Contact Information

Email:

lee@utmsi.utexas.edu

Mailing Address:

Marine Science Institute, The University of Texas, 750 Channel View Drive, Port Aransas, TX  78373

Campus Mail Code:

Mar Sci Inst-Port Aran T2500

Fish Biology

Behavior and sensory ecology of fishes and marine mammals; developmental ecology of fish larvae.

Research Interests

The past few decades have seen the biology of fish larvae blossom into an exciting field of research. These tiny, usually transparent early life stages had been neglected because of the difficulties in collecting, identifying, and maintaining them. With many of these problems solved, research is directed toward understanding how processes affecting larval fishes have serious consequences for populations of adults. Survival of larvae is a prerequisite for sustained populations, and like adults, larvae must find food and avoid predators. However, unlike adults, they must do so while their abilities vary due to dramatic morphological, physiological, and behavioral changes caused by development. 

Our research includes both laboratory and field experiments on the behavioral and sensory capabilities of fish larvae. Much of it involves frame-by-frame motion analysis of video taped experiments. This approach has led to important insights into the change in vulnerability of larvae to predators during early life. We combine the behavioral approach with detailed studies of changing sensory and locomotor morphology to understand how behavior may be constrained. We also study the effects of environmental variables (e.g., temperature and salinity) on a larva's capabilities. We incorporate field experiments to form ecological interpretations for the laboratory results. Our research has now expanded to include assessment of sublethal effects of pollutants and their ecological interpretation.

Selected Publications (Complete Publications Listing)

Fuiman, L.A., and J.H. Cowan, Jr. In press. Behavioral mechanisms underlying recruitment success in marine fish larvae: Repeatability and
covariation of survival skills. Ecology.

Fuiman, L.A., and R.G. Werner, eds. 2002. Fishery Science: The Unique Contributions of Early Life Stages. Blackwell Science, Oxford.

Myrberg, A.A., Jr., and L.A. Fuiman. 2002. The sensory world of coral reef fishes. Pages 123-148. In: P.F. Sale, editor. Coral Reef Fishes:
Dynamics and Diversity in a Complex Ecosystem. Academic Press, San Diego.

Fuiman, L. A., R. W. Davis, and T. M. Williams. 2002. Behavior of midwater fishes under the Antarctic ice: Observations by a predator. Marine
Biology 140:815-822.

Davis, R.A., L.A. Fuiman, T.M. Williams, and B.J. Le Beouf. 2001. Three-dimensional movements and swimming activity of a northern elephant
seal. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A 129:759-770.

Williams, T.M., R.W. Davis, L.A. Fuiman, J. Francis, B.J. LeBoeuf, M. Horning, J. Calambokidis, and D.A. Croll. 2000. Sink or swim: Strategies
for cost-efficient diving by marine mammals. Science 288:133-136.

Fuiman, L.A., M.E. Smith, and V. Malley. 1999. Ontogeny of routine swimming speed and startle response in red drum, with a comparison of
responses to acoustic and visual stimuli. Journal of Fish Biology. 55(supplement A):215-226.

Fuiman, L.A. and B.C. Delbos. 1998. Developmental changes in visual sensitivity of red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus. Copeia 1998:936-943.

Fuiman, L.A., K.R. Poling, and D.M. Higgs. 1998. Quantifying developmental progress for comparative studies of larval fishes. Copeia
1998:602-611.

Fuiman, L.A. 1997. What can flatfish ontogenies tell us about pelagic and benthic lifestyles? Journal of Sea Research 37:257-267.

Fuiman, L.A., and R.S. Batty. 1997. What a drag it is getting cold: partitioning the physical and physiological effects of temperature on fish
swimming. Journal of Experimental Biology 200:1745­1755.