Movement patterns of gray triggerfish, Balistes capriscus, around artificial reefs in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Little is known about the movement patterns of gray triggerfish, Balistes capriscus Gmelin, in the northern Gulf of Mexico. To examine fine-scale movements, gray triggerfish (n=17) were tagged with transmitters and tracked with the VR2W Positioning System from 17 October 2012 to 9 December 2013. Most (76%) tagged fish survived and were tracked for 1-57weeks. Tagged fish showed significantly larger home ranges and core areas in autumn than winter-spring and during day than night. Seasonal movement patterns were positively correlated with water temperature. Gray triggerfish stayed close to the reef (mean +/- SD distance=35.9 +/- 28.4m) and showed high site fidelity (64%) and high residency (>57weeks). These patterns emphasise the importance of structured habitat for this species and suggest that artificial reef building in the northern Gulf of Mexico has enhanced this population.