DOCSLIB.ORG

Family Sciaenidae) Spawned in the Winter and Early Spring in the Continental Shelf Waters Off Esw T Louisiana (Transit Time, Length- Frequency, Morphology, Density)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Family Sciaenidae) Spawned in the Winter and Early Spring in the Continental Shelf Waters Off Esw T Louisiana (Transit Time, Length- Frequency, Morphology, Density) Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1985 The Distribution, Transport and Age Structure of Drums (Family Sciaenidae) Spawned in the Winter and Early Spring in the Continental Shelf Waters Off esW t Louisiana (Transit Time, Length- Frequency, Morphology, Density). James Howard Cowan Jr Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Cowan, James Howard Jr, "The Distribution, Transport and Age Structure of Drums (Family Sciaenidae) Spawned in the Winter and Early Spring in the Continental Shelf Waters Off eW st Louisiana (Transit Time, Length-Frequency, Morphology, Density)." (1985). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 4122. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/4122 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This reproduction was made from a copy of a manuscript sent to us for publication and microfilming. While the most advanced technology has been used to pho­ tograph and reproduce this manuscript, the quality of the reproduction is heavily dependent upon the quality of the material submitted. Pages in any manuscript may have indistinct print. In all cases the best available copy has been filmed. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help clarify notations which may appear on this reproduction. 1. Manuscripts may not always be complete. When it is not possible to obtain missing pages, a note appears to indicate this. 2. When copyrighted materials are removed from the manuscript, a note ap­ pears to indicate this. 3. Oversize materials (maps, drawings, and charts) are photographed by sec­ tioning the original, beginning at the upper left hand comer and continu­ ing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each oversize page is also filmed as one exposure and is available, for an additional charge, as a standard 35mm slide or in black and white paper format. * 4. Most photographs reproduce acceptably on positive microfilm or micro­ fiche but lack clarity on xerographic copies made from the microfilm. For an additional charge, all photographs are available in black and white standard 35mm slide format.* *For more information about black and white slides or enlarged paper reproductions, please contact the Dissertations Customer Services Department. 'TJnhersfty M icrofilm s M , Intern ation al 8610632 Cowan, James Howard, Jr. THE DISTRIBUTION, TRANSPORT AND AGE STRUCTURE OF DRUMS (FAMILY SCIAENIDAE) SPAWNED IN THE WINTER AND EARLY SPRING IN THE CONTINENTAL SHELF WATERS OFF WEST LOUISIANA The Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical Col. Ph.D. 1985 University Microfilms International300 N. Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 PLEASE NOTE: In all cases this material has been filmed in the best possible way from the available copy. Problems encountered with this document have been identified here with a check markV . 1. Glossy photographs or pages_____ 2. Colored illustrations, paper or print______ 3. Photographs with dark background_____ 4. Illustrations are poor copy______ 5. Pages with black marks, not original copy______ 6. Print shows through as there is text on both sides of p ag_______ e 7. Indistinct, broken or small print on several pagess / 8. Print exceeds margin requirements______ 9. Tightly bound copy with print lost in spine_______ 10. Computer printout pages with indistinct print______ 11. Page(s)____________ lacking when material received, and not available from school or author. 12. Page(s)____________ seem to be missing in numbering only as text follows. 13. Two pages numbered . Text follows. 14. Curling and wrinkled pages____ 15. Dissertation contains pages with print at a slant, filmed as received_ 16. Other_________________________________________________________________________ University Microfilms International THE DISTRIBUTION, TRANSPORT AND AGE STRUCTURE OF DRUMS (FAMILY SCIAENIDAE) SPAWNED IN THE WINTER AND EARLY SPRING IN THE CONTINENTAL SHELF WATERS OFF WEST LOUISIANA A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fullfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Marine Sciences by: James H. Cowan, Jr. B.S. Old Dominion University, 1976 M.S. Old Dominion University, 1981 December 1985 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Completion of this research would not have been possible without the help, support and encouragement of many people. First, Dr. Ray S. Birdsong fostered my interest in ichthyology and fisheries research. My major professor, Dr. R. Eugene Turner, granted me the freedom to pursue my research interests even though they differed from his own. Dr. Lawrence Rouse, Dr. William Wiseman and Scott Dinnel provided and aided in interpretation of physical oceanographic data. I sincerely thank my committee for their contributions to this research: Dr. R. Eugene Turner, Dr. Lawrence J. Rouse, Dr. James P. Geaghan, Dr. Michael Fitzsimons, Dr. Bruce A. Thompson and Dr. Richard F. Shaw. Dr. William Herke's critical review of this manuscript significantly improved its quality. I would also like to thank fellow graduate students Linda Deegan, Susan Duke, Scott Dinnel, Gary Peterson, Gary Shaffer and David Drullinger for many hours of insightful conver­ sation and discussion of this and related research topics. Anne Craig, Joe Chazar, Richard Day, Carolyn Rubino, Craig Seals, Terry Tillman and Karen Westphal assisted in sorting the ichthyoplankton samples and Susan Duke provided data on zooplankton biomass. Special thanks go the the captain and crew of the R/V Longhorn for their patience, skills and assistance. I thank Carolyn Lemon and Terry Buckley for typing the manuscript. Funding for this research was provided by a Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, U.S. Department of Energy and LSU Center for Wetland Resources Cooperative Agreement No. ii DE-FC96-81P010313. My support while at LSU was provided by the Marine Sciences Department, Office of Sea Grant Development and the Coastal Fisheries Institute. My heartfelt thanks go to Drs. Bruce A. Thompson and Richard F. Shaw. Bruce's knowledge of fish ecology and life history has been invaluable to me as a student and peer because he patiently allowed me to "pick his brains" for hours-on-end. Rick has been my pool partner, fishin' buddy and mentor. He showed me the importance of oceanography in ichthyoplankton research and his influence will be reflected in all my future efforts. His critical review and floccipaucinihilipilification of portions of this and other manuscripts greatly improved their quality while instructively "knocking me down a few pegs". Finally, my most sincere gratitude goes to my family. My parents, Mr. and Mrs. James H. Cowan, Sr., provided undying support and encouragement and instilled in me their appreciation for things aquatic. My "other" parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph G. Potts, gave me trust, encouragement and Maureen, who has been my strongest advocate. I had no right to ask Maureen to endure the sacrifices associated with "gradual" school. She has done so with a smile. iii FOREWARD For Maureen and "The Flat Flounder" iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......................................... ii FOREWARD.................................................. iv LIST OF TABLES........................................ viii LIST OF FIGURES.......................................... xi LIST OF APPENDICES....................................... xiv ABSTRACT.................................................. xv INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY AS A WHOLE............... 1 Chapter 1. The Distribution and Transport of Drums (Family Sciaenidae) Spawned in the Winter and Early Spring in the Continental Shelf Waters Off West Louisiana......... 4 ABSTRACT............................................. 4 INTRODUCTION........................................ 6 STUDY AREA.......................................... 9 METHODS AND MATERIALS.............................. 9 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION............................. 12 Total Larvae................................... 12 Total Sciaenids............... ............... 13 Cynoscion arenarius Ginsburg, sand seatrout................................ 13 Micropogonias undulatus (Linnaeus), Atlantic croaker.............................. 17 Leiostomus xanthurus (Lacepede), spot.......... 20 Pogonias cromis (Linnaeus), black drum........ 23 Menticirrhus americanus (Linnaeus), southern kingfish............................. 25 Larimus fasciatus Holbrook, banded drum....... 26 v TABLES OF CONTENTS (continued) Page TRANSPORT ANALYSIS.................................. 26 Length-frequency Analysis..................... 29 Transport...................................... 30 CONCLUSIONS-RECRUITMENT IMPLICATIONS.............. 34 Chapter 2. The Distribution of Sciaenid Larvae (Pisces: Perciformes) and Related Environmental Variables in West Louisiana Shelf Waters.................. 34 ABSTRACT............................................. 37 INTRODUCTION........................................ 39 METHODS AND MATERIALS.............................. 41 Ichthyoplankton Collections and Zooplankton Biomass.......................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Introduction to Acoustics
    Introduction to Acoustics Acoustics is the branch of physics that is concerned with the properties of sound. Bioacoustics is the branch of acoustics concerned with sounds produced by or affecting living organisms, especially relating to communication. Bioacousticians are scientists that study these sounds. For whales, their sense of sound, above all other senses, In order to help scientists understand and is the most important. It’s how they “see” their world. organize the diversity of life on Earth, animals Have you ever gone swimming off the northern coast of are classified into kingdom, phylum, class, the United States? Could you see very far in the water? order, family, genus, and species. For whales, It’s pretty murky—not because it’s polluted, but because the first classification is as follows: Kingdom: Animal there is so much plankton (free floating plants and Phylum: Chordate animals) floating in the water. Off the coast of Class: Mammals Massachusetts, you can only see about 30 ft. on a good Order: Cetacean (whales, dolphins, and day. (That’s not even a whale’s body length in some porpoises cases.) So, sound is critically important to whales for Sub-Order: Odontocete (Toothed) or communication, hunting, and navigating—the use varies Mysticete (Baleen) depending on the type of whale. OVER 90 DIFFERENT SPECIES OF WHALES This poster includes the over 90 species of the whales, dolphins and porpoises that we know of today. On the right side, you will see all the toothed whales (they tend to be smaller and there are more species). On the left side, you will see the baleen whales (they tend to be larger, but there are fewer species.) Whether a whale has baleen or teeth in their mouth influences how they feed and the social structure of the species, as well as the sounds they produce and how they use them.
    [Show full text]
  • A Practical Handbook for Determining the Ages of Gulf of Mexico And
    A Practical Handbook for Determining the Ages of Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Coast Fishes THIRD EDITION GSMFC No. 300 NOVEMBER 2020 i Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission Commissioners and Proxies ALABAMA Senator R.L. “Bret” Allain, II Chris Blankenship, Commissioner State Senator District 21 Alabama Department of Conservation Franklin, Louisiana and Natural Resources John Roussel Montgomery, Alabama Zachary, Louisiana Representative Chris Pringle Mobile, Alabama MISSISSIPPI Chris Nelson Joe Spraggins, Executive Director Bon Secour Fisheries, Inc. Mississippi Department of Marine Bon Secour, Alabama Resources Biloxi, Mississippi FLORIDA Read Hendon Eric Sutton, Executive Director USM/Gulf Coast Research Laboratory Florida Fish and Wildlife Ocean Springs, Mississippi Conservation Commission Tallahassee, Florida TEXAS Representative Jay Trumbull Carter Smith, Executive Director Tallahassee, Florida Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Austin, Texas LOUISIANA Doug Boyd Jack Montoucet, Secretary Boerne, Texas Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Baton Rouge, Louisiana GSMFC Staff ASMFC Staff Mr. David M. Donaldson Mr. Bob Beal Executive Director Executive Director Mr. Steven J. VanderKooy Mr. Jeffrey Kipp IJF Program Coordinator Stock Assessment Scientist Ms. Debora McIntyre Dr. Kristen Anstead IJF Staff Assistant Fisheries Scientist ii A Practical Handbook for Determining the Ages of Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Coast Fishes Third Edition Edited by Steve VanderKooy Jessica Carroll Scott Elzey Jessica Gilmore Jeffrey Kipp Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission 2404 Government St Ocean Springs, MS 39564 and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission 1050 N. Highland Street Suite 200 A-N Arlington, VA 22201 Publication Number 300 November 2020 A publication of the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission pursuant to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award Number NA15NMF4070076 and NA15NMF4720399.
    [Show full text]
  • Andrea RAZ-GUZMÁN1*, Leticia HUIDOBRO2, and Virginia PADILLA3
    ACTA ICHTHYOLOGICA ET PISCATORIA (2018) 48 (4): 341–362 DOI: 10.3750/AIEP/02451 AN UPDATED CHECKLIST AND CHARACTERISATION OF THE ICHTHYOFAUNA (ELASMOBRANCHII AND ACTINOPTERYGII) OF THE LAGUNA DE TAMIAHUA, VERACRUZ, MEXICO Andrea RAZ-GUZMÁN1*, Leticia HUIDOBRO2, and Virginia PADILLA3 1 Posgrado en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 2 Instituto Nacional de Pesca y Acuacultura, SAGARPA, Ciudad de México 3 Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México Raz-Guzmán A., Huidobro L., Padilla V. 2018. An updated checklist and characterisation of the ichthyofauna (Elasmobranchii and Actinopterygii) of the Laguna de Tamiahua, Veracruz, Mexico. Acta Ichthyol. Piscat. 48 (4): 341–362. Background. Laguna de Tamiahua is ecologically and economically important as a nursery area that favours the recruitment of species that sustain traditional fisheries. It has been studied previously, though not throughout its whole area, and considering the variety of habitats that sustain these fisheries, as well as an increase in population growth that impacts the system. The objectives of this study were to present an updated list of fish species, data on special status, new records, commercial importance, dominance, density, ecotic position, and the spatial and temporal distribution of species in the lagoon, together with a comparison of Tamiahua with 14 other Gulf of Mexico lagoons. Materials and methods. Fish were collected in August and December 1996 with a Renfro beam net and an otter trawl from different habitats throughout the lagoon. The species were identified, classified in relation to special status, new records, commercial importance, density, dominance, ecotic position, and spatial distribution patterns.
    [Show full text]
  • Comparative Ecology of the Parasites of the Spot, Leiostomus Xanthurus
    W&M ScholarWorks Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 1989 Comparative ecology of the parasites of the spot, Leiostomus xanthurus Lacepede, and the Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus Linnaeus (Sciaenidae), in the Cape Hatteras region Dennis A. Thoney College of William and Mary - Virginia Institute of Marine Science Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd Part of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, and the Zoology Commons Recommended Citation Thoney, Dennis A., "Comparative ecology of the parasites of the spot, Leiostomus xanthurus Lacepede, and the Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus Linnaeus (Sciaenidae), in the Cape Hatteras region" (1989). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539616876. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.25773/v5-j3p5-0627 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS The most advanced technology has been used to photo­ graph and reproduce this manuscript from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted.
    [Show full text]
  • Candidate Species for Florida Aquaculture: Atlantic Croaker, Micropogonias Undulatus1
    FA 148 Candidate Species for Florida Aquaculture: Atlantic Croaker, Micropogonias undulatus1 R. LeRoy Creswell, Cortney L. Ohs, and Christian L. Miller2 Atlantic Croaker Geographic Distribution and Habitat The Atlantic croaker is known to occur in the northern and eastern parts of the Gulf of Mexico, along the Atlantic coast of the United States from south Florida to Massachusetts, in the Greater Antilles, and along the South American Atlantic Figure 1. Atlantic Croaker Micropogonias undulatus Credits: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United coast from Surinam to Argentina. Its U.S. fishing Nations 1978 grounds extend from the Rio Grande to Tampa Bay in the Gulf of Mexico and from northern Florida to General Description Cape Hatteras on the Atlantic coast. In Florida, Atlantic croaker are seldom found south of Tampa The Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus Bay or the Indian River Lagoon on the Atlantic coast (Figure 1), is a member of the family Sciaenidae, the (Lankford and Targett 1994). Croaker are found over drum family. This medium-sized fish is slightly mud and sandy mud bottoms in coastal waters to elongate, moderately compressed, and silvery in color about 1,000 meter depth and in estuaries where the with a pinkish cast; the back and upper sides are nursery and feeding grounds are located. grayish with black spots forming irregular, oblique lines above the lateral line. The dorsal fin has small Natural History black dots and a black edge; other fins are pale to yellowish. The chin has 3 to 5 pairs of barbels along Atlantic croaker are medium-sized members of the inner edge of the lower jaw.
    [Show full text]
  • Spatial and Temporal Variations in Community Structure of the Demersal Macrofauna of a Subtropical Estuary (Louisiana)
    Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1982 Spatial and Temporal Variations in Community Structure of the Demersal Macrofauna of a Subtropical Estuary (Louisiana). Thomas C. Shirley Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Shirley, Thomas C., "Spatial and Temporal Variations in Community Structure of the Demersal Macrofauna of a Subtropical Estuary (Louisiana)." (1982). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 3821. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/3821 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This reproduction was made from a copy of a document sent to us for microfilming. While the most advanced technology has been used to photograph and reproduce this document, the quality of the reproduction is heavily dependent upon the quality of the material submitted. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help clarify markings or notations which may appear on this reproduction. 1.The sign or “target” for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is “Missing Page(s)”. If it was possible to obtain the missing page(s) or section, they are spliced into the film along with adjacent pages. This may have necessitated cutting through an image and duplicating adjacent pages to assure complete continuity. 2. When an image on the film is obliterated with a round black mark, it is an indication of either blurred copy because of movement during exposure, duplicate copy, or copyrighted materials that should not have been filmed.
    [Show full text]
  • Drum and Croaker (Family Sciaenidae) Diversity in North Carolina
    Drum and Croaker (Family Sciaenidae) Diversity in North Carolina The waters along and off the coast are where you will find 18 of the 19 species within the Family Sciaenidae (Table 1) known from North Carolina. Until recently, the 19th species and the only truly freshwater species in this family, Freshwater Drum, was found approximately 420 miles WNW from Cape Hatteras in the French Broad River near Hot Springs. Table 1. Species of drums and croakers found in or along the coast of North Carolina. Scientific Name/ Scientific Name/ American Fisheries Society Accepted Common Name American Fisheries Society Accepted Common Name Aplodinotus grunniens – Freshwater Drum Menticirrhus saxatilis – Northern Kingfish Bairdiella chrysoura – Silver Perch Micropogonias undulatus – Atlantic Croaker Cynoscion nebulosus – Spotted Seatrout Pareques acuminatus – High-hat Cynoscion nothus – Silver Seatrout Pareques iwamotoi – Blackbar Drum Cynoscion regalis – Weakfish Pareques umbrosus – Cubbyu Equetus lanceolatus – Jackknife-fish Pogonias cromis – Black Drum Larimus fasciatus – Banded Drum Sciaenops ocellatus – Red Drum Leiostomus xanthurus – Spot Stellifer lanceolatus – Star Drum Menticirrhus americanus – Southern Kingfish Umbrina coroides – Sand Drum Menticirrhus littoralis – Gulf Kingfish With so many species historically so well-known to recreational and commercial fishermen, to lay people, and their availability in seafood markets, it is not surprising that these 19 species are known by many local and vernacular names. Skimming through the ETYFish Project
    [Show full text]
  • 02 Anderson FB107(1).Indd
    Evolutionary associations between sand seatrout (Cynoscion arenarius) and silver seatrout (C. nothus) inferred from morphological characters, mitochondrial DNA, and microsatellite markers Item Type article Authors Anderson, Joel D.; McDonald, Dusty L.; Sutton, Glen R.; Karel, William J. Download date 23/09/2021 08:57:20 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/1834/25457 13 Abstract—The evolutionary asso- ciations between closely related fish Evolutionary associations between sand seatrout species, both contemporary and his- (Cynoscion arenarius) and silver seatrout torical, are frequently assessed by using molecular markers, such as (C. nothus) inferred from morphological characters, microsatellites. Here, the presence mitochondrial DNA, and microsatellite markers and variability of microsatellite loci in two closely related species of marine fishes, sand seatrout (Cynoscion are- Joel D. Anderson (contact author)1 narius) and silver seatrout (C. nothus), Dusty L. McDonald1 are explored by using heterologous primers from red drum (Sciaenops Glen R. Sutton2 ocellatus). Data from these loci are William J. Karel1 used in conjunction with morphologi- cal characters and mitochondrial DNA Email address for contact author: [email protected] haplotypes to explore the extent of 1 Perry R. Bass Marine Fisheries Research Station genetic exchange between species off- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department shore of Galveston Bay, TX. Despite HC02 Box 385, Palacios, Texas 77465 seasonal overlap in distribution, low 2 Galveston Bay Field Office genetic divergence at microsatellite Texas Parks and Wildlife Department loci, and similar life history param- 1502 FM 517 East, eters of C. arenarius and C. nothus, all Dickinson, Texas 77539 three data sets indicated that hybrid- ization between these species does not occur or occurs only rarely and that historical admixture in Galveston Bay after divergence between these species was unlikely.
    [Show full text]
  • Spatial and Temporal Resource Partitioning
    TEXAS J. OF SCI. 64(1):0-00 FEBRUARY, 2012 (PUBLISHED JUNE 2015) HABITAT USE AND DIETS OF JUVENILE SPOT (LEIOSTOMUS XANTHURUS) AND ATLANTIC CROAKER (MICROPOGONIAS UNDULATUS) IN A SMALL ESTUARY AT MAD ISLAND MARSH, TEXAS Senol Akin1, 2 and Kirk O. Winemiller1 1Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, 2258 TAMU College Station, TX 77843-2258 2 Current address: Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Fisheries, Gaziosmanpasa University, 60240, Tokat, Turkey ABSTRACT.–Spatial and temporal variation in feeding of immature stages (10-130 mm standard length) of two sciaenids, spot (Leiostomus xanthurus) and Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus), was investigated at Mad Island Marsh on the Texas Gulf coast from March 1998 through August 1999. Periods of peak abundance of each species were different (December for croaker, March for spot). The two species were dissimilar in diet and habitat use along the longitudinal gradient of a small estuary, except for the winter months of both years when postlarvae dominated samples and dietary overlap was high. Low dietary overlap occurred despite the fact that both species consumed mostly benthic organisms (amphipods, gastropods, nematodes, polychaetes), pelagic copepods, and detritus. Overall, spot consumed greater proportions of copepods, nematodes and chironomid larvae, and croakers had broader diets that included most of the abundant invertebrates in the habitat (e.g., amphipods, shrimp, blue crabs) plus smaller percentages of fish. Regardless of season and body size, the spot diet was dominated by copepods and nematodes. The croaker had a more pronounced ontogenetic diet shift, with the smallest size classes (10-25 mm) consuming mostly copepods, and larger juveniles having diets dominated by amphipods, polychaete worms, shrimp, crabs, and fish.
    [Show full text]
  • Monophyly and Interrelationships of Snook and Barramundi (Centropomidae Sensu Greenwood) and five New Markers for fish Phylogenetics ⇑ Chenhong Li A, , Betancur-R
    Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 60 (2011) 463–471 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ympev Monophyly and interrelationships of Snook and Barramundi (Centropomidae sensu Greenwood) and five new markers for fish phylogenetics ⇑ Chenhong Li a, , Betancur-R. Ricardo b, Wm. Leo Smith c, Guillermo Ortí b a School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588-0118, USA b Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 200052, USA c The Field Museum, Department of Zoology, Fishes, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605, USA article info abstract Article history: Centropomidae as defined by Greenwood (1976) is composed of three genera: Centropomus, Lates, and Received 24 January 2011 Psammoperca. But composition and monophyly of this family have been challenged in subsequent Revised 3 May 2011 morphological studies. In some classifications, Ambassis, Siniperca and Glaucosoma were added to the Accepted 5 May 2011 Centropomidae. In other studies, Lates + Psammoperca were excluded, restricting the family to Available online 12 May 2011 Centropomus. Recent analyses of DNA sequences did not solve the controversy, mainly due to limited taxonomic or character sampling. The present study is based on DNA sequence data from thirteen Keywords: genes (one mitochondrial and twelve nuclear markers) for 57 taxa, representative of all relevant Centropomidae species. Five of the nuclear markers are new for fish phylogenetic studies. The monophyly of Centrop- Lates Psammoperca omidae sensu Greenwood was supported by both maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses of a Ambassidae concatenated data set (12,888 bp aligned). No support was found for previous morphological hypothe- Niphon spinosus ses suggesting that ambassids are closely allied to the Centropomidae.
    [Show full text]
  • Sciaenidae 3117
    click for previous page Perciformes: Percoidei: Sciaenidae 3117 SCIAENIDAE Croakers (drums) by K. Sasaki iagnostic characters: Moderately elongate, moderately compressed, small to large (to 200 cm Dstandard length) perciform fishes. Head and body (occasionally also fins) completely scaly, except tip of snout. Sensory pores often conspicuous on tip of snout (upper rostral pores), on lower edge of snout (marginal rostral pores), and on chin (mental pores), usually 3 or 5 upper rostral pores, 5 marginal rostral pores, and 3 pairs of mental pores; these pores usually distinct in bottom feeders with inferior to subterminal mouth, whereas indistinct in midwater feeders with terminal to oblique mouth. A barbel sometimes present on chin. Position and size of mouth variable from strongly inferior to oblique, larger in species with oblique mouth, smaller in species with inferior mouth. Teeth differentiated into large and small in both jaws or in upper jaw only; enlarged teeth always form outer series in upper jaw, inner series in lower jaw; well-developed canines (more than twice as large as other teeth) may be present at front of one or both jaws; vomer and palatine without teeth. Dorsal fin continuous, with deep notch between anterior (spinous) and posterior (soft) portions; anterior portion with VIII to X slender spines (usually X), and posterior portion with I spine and 21 to 44 soft rays; base of posterior portion elongate, much longer than anal-fin base; anal fin with II spines and 6 to 12 (usually 7) soft rays; caudal fin emarginate to pointed, never deeply forked, usually pointed in juveniles, rhomboidal in adults; pelvic fins with I spine and 5 soft rays, the first soft ray occasionally with a short filament.
    [Show full text]
  • Atlantic Croaker Micropogonias Undulatus Contributor: J
    Atlantic Croaker Micropogonias undulatus Contributor: J. David Whitaker DESCRIPTION Taxonomy and Basic Description The Atlantic croaker is the only representative of the genus in the western North Atlantic. This species gets its name from the deep By Diane Rome Peebles from the Florida Division of Marine Resources Web Site. croaking sounds created by muscular action on the air bladder. It is one of 23 members of the family Sciaenidae found along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts (Mercer 1987). The species has a typical fusiform shape, although it is somewhat vertically compressed. The fish is silvery overall with a faint pinkish-bronze cast. The back and upper sides are grayish, with brassy or brown spots forming wavy lines on the side (Manooch 1988). The gill cover has three to five prominent spines and there are three to five small chin barbels. It has a slightly convex caudal fin. Atlantic croaker south of Cape Hatteras reach maturity after one year at lengths of 140 to 180 mm (5.5 to 7 inches) and are thought to not survive longer than one or two years (Diaz and Onuf 1985). North of Cape Hatteras, the fish matures a year later at lengths greater than 200 mm (8 inches) and individuals may live several years. The Atlantic croaker reaches a maximum length of 500 mm (20 inches) (Hildebrand and Schroeder 1927). Catches of large Atlantic croaker appear to be relatively common on Chesapeake Bay, but large individuals of Atlantic croaker are rare in South Carolina. Bearden (1964) speculated that small croaker from South Carolina may migrate north, but limited tagging studies could not corroborate that assertion.
    [Show full text]