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Growth of the brown noddy (Anous stolidus) in the Dry Tortugas

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Date Issued:
1989
Summary:
Brown Noddy nestlings in the Dry Tortugas exhibit a growth rate that is slower than would be predicted, based on adult body size and mode of development. This pattern of prolonged growth is typical of tropical pelagic seabirds. An intraspecific comparison of growth rates among several populations of Brown Noddies indicates that growth of body mass of the Tortugas Noddies is significantly faster, the development period shorter, and the asymptotic size smaller than in Pacific populations. However, there were no differences among the populations in the rates of wing or culmen growth. The Bush Key nestlings appear to receive a higher quality diet that contains proportionally more fish, while the Pacific nestlings receive substantial amounts of squid. The Pacific nestlings also seem to be subjected to a thermally more stressful microclimate, which may necessitate the allocation of proportionally more of their total energy to thermoregulation and less to growth.
Title: Growth of the brown noddy (Anous stolidus) in the Dry Tortugas.
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Name(s): Wolfe, Cynthia Ann
Florida Atlantic University, Degree Grantor
Mahoney, Sheila A., Thesis Advisor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 1989
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 97 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: Brown Noddy nestlings in the Dry Tortugas exhibit a growth rate that is slower than would be predicted, based on adult body size and mode of development. This pattern of prolonged growth is typical of tropical pelagic seabirds. An intraspecific comparison of growth rates among several populations of Brown Noddies indicates that growth of body mass of the Tortugas Noddies is significantly faster, the development period shorter, and the asymptotic size smaller than in Pacific populations. However, there were no differences among the populations in the rates of wing or culmen growth. The Bush Key nestlings appear to receive a higher quality diet that contains proportionally more fish, while the Pacific nestlings receive substantial amounts of squid. The Pacific nestlings also seem to be subjected to a thermally more stressful microclimate, which may necessitate the allocation of proportionally more of their total energy to thermoregulation and less to growth.
Identifier: 14502 (digitool), FADT14502 (IID), fau:11300 (fedora)
Note(s): Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1989.
Subject(s): Terns
Sea birds--Florida--Dry Tortugas
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/14502
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
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Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.