Home range areas and activity centres in six species of Caribbean wrasses (Labridae)

In six Caribbean wrasse (Labridae) species: Halichoeres bivittatus, Halichoeres garnoti. Halichoeres maculipinna. Halichoeres poeyi. Halichoeres radiatus and Thalassoma biftisciatum. home range area (A(HR)) was positively correlated with fish total length (LT) and this relationship was not significantly different among H. bivittatus H. garnoti, H. radiatus and T. bifasciatum. The data for three of these species (H. radiatus was excluded because only juveniles were investigated) were pooled and the relationship between L-T and A(HR) was analysed for juveniles and initial phase (IP) adults separately. This analysis found that once individuals of these two species become IP adults, the AHR reached a plateau, despite Continued fish growth. In a separate analysis including all six wrasse species, after accounting for differences in LT using ANOVA. it was found that IP adults required larger areas than juveniles, and terminal phase (TP) adults required larger AHR than IP adults. Upon analysis of the distribution of activity throughout A(HR) for all species studied, it was found that 50% of the observation points (defined as the activity centre) were found in 13 to 24% of the A(HR). (C) 2005 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.