Environmental drivers of growth and predicted effects of climate change on a commercially important fish, Platycephalus laevigatus

Abstract

Human-driven climate change and habitat modification are negatively impacting coastal ecosystems and the species that reside within them. Uncovering how individuals of key species respond to environmental influences is crucial for effective and responsive coastal resource and fisheries management. Here, using an otolith based analysis, we recreated the growth history of rock flathead Platycephalus laevigatus from Corner Inlet, Victoria, Australia, over a 32 yr timeframe and related growth variation to changes in key environmental variables. Growth increased with higher temperatures during the fish growing season (December-May) and also increased with higher freshwater flow during the period ..