Environmental conditions shape the movement patterns of a marine ambush predator on homogeneous soft sediment habitat

Abstract Background Quantifying the patterns and drivers of animal movement is critical to the effective conservation and management of species across all ecosystems. Despite their importance for global commercial and recreational fisheries, the movement patterns of marine soft sediment associated fishes are poorly understood. This study provides an important assessment of the characteristics of fine-scale movement patterns for a soft sediment fish species, the bluespotted flathead ( Platycephalus caeruleopunctatus ), and evaluates a suite of 8 environmental factors as potential drivers of these movements. Using a fine-scale acoustic positioning system, we tracked the movements of 46 bluespotted flathead over 472 days within the soft sediment marine habitat of Jervis Bay Marine Park. Results We found that tagged individuals exhibited directed movements within small areas, challenging the prevailing assumptions regarding the movement patterns of soft sediment fishes. The speed and space use associated with these movements were influenced by sea surface temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind speed, wind direction, time of day, and time of year. Fish length, rainfall, and wave height had no detectable influence on impact fish movements. Conclusions We offer an important insight into directed movement in an understudied group of marine fishes. Our results highlight the need for further research into the combined effect of environmental and ecological drivers of movement in soft sediment habitats.