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Abstract

For fish of the genus Sebastes, which have strong site fidelity, understanding the characteristics of their return trips and how their sensory cues influence behavior will be useful for conservation and resource management. Here, we conducted a behavioral tracking study for the black rockfish Sebastes schlegelii using acoustic telemetry and sensory inhibition. We compared aspects of the return process for individuals in a control group (CNT), and fish in blind (BLD) and olfactory inhibition (OLF) conditions. Nine individuals were released 850 m from the fishing site, and all of them returned. However, the time taken to complete the return varied, with BLD taking the longest, followed by OLF and then CNT. One CNT individual released at 2 km did not return. The return route of CNT individuals was through waters shallower than 10 m in west receiving area, Area 1, from north receiving area including release point, Area 2, while the BLD individuals swam in the opposite direction, at a depth of 40 m northeast of Area 2. OLF individuals took longer at Area 1, although they followed the same route as CNT individuals after release. Therefore, the visual cues were likely used to determine the direction of return, and the inhibition of vision probably affected return speed and activity patterns. Inhibition of olfaction likely affects the return process on small spatial scales. Though it may have less impact than visual inhibition, it may still prevent the perception of olfactory cues in specific environments and conspecifics.

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