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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Mar. Sci.

Sec. Marine Biology

Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmars.2025.1652191

Life-history-dependent and seasonally varying distribution patterns of Atlantic bigeye (Priacanthus arenatus) in western African Coast

Provisionally accepted
Fengyuan  ShenFengyuan Shen1Yuqing  ZhangYuqing Zhang1Chunlei  FengChunlei Feng1Taichun  QuTaichun Qu1Ruiliang  FanRuiliang Fan1Zhixuan  FengZhixuan Feng2,3Hanfeng  ZhengHanfeng Zheng1Hui  XuHui Xu4Hewei  LiuHewei Liu1Shuai  LiShuai Li1Xiumei  FanXiumei Fan1Wang  XueWang Xue2,3HUI  HUIHUI HUI5Fengyuan  ShenFengyuan Shen5Lingzhi  LiLingzhi Li1*
  • 1East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shanghai, China
  • 2East China Normal University State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, Shanghai, China
  • 3East China Normal University Institute of Eco Chongming, Shanghai, China
  • 4Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan
  • 5Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Youyi Building, Freetown, Sierra Leone

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Understanding spatiotemporal distribution patterns of fish across life history stages is critical for sustainable fishery management, particularly in data-poor regions such as the extensive yet poorly explored western African coastal regions. This study investigates the distribution patterns and ontogenetic habitat shifts of Atlantic bigeye (Priacanthus arenatus) at various life stages on the coast of Sierra Leone using data from twelve cruises conducted between 2019 and 2021. Our results reveal distinct life-stage partitioning across multiple life stages of Atlantic bigeye. Juveniles (<60 mm body length) predominantly distribute in the pelagic waters beyond the continental shelf. As individuals reach a body length of approximately 60 mm, they enter the sub-adult stage, characterized by the onset of gonad development and a noticeable migration to demersal areas within the continental shelf. Adults (≥150 mm body length) are basically demersal as populations primarily distribute in demersal areas within the continental shelf. Our observations also suggest that juvenile Atlantic bigeye exhibits capture peaks: one prior to the rainy season (April–May) and the other after the rainy season (September–October), suggesting a potential correlation with spawning. Moreover, the extensive offshore distribution of juveniles beyond the continental shelf appears to be closely associated with seasonal river plume spread, potentially reflecting a behavioral adaptation to utilize oceanic dispersal pathways during periods of enhanced freshwater input. These findings fill a critical knowledge gap and provide a scientific basis for fisheries research and management of this species in western African waters.

Keywords: distribution patterns, Life History, Ontogenetic habitat shifts, Priacanthus arenatus, Western Africa coast

Received: 23 Jun 2025; Accepted: 01 Oct 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Shen, Zhang, Feng, Qu, Fan, Feng, Zheng, Xu, Liu, Li, Fan, Xue, HUI, Shen and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Lingzhi Li, lilz@ecsf.ac.cn

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