Spawning-Related Movements of Barred Sand Bass, Paralabrax nebulifer, in Southern California: Interpretations from Two Decades of Historical Tag and Recapture Data

Abstract

During the 1960s and 1990s, the California Department of Fish and Game tagged 8,634 barred sand bass in southern California, and 972 fish (11%) were recaptured. Tag returns suggest barred sand bass are transient aggregate spawners that form spawning aggregations consisting of both resident and migrant individuals. Spawning residency at a historic spawning location was estimated by the frequency of returns over time; most same-year returns (82%, n = 141) were recaptured within a 7 to 35-day period. The maximum recapture distance was 92 km. The average (± SD) non-spawning season recapture distance from peak spawning season tagging locations was 13 ± 8 km, and movement was generally northward. A positive relationship existed between fish size (TL) and migration distance to non-spawning season recapture locations. Fish tagged at a presumed non-spawning season residence were primarily recaptured south of the tagging location during peak and late spawning season; the average migration distance was 17 ± 15 km. Recaptures in subsequent years showed a high degree of spawning (80%, n = 135) and non-spawning (73%, n = 11) site fidelity. This is the first documentation of the spawning-related movements of barred sand bass and will be important for informing management decisions regarding this popular sport fish.