oiotaggingproject

1. http://www.oiotaggingproject.com

2. Outline Significance Background Bonefish Hawaiian bonefishes Tagging program Future Research

3. Significance • The life cycle of bonefish (Abula spp) is not completely known • Two species of bonefish are found in Hawaiian waters (Shaklee and Tamaru 1981) • Significant differences between species feeding apparatuses and fishes live in sympatry • Hawaiian bonefish have little economic importance • No life history studies performed on Hawaiian bonefish • Florida’s bonefish recreational fishery is worth over a billion dollars and most bonefish research has been conducted in the Atlantic Ocean (Ault 2005)

4. Significance:A case of resource partitioning? • Albula glossodonta (roundjaw), regulated • Albula virgata (sharpjaw) • Slightly overlapping habitats • Externally indistinguishable • Significantly different feeding apparatus • Genetically distinct, diverged approximately 20 million years • Morphological & perhaps ecological slow to diverge www.soest.hawaii.edu

5. Outline Significance Background Bonefish

6. Bonefish Cosmopolitan species Tropical & sub tropical waters Sand and grass flats Most species are morphologically indistinguishable Highly prized as game and food A. vulpes A. nemoptera

7. Outline Significance and Hypotheses Background Bonefish Hawaiian bonefishes

8. Importance of Bonefish in Hawaiian Culture ‘Ō‘io – Hawaiian name for bonefish Important in ancient Hawaiian fish pond aquaculture Archeological surveys found 11% of fish remains were bonefish (Longenecker & Dye 2009) Often eaten raw mixed with limu (seaweed) or in fish cakes Fishing methods: nets, line fishing from canoe (w/ chum) (Titcomb 1972)

9. Length-frequency distribution (FL - mm) for both Albula spp. (N = 978)

10. Hawaiian Bonefish Albula virgata “Sharp jaw” Albula glossodonta “Round jaw” Photo provided by Kurt Kawamoto

11. Internal Differences virgata (Randall, J.E. 1981) A. glossodonta A. virgata

12. Hawaiian Bonefish Today • 1900 • Market data • 1950-2008 • Commercial Fishing Reports Commercial Bonefish Landings Hawaii 1900-2006 Recreational Subsistence

13. Outline Significance Background Bonefish Hawaiian bonefishes Tagging program

14. Tag and Release ProgramVolunteer Anglers • 2003-2006 Tag-and-release program • 50 anglers, primarily fly-fishers • 2008 Tag-and-release program • 3 month pilot program • 32 anglers • Recruited previous program’s anglers • January 2011 • 315 anglers • Recruited mixed gear fishing clubs • Annual fishing & seafood festival • Volunteers with State of Hawai‘i Ulua/papio tagging project

15. Catch rates • Growth rates • Site fidelity • Migration routes • Encourage conservation • by catch and release Tag and Release Program

17. Results Fishing success by large locations for all tag reports June 2008 - August 2010.

18. Major tagging locations for ‘ō‘io on Oahu 2003-2010 • 1,947 ‘ō‘io tagged • May 2003 to • August 2010 • 81% roundjaw, • 19% sharpjaw • 25 total recaptures (1.3%) • uneven coverage • (Biases: Habitat, Fisheries)

19. Movement patterns of bonefish from tag-recapture program • Average distance • 1.0 km • 1 exception • recapture 78.9 km, off Molokai • Average time at-large • 290 days • Maximum time at-large • 1,693 days

21. ‘Ō’io Tagging Project Recaptures Recaptured tagged bonefish with original tag reports from June 2008 - August 2010.

22. ‘Ō’io Tagging Project Activities • Oʻahu shoreline fishing tournaments • Sponsor tagging categories • Classroom demonstrations • Hawaiʻi Seafood & Fishing Festival • Ocean Expo/Ocean University

23. Outline Significance Background Bonefish Hawaiian bonefishes Tagging program Future Research

24. Future Research Provide species-specific biological information Age and growth rates Bulk and compound specific SIA Acoustic tagging Establish L50 • Open tagging project state wide • Determine fishing effort & value of recreational fishery • Education and outreach

25. http://www.oiotaggingproject.com Dave McCoy, Emerald Water Anglers