Extensive pelagic habitat use by adult yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) in the Tasman Sea

Identification of habitat of pelagic species is key to determining the drivers of distribution, and possible limitations on suitable habitats. Yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) are a large, pelagic species of high recreational and commercial value, yet considerable knowledge gaps exist for their horizontal, vertical and thermal habitat preferences. We used satellite telemetry to quantify the use of continental shelf (on-shelf) and offshore (off-shelf) habitats by kingfish off south-eastern Australia and New Zealand. Fifty adult kingfish were tracked for 3,159 days (median ± sd. = 34 ± 81.8), travelling up to 4,101 km (351 ± 790). Kingfish exhibited connectivity between waters on- and off- the continental shelf, with 1,832 days in off-shelf waters. Vertical distributions were largely restricted to the upper 100 m, but kingfish tagged near offshore islands tended to inhabit deeper waters. Multiple kingfish dove beyond 200 m (n = 6), including a maximum depth of 475 m. Thermal habitats were highly variable, spanning 16 °C (11.0–27.0 °C), albeit an affinity for 17.4–20.8 °C. The diversity of movements, including offshore and cross-jurisdictional, highlight the complexities of kingfish behaviour and population dynamics which should be considered by fisheries management.