DOCSLIB.ORG

Developing Spawning Protocols and Embryological

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Developing Spawning Protocols and Embryological DEVELOPING SPAWNING PROTOCOLS AND EMBRYOLOGICAL BENCHMARKS FOR A TROPICAL MARINE FISH (Albula spp.) IN CAPTIVITY by William Robert Halstead III A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Charles E. Schmidt College of Science In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL December 2018 Copyright 2018 by William Robert Halstead III ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I appreciate the guidance of my advisor, Dr. Paul Wills, and the support and input from my committee members, Dr. Aaron Adams, Dr. Matthew Ajemian, and Dr. Jon Shenker. I am grateful to everyone involved with the field and lab work required for this project including, at HBOI: Chris Robinson, Tony Cianciotto, Sahar Mejri, Richard Baptiste, Mike McCallister, Cameron Luck, and Alex Allen; and at CEI: Travis van Leeuwen, Anthony Cianciotto, Jake Rennert, Molly Wightman, Zack Nilles, Eric Schneider, Danielle Orrell, and several interns. Out of this list, I would like to highlight Anthony Cianciotto, Jake Rennert, and Molly Wightman for their singular efforts at CEI. Without the spawn they oversaw and the sleepless nights they endured monitoring and sampling the eggs and larvae, Chapter 2 of this thesis would not have been possible. Thank you to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for approving the SAL to collect Bonefish in the Florida Keys and to Kathy Guindon of FFWCC Florida Wildlife Research Institute for doing species identification. At HBOI, I’m grateful for Dr. Annie Page-Karjian’s time and expertise for the ultrasound work. Dr. Katsumi Tsukamoto, Dr. Michael Miller, the students in their lab, and everyone at IRAGO were gracious hosts during my visit to Japan. Jimmy Nelson at HBOI and the staff of the boathouse at CEI were both very helpful and accommodating in the use their boats. iv This project was funded jointly by Bonefish & Tarpon Trust and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. This research was conducted in accordance with FAU IACUC protocols A16-34, A15-08, and A18-13. v ABSTRACT Author: William Robert Halstead III Title: Developing Spawning Protocols and Embryological Benchmarks for a Tropical Marine Fish (Albula spp.) in Captivity Institution: Florida Atlantic University Thesis Advisor: Dr. Paul Wills Degree: Master of Science Year: 2018 Relying on field research to complete the life history for certain fish species can be inadequate, but laboratory research can be used to fill these gaps. These gaps exist for Bonefish (Albula spp.), a tropical marine fish and popular sportfish. In this study, aquaculture techniques were applied to Bonefish in a captive setting at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI) and Cape Eleuthera Institute (CEI) to induce spawning and describe early ontogeny. Photothermal manipulations and hormone injections were used to induce gonad maturation and spawning, which was achieved once at CEI and is the first record of hormone-induced spawning for Bonefish. From that spawn, egg and larval development were recorded and described through 26 hours and 56 hours respectively, representing the first record of these early life stages for Bonefish. vi This work expands upon what is known about Bonefish reproductive biology and will be useful for management and future captive research. vii DEDICATION I dedicate this thesis to my mother, Theresa, who instilled in me a lifelong love of learning, and my girlfriend, Colleen, whose patience and support during my project have meant everything. DEVELOPING SPAWNING PROTOCOLS AND EMBRYOLOGICAL BENCHMARKS FOR A TROPICAL MARINE FISH (Albula spp.) IN CAPTIVITY INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 CHAPTER 1 – CAPTIVE SPAWNING ................................................................ 14 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 14 Methods .......................................................................................................... 16 FAU-HBOI. ................................................................................................... 17 Collection. ................................................................................................. 17 Acclimation and husbandry. ...................................................................... 17 Gonad maturation and spawning. ............................................................. 18 Cape Eleuthera Institute (CEI). .................................................................... 22 Collection. ................................................................................................. 22 Acclimation and husbandry. ...................................................................... 23 Gonad maturation and spawning. ............................................................. 24 Results ............................................................................................................ 26 FAU-HBOI. ................................................................................................... 26 Collection. ................................................................................................. 26 Florida Keys. ......................................................................................... 26 Biscayne Bay. ........................................................................................ 27 Acclimation and husbandry. ...................................................................... 27 ix Florida Keys group. ............................................................................... 27 Biscayne group. ..................................................................................... 29 Gonad maturation and spawning. ............................................................. 29 Florida Keys group. ............................................................................... 29 Biscayne group. ..................................................................................... 35 CEI. .............................................................................................................. 37 Collection. ................................................................................................. 37 Long-term group. ................................................................................... 37 Short-term group. .................................................................................. 37 Pre-spawn aggregation group. .............................................................. 38 Acclimation and husbandry. ...................................................................... 38 Long-term group. ................................................................................... 38 Short-term group. .................................................................................. 39 Pre-spawn aggregation group. .............................................................. 39 Gonad maturation and spawning. ............................................................. 40 Long-term group. ................................................................................... 40 Short-term group. .................................................................................. 41 Pre-spawning aggregation group. ......................................................... 41 Discussion ....................................................................................................... 45 FAU-HBOI. ................................................................................................... 49 CEI. .............................................................................................................. 53 Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 57 CHAPTER 2 – EMBRYOLOGY AND LARVAL TIME SERIES ........................... 59 x Introduction ..................................................................................................... 59 Methods .......................................................................................................... 61 Spawning. .................................................................................................... 61 Incubation, hatching, and rearing. ................................................................ 62 Microscopy. .................................................................................................. 63 Classification. ............................................................................................... 64 Results ............................................................................................................ 65 Eggs. ............................................................................................................ 65 Larvae. ......................................................................................................... 68 Discussion ....................................................................................................... 69 Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 76 APPENDICES .................................................................................................... 78 Appendix A: Tables ......................................................................................... 79 Appendix B: Figures ...................................................................................... 100 REFERENCES ................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Reproductive Development of Female Bonefish (Albula Spp.)
    REPRODUCTIVE DEVELOPMENT OF FEMALE BONEFISH (ALBULA SPP.) FROM THE BAHAMAS by Cameron Alexander Luck A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of The Charles E. Schmidt College of Science In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, Florida December 2018 Copyright 2018 by Cameron Luck ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I sincerely appreciate the guidance of my advisor Dr. Matthew Ajemian for his continued support throughout this endeavor as well as the input from my committee members: Dr. Sahar Mejri, Dr. Aaron Adams, and Dr. Paul Wills. I am extremely grateful for the collaboration and support of Justin Lewis. Field collections would have been impossible without his local knowledge, willingness to be available, passion for bonefish, and incredible work ethic. I am also grateful for the words of wisdom and comedic relief often provided by fellow graduate students, lab members, and interns of the Fish Ecology and Conservation Lab: Grace Roskar, Breanna Degroot, Steve Lombardo, Rachel Shaw, Mike McCallister, Alex Allen, and many others. This project was financially supported by Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT) and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). We are grateful for the lodging and water access provided by East End Lodge, Andros South, and Hank’s Place. The experimental protocol for this study received approval from Florida Atlantic University’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (Animal Use Protocol #A16-34). iv ABSTRACT Author: Cameron Luck Title: Reproductive Development of Female Bonefish (Albula spp.) from the Bahamas Institution: Florida Atlantic University Thesis Advisor: Dr. Matthew J. Ajemian Degree: Master of Science Year: 2018 Bonefish (Albula spp.) support an economically important sport fishery, yet little is known regarding the reproductive biology of this genus.
    [Show full text]
  • Systematic Morphology of Fishes in the Early 21St Century
    Copeia 103, No. 4, 2015, 858–873 When Tradition Meets Technology: Systematic Morphology of Fishes in the Early 21st Century Eric J. Hilton1, Nalani K. Schnell2, and Peter Konstantinidis1 Many of the primary groups of fishes currently recognized have been established through an iterative process of anatomical study and comparison of fishes that has spanned a time period approaching 500 years. In this paper we give a brief history of the systematic morphology of fishes, focusing on some of the individuals and their works from which we derive our own inspiration. We further discuss what is possible at this point in history in the anatomical study of fishes and speculate on the future of morphology used in the systematics of fishes. Beyond the collection of facts about the anatomy of fishes, morphology remains extremely relevant in the age of molecular data for at least three broad reasons: 1) new techniques for the preparation of specimens allow new data sources to be broadly compared; 2) past morphological analyses, as well as new ideas about interrelationships of fishes (based on both morphological and molecular data) provide rich sources of hypotheses to test with new morphological investigations; and 3) the use of morphological data is not limited to understanding phylogeny and evolution of fishes, but rather is of broad utility to understanding the general biology (including phenotypic adaptation, evolution, ecology, and conservation biology) of fishes. Although in some ways morphology struggles to compete with the lure of molecular data for systematic research, we see the anatomical study of fishes entering into a new and exciting phase of its history because of recent technological and methodological innovations.
    [Show full text]
  • Hydrodynamic and Isotopic Niche Differentiation Between Juveniles of Two Sympatric Cryptic Bonefishes, Albula Vulpes and Albula Goreensis
    Environ Biol Fish (2019) 102:129–145 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-018-0810-7 Hydrodynamic and isotopic niche differentiation between juveniles of two sympatric cryptic bonefishes, Albula vulpes and Albula goreensis Christopher R. Haak & Michael Power & Geoffrey W. Cowles & Andy J. Danylchuk Received: 16 February 2018 /Accepted: 20 August 2018 /Published online: 4 October 2018 # Springer Nature B.V. 2018 Abstract We employed numerical wave models, GIS, utilization. Otolith δ18O did not differ significantly be- and stable isotope analyses of otolith material to identify tween species, suggesting they experience comparable interspecific differences in habitat and resource use thermal regimes. However, δ13C varied substantially, among juveniles of two sympatric and morphologically with the otoliths of A. goreensis depleted in 13Crelative indistinct bonefishes, A. goreensis and A. vulpes in to A. vulpes by approximately 1‰, potentially signify- littoral zones of The Bahamas. Both species occurred ing a greater reliance on pelagic carbon sources by the in similar water temperatures; however, A. goreensis former, in agreement with observed distinctions in hab- juveniles occupied habitats characterized by greater itat use. In linear models, otolith δ13C was negatively wave-driven flow velocities and closer proximity to correlated with ambient flow velocity and positively coral reefs than A. vulpes. Likewise, A. goreensis was related to distance from coral reef habitats, and these present across a broader range of flow environments and relationships did not vary across species. After account- sampling stations than A. vulpes,whichwastypically ing for the effects of these variables, species-specific confined to sheltered, low-flow habitats. The results of differences in otolith δ13C remained, indicating that stable isotope analyses were consistent with the species’ other unknown factors contributed to the observed dis- relationships with environmental parameters, providing parities.
    [Show full text]
  • Inventory and Atlas of Corals and Coral Reefs, with Emphasis on Deep-Water Coral Reefs from the U
    Inventory and Atlas of Corals and Coral Reefs, with Emphasis on Deep-Water Coral Reefs from the U. S. Caribbean EEZ Jorge R. García Sais SEDAR26-RD-02 FINAL REPORT Inventory and Atlas of Corals and Coral Reefs, with Emphasis on Deep-Water Coral Reefs from the U. S. Caribbean EEZ Submitted to the: Caribbean Fishery Management Council San Juan, Puerto Rico By: Dr. Jorge R. García Sais dba Reef Surveys P. O. Box 3015;Lajas, P. R. 00667 [email protected] December, 2005 i Table of Contents Page I. Executive Summary 1 II. Introduction 4 III. Study Objectives 7 IV. Methods 8 A. Recuperation of Historical Data 8 B. Atlas map of deep reefs of PR and the USVI 11 C. Field Study at Isla Desecheo, PR 12 1. Sessile-Benthic Communities 12 2. Fishes and Motile Megabenthic Invertebrates 13 3. Statistical Analyses 15 V. Results and Discussion 15 A. Literature Review 15 1. Historical Overview 15 2. Recent Investigations 22 B. Geographical Distribution and Physical Characteristics 36 of Deep Reef Systems of Puerto Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands C. Taxonomic Characterization of Sessile-Benthic 49 Communities Associated With Deep Sea Habitats of Puerto Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands 1. Benthic Algae 49 2. Sponges (Phylum Porifera) 53 3. Corals (Phylum Cnidaria: Scleractinia 57 and Antipatharia) 4. Gorgonians (Sub-Class Octocorallia 65 D. Taxonomic Characterization of Sessile-Benthic Communities 68 Associated with Deep Sea Habitats of Puerto Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands 1. Echinoderms 68 2. Decapod Crustaceans 72 3. Mollusks 78 E.
    [Show full text]
  • Zootaxa, a New Species of Ladyfish, of the Genus Elops
    Zootaxa 2346: 29–41 (2010) ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ Article ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2010 · Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) A new species of ladyfish, of the genus Elops (Elopiformes: Elopidae), from the western Atlantic Ocean RICHARD S. MCBRIDE1, CLAUDIA R. ROCHA2, RAMON RUIZ-CARUS1 & BRIAN W. BOWEN3 1Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 100 8th Avenue SE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 USA. E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] 2University of Texas at Austin - Marine Science Institute, 750 Channel View Drive, Port Aransas, TX 78374 USA. E-mail: [email protected] 3Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, P.O. Box 1346, Kaneohe, HI 96744 USA. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract This paper describes Elops smithi, n. sp., and designates a lectotype for E. saurus. These two species can be separated from the five other species of Elops by a combination of vertebrae and gillraker counts. Morphologically, they can be distinguished from each other only by myomere (larvae) or vertebrae (adults) counts. Elops smithi has 73–80 centra (total number of vertebrae), usually with 75–78 centra; E. saurus has 79–87 centra, usually with 81–85 centra. No other morphological character is known to separate E. smithi and E. saurus, but the sequence divergence in mtDNA cytochrome b (d = 0.023–0.029) between E. smithi and E. saurus is similar to or greater than that measured between recognized species of Elops in different ocean basins. Both species occur in the western Atlantic Ocean, principally allopatrically but with areas of sympatry, probably via larval dispersal of E.
    [Show full text]
  • Lingering Taxonomic Challenges Hinder Conservation and Management of Global Bonefishes
    REVIEW Lingering Taxonomic Challenges Hinder Conservation and Management of Global Bonefishes Brandon D. Pickett | Brigham Young University, Department of Biology, Provo, UT Elizabeth M. Wallace | Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, St. Petersburg, FL Perry G. Ridge | Brigham Young University, Department of Biology, Provo, UT John S. K. Kauwe | Brigham Young University, Department of Biology, Provo, UT. E-mail: [email protected] © 2020 American Fisheries Society DOI: 10.1002/fsh.10438 FISHERIES | www.fisheries.org 1 Despite expanding research on the popular recreational fishery, bonefish taxonomy remains murky. The genus Albula, com- prising these iconic circumtropical marine sportfishes, has a complex taxonomic history driven by highly conserved morphol- ogy. Presently, 12 putative species are spread among 3 species complexes. The cryptic morphology hinders visual identification, requiring genetic species identification in some cases. Unclear nomenclature can have unintended consequences, including exac- erbating taxonomic uncertainty and complicating resolution efforts. Further, ignoring this reality in publications may erode man- agement and conservation efforts. In the Indian and Pacific oceans, ranges and areas of overlap are unclear, precluding certainty about which species support the fishery and hindering conservation efforts. Species overlap, at both broad and localized spatial scales, may mask population declines if one is targeted primarily (as demonstrated in the western Atlantic fishery). Additional work is necessary, especially to increase our understanding of spatiotemporal ecology across life history stages and taxa. If combined with increased capacity to discern between cryptic species, population structure may be ascertained, and fisheries stakeholders will be enabled to make informed decisions. To assist in such efforts, we have constructed new range maps for each species and species complex.
    [Show full text]
  • Distributions and Habitats: Albulidae
    Distributions and Habitats: Albulidae FAMILY Albulidae Bleeker, 1849 - bonefishes SUBFAMILY Albulinae Bleeker, 1849 - bonefishes GENUS Albula Scopoli, 1777 - bonefishes Species Albula argentea (Forster, in Bloch & Schneider, 1801) - silver bonefish Distribution: Indo-West Pacific. Habitat: brackish, marine. Species Albula vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758) - bonefish Distribution: Worldwide in warm seas (but apparently a species complex, with vulpes limited to western Atlantic and Caribbean). Habitat: brackish, marine. Species Albula glossodonta (Forsskal, 1775) - roundjaw bonefish Distribution: Red Sea, Indo-West Pacific: East Africa, Seychelles, Madagascar and western Mascarenes east to Hawaiian Islands, north to southern Japan and Ogasawara Islands, south to Lord Howe Island. Habitat: brackish, marine. Species Albula esuncula (Garman, 1899) - Eastern Pacific bonefish Distribution: Southern Gulf of California, Mexico, to at least San Pablo, Ecuador. Habitat: marine. Species Albula gilberti Pfeiler & van der Heiden, in Pfeiler et al., 2011 - Cortez bonefish Distribution: Coastal waters of California, USA, to Gulf of California, Mexico. Habitat: marine. Species Albula goreensis Valenciennes, in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1847 - Goree bonefish Distribution: Eastern Atlantic: Senegal to Angola. Habitat: marine. Species Albula koreana Kwun & Kim, 2011 - Korean bonefish Distribution: Western North Pacific: Korea and Taiwan. Habitat: marine. Species Albula nemoptera (Fowler, 1911) - threadfin bonefish Distribution: Western Atlantic and eastern Pacific. Habitat:
    [Show full text]
  • 61661147.Pdf
    Resource Inventory of Marine and Estuarine Fishes of the West Coast and Alaska: A Checklist of North Pacific and Arctic Ocean Species from Baja California to the Alaska–Yukon Border OCS Study MMS 2005-030 and USGS/NBII 2005-001 Project Cooperation This research addressed an information need identified Milton S. Love by the USGS Western Fisheries Research Center and the Marine Science Institute University of California, Santa Barbara to the Department University of California of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service, Pacific Santa Barbara, CA 93106 OCS Region, Camarillo, California. The resource inventory [email protected] information was further supported by the USGS’s National www.id.ucsb.edu/lovelab Biological Information Infrastructure as part of its ongoing aquatic GAP project in Puget Sound, Washington. Catherine W. Mecklenburg T. Anthony Mecklenburg Report Availability Pt. Stephens Research Available for viewing and in PDF at: P. O. Box 210307 http://wfrc.usgs.gov Auke Bay, AK 99821 http://far.nbii.gov [email protected] http://www.id.ucsb.edu/lovelab Lyman K. Thorsteinson Printed copies available from: Western Fisheries Research Center Milton Love U. S. Geological Survey Marine Science Institute 6505 NE 65th St. University of California, Santa Barbara Seattle, WA 98115 Santa Barbara, CA 93106 [email protected] (805) 893-2935 June 2005 Lyman Thorsteinson Western Fisheries Research Center Much of the research was performed under a coopera- U. S. Geological Survey tive agreement between the USGS’s Western Fisheries
    [Show full text]
  • Evolutionary Pathways Toward Gigantism in Sharks and Rays
    ORIGINAL ARTICLE doi:10.1111/evo.13680 Evolutionary pathways toward gigantism in sharks and rays Catalina Pimiento,1,2,3,4 Juan L. Cantalapiedra,2,5 Kenshu Shimada,6 Daniel J. Field,7 and Jeroen B. Smaers8 1Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea SA28PP, United Kingdom 2Museum fur¨ Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin 10115, Germany 3Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama 4E-mail: [email protected] 5Departamento Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcala,´ Madrid, Spain 6Department of Environmental Science and Studies and Department of Biological Sciences, DePaul University, Chicago IL 60614 7Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 3EQ, UK 8Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, New York NY 11794 Received September 25, 2018 Accepted January 4, 2019 Through elasmobranch (sharks and rays) evolutionary history, gigantism evolved multiple times in phylogenetically distant species, some of which are now extinct. Interestingly, the world’s largest elasmobranchs display two specializations found never to overlap: filter feeding and mesothermy. The contrasting lifestyles of elasmobranch giants provide an ideal case study to elucidate the evolutionary pathways leading to gigantism in the oceans. Here, we applied a phylogenetic approach to a global dataset of 459 taxa to study the evolution of elasmobranch gigantism. We found that filter feeders and mesotherms deviate from general relationships between trophic level and body size, and exhibit significantly larger sizes than ectothermic-macropredators. We confirm that filter feeding arose multiple times during the Paleogene, and suggest the possibility of a single origin of mesothermy in the Cretaceous. Together, our results elucidate two main evolutionary pathways that enable gigantism: mesothermic and filter feeding.
    [Show full text]
  • Acipenseriformes, Elopiformes, Albuliformes, Notacanthiformes
    Early Stages of Fishes in the Western North Atlantic Ocean Species Accounts Acipenseriformes, Elopiformes, Albuliformes, Notacanthiformes Selected meristic characters in species belonging to the above orders whose adults or larvae have been collected in the study area. Classification sequence follows Eschmeyer, 1990. Vertebrae and anal fin rays are generally not reported in the No- tacanthiformes. Most notacanthiform larvae are undescribed. Sources: McDowell, 1973; Sulak, 1977; Castle, 1984; Snyder, 1988; Smith, 1989b. Order–Family Total vertebrae Species (or myomeres) Dorsal fin rays Anal fin rays Caudal fin rays Acipenseriformes-Acipenseridae Acipenser brevirostrum 60–61 myo 32–42 18–24 60 Acipenser oxyrhynchus 60–61 myo 30–46 23–30 90 Elopiformes-Elopidae Elops saurus 74–86 18–25 8–15 9–11+10+9+7–8 Elopiformes-Megalopidae Megalops atlanticus 53–59 10–13 17–23 7+10+9+6–7 Albuliformes-Albulidae Albula vulpes 65–72 17–19 8–10 8+10+9+6 Order–Family Total vertebrae Species (or myomeres) Dorsal fin rays Anal fin rays Pelvic fin rays Notacanthiformes-Halosauridae Aldrovandia affinis No data 11–13 No data I, 7–9 Aldrovandia oleosa No data 10–12 No data I, 8 Aldrovandia gracilis No data 10–12 No data I, 7–9 Aldrovandia phalacra No data 10–12 No data I, 7–8 Halosauropsis macrochir No data 11–13 No data I, 9 Halosaurus guentheri No data 10–11 158–209 I, 8–10 Notacanthiformes-Notacanthidae Notacanthus chemnitzii 225–239 9–12 spines XIII–IV,116–130 I, 8–11 Polyacanthonotus challengeri 242–255 36–40 spines XXXIX–LIX, 126–142 I–II, 8–9 Polyacanthonotus merretti No data 28–36 spines No data I–II, 6–8 Polyacanthonotus rissoanus No data 26–36 spines No data I, 7–11 Notacanthiformes-Lipogenyidae Lipogenys gillii 228–234 9–12 116–136 II, 6–8 Meristic data from California Current area (Moser and Charter, 1996a); data from western Atlantic may differ Early Stages of Fishes in the Western North Atlantic Ocean 3 Acipenseriformes, Elopiformes, Albuliformes, Notacanthiformes Acipenseriformes Sturgeons are anadromous and freshwater fishes restricted to the northern hemisphere.
    [Show full text]
  • Early Larvae of the Tarpon, <I>Megalops
    136 BULLETINOFMARINESCIENCE,VOL.30, NO.I, 1980 BULLETINOFMARINESCIENCE,30(1): 136-141,1980 EARL Y LARVAE OF THE TARPON, MEGALOPS ATLANTICA VALENCIENNES (PISCES: ELOPIDAE), WITH NOTES ON SPAWNING IN THE GULF OF MEXICO AND THE YUCATAN CHANNEL David G. Smith ABSTRACT-A description is given of the early larval stages of the tarpon, emphasizing the pre-flexion and flexion stages, up to about 12 mm standard length. A 5.7 mm specimen retained part of the yolk sac and is the smallest tarpon larva known. At a length of about 10-11 mm flexion of the notochord occurs and dorsal and anal pterygiophores appear. Hypura]s and caudal-fin rays develop at flexion; dorsal- and anal-fin rays appear somewhat later, at about ]6 mm. Pelvic fins appear at about 2] mm. Maximum size before metamorphosis is about 28 mm SL. Spawning occurs in the spring and summer in the Yucatan Channel and the Gulf of Mexico. Spawning areas are located off Cozumel, off the west coast of Florida, and in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. The duration of larval life is about 3 months. Although the life history of the tarpon, Mega/ops atlantica Valenciennes, is now fairly well known, some important gaps remain. Eggs are unknown and no larvae smaller than 9.4 mm have been described (Eldred, 1972). Neither spawning areas nor rates of larval growth have been determined. This report is based on a series of larvae collected in the Gulf of Mexico and the Yucatan Channel. Since it includes the smallest larvae yet known, it permits a more complete description than has previously been possible of the early larval stages.
    [Show full text]
  • Order ELOPIFORMES
    click for previous page Elopiformes: Elopidae 1619 Class ACTINOPTERYGII Order ELOPIFORMES ELOPIDAE Tenpounders (ladyfishes) by D.G. Smith A single species occurring in the area. Elops hawaiiensis Regan, 1909 Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: Elops australis Regan, 1909 / Elops saurus Linnaeus, 1766. FAO names: En - Hawaiian ladyfish. branchiostegal gular rays plate Diagnostic characters: Body elongate, fusiform, moderately compressed. Eye large. Mouth large, gape ending behind posterior margin of eye; mouth terminal, jaws approximately equal; a gular plate present between arms of lower jaw. Teeth small and granular. Branchiostegal rays numerous, approximately 20 to 25. All fins without spines; dorsal fin begins slightly behind midbody; anal fin short, with approximately 14 to 17 rays, begins well behind base of dorsal fin; caudal fin deeply forked; pectoral fins low on side of body, near ventral outline; pelvic fins abdominal, below origin of dorsal fin. Scales very small, approxi- mately 100 in lateral line. Colour: blue or greenish grey above, silvery on sides; fins sometimes with a faint yellow tinge. ventral view of head Similar families occurring in the area Clupeidae: lateral line absent; gular plate absent; most species have scutes along midline of belly. Megalopidae (Megalops cyprinoides): scales much larger, about 30 to 40 in lateral line; last ray of dorsal fin elongate and filamentous. no lateral line filament scutes Clupeidae Megalopidae (Megalops cyprinoides) 1620 Bony Fishes Albulidae (Albula spp.): mouth inferior. Chanidae (Chanos chanos): mouth smaller, gape not extending behind eye; gular plate absent; bran- chiostegal rays fewer, approximately 4 or 5. mouth inferior mouth smaller Albulidae (Albula spp.) Chanidae (Chanos chanos) Size: Maximum standard length slightly less than 1 m, commonly to 50 cm; seldom reaches a weight of 5 kg (= “ten pounds”), despite the family’s common name.
    [Show full text]