Capture history data for: Sub-seasonal correlation between growth and survival in three sympatric aquatic ectotherms

Animals experience seasonally changing conditions in temperate regions,
thus population vital rates change seasonally. However, knowledge is
lacking on patterns of seasonal correlation between growth and survival in
sympatric ectotherms, and this knowledge gap limits our understanding of
environmental change impacts on animal populations and communities. Here,
we investigated sub-seasonal (2-month intervals) correlation between
growth and survival in three stream fishes (bluehead chub Nocomis
leptocephalus, creek chub Semotilus atromaculatus, and mottled sculpin
Cottus bairdii) in South Carolina, USA, via a mark-recapture survey over
28 months.  We found that the patterns of temporal correlation
between growth and survival differed among the sympatric species. Growth
increased and survival decreased with water temperature in two eurythermal
species (bluehead chub and creek chub), resulting in a negative
correlation between growth and survival. Growth peaked in sub-seasons with
an intermediate water temperature range in a third stenothermal species
(mottled sculpin), while survival decreased with water temperature for
this species too. Consequently, there was no significant negative or
positive correlation between sub-seasonal growth and survival in the
stenothermal species.  Negative correlation among population
vital rates stabilizes population size over time and buffers animal
populations from environmental change because the vital rates are not
affected simultaneously in the same direction, indicating some degree of
resiliency in the face of climate changes in the two eurythermal species.
However, such a demographic mechanism of resiliency could be maintained so
long as climate warming does not exceed optimal growth temperature, above
which a negative correlation between growth and survival may no longer be
maintained.