Home range, movement rates, and habitat use of queen conch, Strombus gigas, in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

The queen conch, Strombus gigas, is a highly valued fishery resource in the Caribbean basin, historically second only to the spiny lobster. Currently listed in Appendix II of CITES, historical surveys from the U.S. Virgin Islands have documented wide-spread reductions in population densities. Habitat use and movement patterns of queen conch differ by size and maturity status, making it important to identify areas and habitat types that can play a role in the recovery of this species. We tracked long-term movements and spatial distributions of conch in St. John, USVI, using visual surveys coupled with mark-and-recapture techniques. Juvenile conch exhibited the smallest mean home range (95% contour) and core area (50% contour) at 8470 square meters and 2083 square meters, respectively, but had the largest aggregate home range (115,410 square meters and aggregate core area (55,055 square meters ). Transitional conch had the largest mean home range and core area at 18,203 square meters and 4944 m2 , respectively, with an aggregate home range and core area of 113,147 square meters and 59,067 square meters . Adults had an aggregate home range and core area of 65,045 square meters and 29,178 square meters , with a mean home range and core area of 14,987 square meters and 3929 squaremeters. Adults exhibited the highest daily movement rate at 11.36 m per day, with juvenile and transitional conch having similar rates of 4.66 m per day and 3.44 m per day, respectively. Multiple recapture events of tagged conch showed an ontogenetic shift in habitat use as maturing individuals moved from shallow seagrass habitats into deeper-water macroalgae plains.

Jennifer C. Doerr and Ronald L. Hill "Home Range, Movement Rates, and Habitat Use of Queen Conch, Strombus gigas, in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands," Caribbean Journal of Science 47(2–3), 251-259, (1 June 2013). https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v47i3.a13