137 
Abstract .■Densities of juveniles of 
the Hawaiian deepwater snapper 
Pristipomoid.es filamentosus were sur- 
veyed for 3 years in relation to their 
demersal environment at an east Oahu 
study site. Juveniles settled annually 
to spatially stable aggregations, occu- 
pying expanses of uniform sedimentary 
habitat. Habitat data were collected 
and used in a logistic regression model 
to predict correctly 68% of the juveniles’ 
spatial variability. Premium habitat 
was identified as a sediment bottom, 
free of relief, and close to focused 
sources of drainage (reef platforms, 
embayments, and anthropogenic sources) 
in adjacent shallows. Surveys for juve- 
niles elsewhere on insular slopes of the 
Hawaiian Archipelago indicated low ju- 
venile abundance except at infrequent 
locations close to point sources of 
coastal drainage. Estimates of recruit 
production, based on densities of juve- 
niles from other than premium habi- 
tat, were a small fraction of the recruits 
needed (calculated from catch) to ac- 
count for the fishery’s current landings 
of adult snappers. The 68-fold higher 
juvenile abundance at premium habi- 
tat can reconcile this difference, indi- 
cating that such infrequent high-qual- 
ity habitat is an important (perhaps 
critical) fishery resource. 
Manuscript accepted 17 July 1996. 
Fishery Bulletin 95:137-148 ( 1997). 
Nursery habitat in relation to 
production of juvenile pink snapper, 
Pristipomoides filamentosus ; 
in the Hawaiian Archipelago 
Frank A. Parrish 
Edward E. DeMartini 
Denise M. Ellis 
Honolulu Laboratory, Southwest Fisheries Science Center 
National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA 
Honolulu, Hawaii 96822-2396 
E-mail address: Frank.Parrish@noaa.gov 
Understanding favorable nursery 
habitat and its contribution to the 
standing stock of adults provides an 
important perspective for managing 
demersal fisheries. In the tropics, 
such nursery habitat has been stud- 
ied effectively for many species in- 
habiting shallower depths (Bardach, 
1959; Parrish, 1989; Birkeland 1 ). 
Species using deeper, more remote 
nursery grounds have received less 
attention, and as a result, habitat 
often is not considered adequately 
in fishery modelling or management 
planning. In places with limited 
demersal nursery habitat, such as 
the minimal shelf area of oceanic 
islands, this habitat may represent 
a resource of critical importance to 
the fishery. Accelerated coastal de- 
velopment on many islands could 
degrade unrecognized favorable 
nursery habitat and impact fishery 
resources. This paper examines the 
nursery habitat of the deepwater 
Hawaiian pink snapper, Pristi- 
pomoides filamentosus, in relation to 
the spatial variability of its juve- 
niles. A study site at a productive 
nursery ground was intensively sur- 
veyed, and the results compared 
with surveys made over much of the 
archipelago. The implications of the 
variable habitat quality for the stock 
of adult snappers inhabiting the ar- 
chipelago were then considered. 
The pink snapper accounts for 
more than 40% of the State of 
Hawaii’s $3 million annual commer- 
cial bottomfish catch 2 and is well 
represented in the extensive recre- 
ational catch. However, study and 
management of the adult stock has 
been historically difficult because of 
its patchy distribution and poorly 
recorded recreational landings 
( Ralston and Polovina, 1982 ). A pro- 
ductive research approach may be 
to study the juveniles of the species, 
which are free of fishing pressure 
and of the factors that affect recruit- 
ment to the adult population. Re- 
cent discovery (F. A. Parrish, 1989) 
of a dense, stable aggregation of ju- 
veniles in a nursery area has made 
this approach feasible. Juveniles (7- 
25 cm fork length | FL]) occupy mod- 
erate depths (60-90 m) in patchy 
aggregations on the insular shelf for 
less than a year before moving 
deeper ( 150-190 m) as they mature 
1 Birkeland, C. 1985. Ecological interac- 
tions between mangroves, seagrass beds, 
and coral reefs. United Nations Environ- 
mental Program Regional Series Report 
and Studies 73, 126 p. 
2 WPRFMC (Western Pacific Regional Fish- 
ery Management Council). 1993. Bot- 
tomfish and seamount groundfish fisher- 
ies of the Western Pacific region. NOAA 
NA17FC0062-02, Honolulu. HI, 57 p. 
WPRFMC, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 1405, 
Honolulu, HI 96813. 
