Spatial variation in life history characteristics of snapper ( <i>Pagrus auratus</i> ) within Shark Bay, Western Australia

Abstract

Abstract Life history characteristics of snapper ( Pagrus auratus ) were found to vary at fine spatial scales (less than tens of kilometres) in the sub‐tropical waters of Shark Bay, Western Australia, from research undertaken between 1997 and 2004. Differences in the timing and duration of the spawning season, length and age at maturity, and maximum age and growth between snapper from the Eastern Gulf, Denham Sound and Freycinet Estuary were attributed to spatial differences in environmental conditions and density‐dependent responses to fishing‐induced changes in spawning biomass. Such fine‐scale spatial variation in the biological characteristics of snapper is consistent with results of previous stock identification studies and further supports the geographic scale at which local snapper stocks are managed to protect both stock productivity and genetic diversity.