Abstract The growth of yellowfin tuna has been the subject of considerable research efforts since the early 1960s. Most studies support a complex two-stanza growth pattern with a sharp acceleration departing from the von Bertalanffy growth curve used for most fish populations. This growth pattern has been assumed to result from a combination of physiological, ecological and behavioral factors but the role and contribution of each of them have not been addressed yet. We developed a bioenergetic model for yellowfin tuna in the context of Dynamic Energy Budget theory to mechanistically represent the processes governing yellowfin tuna growth. Most parameters of the model were inferred from Pacific bluefin tuna using body-size scaling relationships while some essential parameters were estimated from biological data sets collected in the Indian Ocean. The model proved particularly suitable for reproducing the data collected during the Pacific yellowfin tuna farming experience conducted by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission at the Achotines Laboratory in Panama. In addition, model predictions appeared in agreement with knowledge of the biology and ecology of wild yellowfin tuna. We used our model to explore through simulations two major assumptions that might explain the existence of growth stanzas observed in wild yellowfin tuna: (i) a lower food supply during juvenile stage in relation with high intra- and inter-species competition and (ii) ontogenetic changes in food diet. Our results show that both assumptions are plausible although none of them is self-sufficient to explain the intensity of growth acceleration observed in wild Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna, suggesting that the two factors may act in concert. Our study shows that the yellowfin growth pattern is likely due to behavioral changes triggered by the acquisition of physiological abilities and anatomical traits through ontogeny that result in a major change in intensity of schooling and in a shift in the biotic habitat and trophic ecology of this commercially important tuna species.

中文翻译：

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研究黄鳍金枪鱼（Thunnus albacares）两节生长背后的生态生理因素的动态能量预算模拟方法

摘要 自 1960 年代初以来，黄鳍金枪鱼的生长一直是大量研究工作的主题。大多数研究支持复杂的两节生长模式，其急剧加速偏离用于大多数鱼类种群的 von Bertalanffy 生长曲线。这种增长模式被认为是由生理、生态和行为因素共同作用造成的，但尚未解决每个因素的作用和贡献。我们在动态能量收支理论的背景下开发了黄鳍金枪鱼的生物能模型，以机械地表示控制黄鳍金枪鱼生长的过程。该模型的大部分参数是使用体型比例关系从太平洋蓝鳍金枪鱼中推断出来的，而一些基本参数是从印度洋收集的生物数据集估算出来的。事实证明，该模型特别适合再现美洲热带金枪鱼委员会在巴拿马 Achotines 实验室进行的太平洋黄鳍金枪鱼养殖经验中收集的数据。此外，模型预测似乎与野生黄鳍金枪鱼的生物学和生态学知识一致。我们使用我们的模型通过模拟探索了两个主要假设，这些假设可以解释在野生黄鳍金枪鱼中观察到的生长节的存在：(i) 幼鱼阶段较低的食物供应与高种内和种间竞争有关，以及 (ii)食物饮食的个体遗传变化。我们的结果表明，这两个假设都是合理的，尽管它们都不能自给自足地解释在野生印度洋黄鳍金枪鱼中观察到的生长加速强度，表明这两个因素可能会协同作用。我们的研究表明，黄鳍金枪鱼的生长模式可能是由于通过个体发育获得生理能力和解剖特征引发的行为变化，导致学校教育强度的重大变化以及这种商业生物栖息地和营养生态的转变重要的金枪鱼品种。