2 - 10.3354/meps14114

DO - 10.3354/meps14114

M3 - Article

SN - 0171-8630

VL - 694

SP - 149

EP - 156

JO - Marine Ecology Progress Series

JF - Marine Ecology Progress Series

ER -

Mesopelagic fishes in a hurry at low latitudes

Abstract

Bibliographical note

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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