DOI: 10.25903/5e7b016278e0b
title: Homing behaviour of juvenile coral reef fishes

description: <p>This dataset contains the raw data associated with the following publication: </p><p>Streit, R. P., & Bellwood, D. R. (2017).<br />High prevalence of homing behaviour among juvenile coral reef fishes and the role of body size. <br /><em>Coral Reefs</em>, 36, 1083-1095. doi:<a href="http://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-017-1600-y">10.1007/s00338-017-1600-y</a></p><p>This data details the results of a study involving displacement of juvenile reef fishes across seven species, conducted in early 2016 across five sites in the lagoon of Lizard Island on the northern Great Barrier Reef. </p><p>The intent of this study was to displace fishes and assess their behaviour and success at returning home to their previously occupied sites. This behaviour can give insights into long-term site fidelity or connectivity of individual fishes and fish populations. Juvenile fishes were chosen to assess when in a fish's life a "sense of home" develops. </p><p>Fishes were displaced over a maximum of 150m, between four sites, as well as at a control site, where fishes were caught, handled and tagged in the same way, yet re-released at the original catch site. </p><p>Across all sites, the location of individual fishes was recorded 5 times after release, with a maximum of one week post release. </p><p>For methodological details as well as a map for the study site, please see the published manuscript (reference above) or contact robert.streit [at] my.jcu.edu.au</p><p>Details on included variables: </p><p><strong>FAMILY/ SPECIES</strong>:   taxonomic identity of each fish (note: parrotfishes are classed as "Scarus sp." since juveniles could not be reliably identified to species level)</p><p><strong>DISTANCE</strong>:   displacement distance, i.e. approximate linear distance between catch- and release-site of each fish</p><p><strong>TL / SL</strong>:   Total length (TL) and standard length (SL) of each fish, measured using callipers during tagging (fishes had been individually tagged with unique colour-coded visual-implant-elastomer tags)</p><p><strong>HOMED</strong>:   binomial variable indicating whether a fish successfully homed during the 1 week under observation, (1 = homed, 0 = not homed)</p><p><strong>STAYED</strong>:   binomial variable indicating whether a fish remained at the release site after displacement, (1 = stayed/remained, 0 = did not stay)</p><p><strong>LOST</strong>:   binomial variable indicating whether a fish became 'lost' (i.e. unobserved) during the 1 week under observation, this category includes fishes that were not re-observed due to mortality or relocation outside of our searched areas. (1 = lost, 0 = not lost)</p><p><strong>CATCHSITE / RELEASESITE</strong>: ID of each fish's catch and release site, including 4 displacement sites (A,B,C,D) and one control site</p><p><strong>CURRENT_DIRECTION</strong>: approximation of water current direction relative to displacement, based on approximate wind direction (northerly / southerly) on each day of displacement and orientation of study sites. (2 = non-displaced control fishes, no current, 1 = displaced against the current, 0 = displaced with the current)</p><p><strong>Fate_6h / Fate_24h / Fate_48h / Fate_96h / Fate_1w</strong>:   Fate ('homed', 'stayed at release site' or 'lost') of each fish during each of the five observation periods (6h after release, 24h after release, 48h after release, 96h after release and 1 week after release)</p><p><strong>TIME_UNTIL_FIRST_HOMING</strong>:   Time in hours until fish was first recorded to have homed, i.e. re-observed at catch site after displacement. </p><p><strong>POST_HOMING_FIDELITY</strong>:   number of observation periods during which fish remained at home site after having returned home, i.e. did not disappear again.</p><p><strong>P.H.FIDELITY_HOURS</strong>:  Post homing fidelity (as above) but expressed in hours, not "observation periods"</p>