Does Early Post-Settlement Survival of the Temperate Blackeye Goby Depend on Larval Traits?

In marine organisms with complex life histories it is possible for events occurring during earlier life stages to affect an individual’s subsequent survival. In fishes, it has been proposed that settlement, the transition from a pelagic habitat to a benthic one, is a critical period in determining survivorship. It is thought that there may be selection on specific larval traits (i.e., non-random mortality), which could influence an individual’s probability of survival after settlement. This study examines the effects of larval traits on the survival of juveniles to one month of age post settlement at two sites at Santa Catalina Island, California. Individuals for this study were collected during the summer of 2009. New settlers, as well as approximately one-month-old juveniles, were collected in order to examine which larval traits persist in the population and thus determine if selection is acting on particular traits. The two larval traits examined were size at settlement and pre-settlement growth rates. In addition, collections were completed at two times and at two sites to document variation in larval traits, as well as variation in selection on these traits occurring within the season and between locations. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on how early life history traits influence the survival of individuals beyond the settlement transition.