Kupchik and Shaw: Effects of recruitment through a coastal boundary layer on growth of larval Brevoortia patronus 
213 
25 -1 
20 - 
15 
CO 
10 - 
5 - 
0 -■ 
SI = 3.337254e^ o.oi934s 
Ai= M/WCA^e, 31.085634) 
A 2 = MAX{Age - 31.085634,0) 
0.011712(a-ef 0.050839A2)^ 
Year 1 
(l-e(-0.0234384i)) o.01488o(l-e1-“058’5'‘‘i2)) 
SL — 3.337254e^ 0.023438 0 . 0 S 8754 
Ai= M//V (2156,31.140947) 
A 2 = MAX{Age - 31.140947,0) 
Year 2 
0.073058(l-ef“®’®^*^^'^^l1) 0.008855(l-ef~®'®'^®^*®^2)) 
SL — 3.337254e' 0016744 0.040660 1 
Ai= M/Af (2156,31.040031) 
A 2 = MAXiAge - 31.040031,0) 
20 
40 
Age (dah) 
60 
n 
80 
Figure 3 
Relationships of standard length (SL) to age in days after hatching (dah) estimated with 2-cycle Laird-Gom- 
pertz growth models for each sampling year and a pooled total of data from otoliths of larval Gulf menhaden 
{Brevoortia patronus) collected at Bayou Tartellan, Louisiana, from October 2006 to April 2007 and from Sep¬ 
tember 2007 to April 2008. The dashed lines represent the hind-casted models through the estimated intercept 
to estimate growth rates of larvae at ages in dah less than the minimum age measured. Boxplots show the 
median, 25%, and 75% quantiles, 95 percent confidence intervals, and outliers are provided for each axis. The 
2-cycle Laird-Gompertz models were parameterized with equations provided in the figure. 
with approximately the 3 mm total length reported 
elsewhere (Hettler, 1981; Warlen, 1988; Powell, 1994; 
Raynie and Shaw, 1994). Smaller and younger larvae 
were encountered earlier during the sample period 
(i.e., September to early October) for both years. Early 
September estuarine recruitment of Gulf menhaden 
larvae is novel for Louisiana waters (Raynie and Shaw, 
1994; Carassou et ah, 2012), and the smaller sizes and 
younger ages suggest a truncated recruitment corridor 
and spawning that occurs earlier than previously re¬ 
ported and within more coastal waters (Shaw et al., 
1988). The shorter distance of the spawning ground 
to estuary recruitment corridor at this time of year 
may possibly be a result of the influences of the off¬ 
shore GOM hypoxia zone that shifts spawning aggre¬ 
gations into a narrow, alongshore corridor (Vaughan 
et ah, 2007). Although there is still much debate on 
the role that hypoxia may play in fisheries production 
(Chesney and Baltz, 2001; Breitburg, 2002; Diaz and 
Rosenberg, 2008), such a shortened spawning-ground 
to estuary-recruitment corridor, may drive earlier es¬ 
tuarine recruitment for larval Gulf menhaden, thereby 
decreasing offshore mortality during larval drift (Cush¬ 
ing, 1974; Letcher et ah, 1996). 
Spawning dates back calculated from ages (das) 
suggested movement of spawning aggregations far- 
