Theses and Dissertations
Issuing Body
Mississippi State University
Advisor
Drymon, J. Marcus
Committee Member
Ajemian, Matthew J.
Committee Member
Colvin, Michael E.
Date of Degree
5-3-2019
Original embargo terms
Worldwide
Document Type
Graduate Thesis - Open Access
Major
Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture
Degree Name
Master of Science
College
College of Forest Resources
Department
Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture
Abstract
Mobile Bay is a dynamic estuary home to a diverse faunal assemblage, which includes several species of batoid fishes (Chondrichthyes: Batoidea). To better understand the dynamics of this batoid assemblage, batoids were opportunistically sampled from 440 trawls performed in and around Mobile Bay from 2016 to 2017. The species Hypanus sabinus and Gymnura lessae were the most common batoids collected (86% of catch). PERMANOVA analysis found the variables day length, location, year, and water temperature best described catch variability. Furthermore, stomach contents from Gymnura lessae were sampled to investigate its diet. Most prey were heavily degraded, thus DNA metabarcoding was used to enhance prey identification. Most prey (88.3%) were from the families Sciaenidae and Engraulidae, and the variables season and sex best explained the dietary variability. These data will be necessary for modeling potential habitat and dietary shifts of Mobile Bay’s batoids as climate change and anthropogenic disturbances alter estuaries.
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/11668/21224
Recommended Citation
Jargowsky, Matthew Bernard, "Life History Patterns and the Spatial and Trophic Ecology of Batoids in a Northern Gulf of Mexico Estuary" (2019). Theses and Dissertations. 2946.
https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/td/2946
Comments
Otoliths||Dauphin Island Sea Lab||Marine||Stingray