DOCSLIB.ORG

Identification and Incorporation of Quantitative Indicators of Ecosystem

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2012 Identification and incorporation of quantitative indicators of ecosystem function into single-species fishery stock assessment models and the associated biological reference points Melissa Hedges Monk Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons Recommended Citation Monk, Melissa Hedges, "Identification and incorporation of quantitative indicators of ecosystem function into single-species fishery stock assessment models and the associated biological reference points" (2012). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 476. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/476 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 Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. IDENTIFICATION AND INCORPORATION OF QUANTITATIVE INDICATORS OF ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION INTO SINGLE-SPECIES FISHERY STOCK ASSESSMENT MODELS AND THE ASSOCIATED BIOLOGICAL REFERENCE POINTS A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences by Melissa Monk B.S., Virginia Tech, 2004 M.S., Virginia Tech, 2007 August 2012 DEDICATION To my husband Dr. Joshua Monk, for his support during my pursuit of a doctoral degree. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First, I would like to thank my major advisor, Dr. Joseph Powers for all of his valuable insight, support, advice, and for challenging me as a student and scientist over the past four years. I also want to thank Dr. Powers for the opportunities he provided for me to attend conferences, symposiums and meetings and exposing me to the world of fisheries management. I am also grateful for Dr. Powers for answering my unending questions and always keeping his door open. I also owe a great amount of my gratitude to my committee members Dr. Jim Cowan, Dr. Chris D’Elia, Dr. Brian Marx, Dr. Kenny Rose, and my dean’s representative Dr. Fern Galvez. All of my committee members have been a wonderful source of knowledge in fisheries, statistics, and modeling. I want to thank all of my committee members for the time and effort they have given to my dissertation. I want to thank Dr. Liz Brooks at the National Marine Fisheries Center for being my mentor through the NMFS/ Sea Grant Fellowship program. Thank you Dr. Brooks for encouraging me to learn R and taking the time to host meet for a week at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center. Dr. Brooks also provided valuable insight during the development process of my dissertation and provided feedback on my chapters. I am especially grateful to Kirsten Simonsen and Dr. Michelle Zapp Sluis for taking me into the field to see real fish, deciding to pursue their “PhDs in Friendship” and for making this process so much more enjoyable. I am also grateful to Lauren Land, Dr. Melissa Baustian and Courtney Saari for making the EnvironMentors program such a huge success. Finally, I would like to thank my husband, parents, grandparents, and in-laws for all of their love and support throughout my dissertation studies. I could not have done this without them. iii This project was funded by the National Marine Fisheries Service / Sea Grant PhD Fellowship for Marine Population Dynamics as well as the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................ ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................. iii ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. vii GENERAL INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 1 Literature Cited ........................................................................................................................... 5 CHAPTER 1 : SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL PATTERNS IN THE DEMERSAL FISH COMMUNITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE NORTHWESTERN GULF OF MEXICO SHRIMP TRAWL FISHERY ......................................................................................................................... 7 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 7 Methods..................................................................................................................................... 13 Results ....................................................................................................................................... 22 Discussion ................................................................................................................................. 46 Literature Cited ......................................................................................................................... 59 CHAPTER 2 : UTILIZATION OF A MULTISPECIES LOTKA-VOLTERRA MODEL TO EXPLORE BIOLOGICAL REFERENCE POINTS FROM A SINGLE-SPECIES SURPLUS PRODUCTION MODEL.............................................................................................................. 64 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 64 Methods..................................................................................................................................... 68 Results ....................................................................................................................................... 78 Discussion ................................................................................................................................. 99 Literature Cited ....................................................................................................................... 103 CHAPTER 3 : EFFECT OF CONNECTANCE ON BIOLOGICAL REFERENCE POINTS FROM MULTISPECIES AND SINGLE SPECIES MODELS ................................................. 108 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 108 Methods................................................................................................................................... 110 Results ..................................................................................................................................... 111 Discussion ............................................................................................................................... 131 Literature Cited ....................................................................................................................... 135 CHAPTER 4 : SINGLE-SPECIES BIOLOGICAL REFERENCES POINT IN A MULTISPECIES FISHERY ....................................................................................................... 137 v Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 137 Methods................................................................................................................................... 138 Results ..................................................................................................................................... 139 Discussion ............................................................................................................................... 147 Literature Cited ....................................................................................................................... 153 GENERAL SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS...................................................................... 155 APPENDIX A : CHAPTER 1 SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL ............................................ 158 APPENDIX B : CHAPTER 2 SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL ............................................ 175 APPENDIX C : CHAPTER 3 SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL ............................................ 176 APPENDIX D : CHAPTER 4 SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL ............................................ 188 APPENDIX E : COMPUTER CODE FOR THE LOTKA-VOLTERRA SIMULATIONS ...... 189 VITA ........................................................................................................................................... 196 vi ABSTRACT The move towards an ecosystem approach to fisheries management requires baseline information on the biotic communities and an understanding of the interactions among species. The two objectives of this study were to describe the demersal fish community (DFC) associated with the northwestern Gulf shrimp trawl fishery, and to utilize a multispecies Lotka-Volterra model to examine possible community level effects of fishing. Community level effects include predator-prey interactions and the responses of fish in the same community to fishing pressure. The summer and fall Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP) bottomfish
Recommended publications
  • Andrea RAZ-GUZMÁN1*, Leticia HUIDOBRO2, and Virginia PADILLA3

    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.
  • Early Stages of Fishes in the Western North Atlantic Ocean Volume

    Early Stages of Fishes in the Western North Atlantic Ocean Volume

    ISBN 0-9689167-4-x Early Stages of Fishes in the Western North Atlantic Ocean (Davis Strait, Southern Greenland and Flemish Cap to Cape Hatteras) Volume One Acipenseriformes through Syngnathiformes Michael P. Fahay ii Early Stages of Fishes in the Western North Atlantic Ocean iii Dedication This monograph is dedicated to those highly skilled larval fish illustrators whose talents and efforts have greatly facilitated the study of fish ontogeny. The works of many of those fine illustrators grace these pages. iv Early Stages of Fishes in the Western North Atlantic Ocean v Preface The contents of this monograph are a revision and update of an earlier atlas describing the eggs and larvae of western Atlantic marine fishes occurring between the Scotian Shelf and Cape Hatteras, North Carolina (Fahay, 1983). The three-fold increase in the total num- ber of species covered in the current compilation is the result of both a larger study area and a recent increase in published ontogenetic studies of fishes by many authors and students of the morphology of early stages of marine fishes. It is a tribute to the efforts of those authors that the ontogeny of greater than 70% of species known from the western North Atlantic Ocean is now well described. Michael Fahay 241 Sabino Road West Bath, Maine 04530 U.S.A. vi Acknowledgements I greatly appreciate the help provided by a number of very knowledgeable friends and colleagues dur- ing the preparation of this monograph. Jon Hare undertook a painstakingly critical review of the entire monograph, corrected omissions, inconsistencies, and errors of fact, and made suggestions which markedly improved its organization and presentation.
  • Statoil-Environment Impact Study for Block 39

    Statoil-Environment Impact Study for Block 39

    Technical Sheet Title: Environmental Impact Study for the Block 39 Exploratory Drilling Project. Client: Statoil Angola Block 39 AS Belas Business Park, Edifício Luanda 3º e 4º andar, Talatona, Belas Telefone: +244-222 640900; Fax: +244-222 640939. E-mail: [email protected] www.statoil.com Contractor: Holísticos, Lda. – Serviços, Estudos & Consultoria Rua 60, Casa 559, Urbanização Harmonia, Benfica, Luanda Telefone: +244-222 006938; Fax: +244-222 006435. E-mail: [email protected] www.holisticos.co.ao Date: August 2013 Environmental Impact Study for the Block 39 Exploratory Drilling Project TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1. BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................. 1-1 1.2. PROJECT SITE .............................................................................................................................. 1-4 1.3. PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE EIS .................................................................................................... 1-5 1.4. AREAS OF INFLUENCE .................................................................................................................... 1-6 1.4.1. Directly Affected area ...................................................................................................... 1-7 1.4.2. Area of direct influence ..................................................................................................
  • 229 Index of Scientific and Vernacular Names

    229 Index of Scientific and Vernacular Names

    previous page 229 INDEX OF SCIENTIFIC AND VERNACULAR NAMES EXPLANATION OF THE SYSTEM Type faces used: Italics : Valid scientific names (genera and species) Italics : Synonyms * Italics : Misidentifications (preceded by an asterisk) ROMAN (saps) : Family names Roman : International (FAO) names of species 230 Page Page A African red snapper ................................................. 79 Abalistes stellatus ............................................... 42 African sawtail catshark ......................................... 144 Abámbolo ............................................................... 81 African sicklefìsh ...................................................... 62 Abámbolo de bajura ................................................ 81 African solenette .................................................... 111 Ablennes hians ..................................................... 44 African spadefish ..................................................... 63 Abuete cajeta ........................................................ 184 African spider shrimp ............................................. 175 Abuete de Angola ................................................. 184 African spoon-nose eel ............................................ 88 Abuete negro ........................................................ 184 African squid .......................................................... 199 Abuete real ........................................................... 183 African striped grunt ................................................
  • Reduced Bycatch and Benthic Disturbance Achieved with the Wing Trawling System

    Reduced Bycatch and Benthic Disturbance Achieved with the Wing Trawling System

    University of New Orleans ScholarWorks@UNO University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations Dissertations and Theses Spring 5-13-2016 An Alternate Trawling Method: Reduced Bycatch and Benthic Disturbance Achieved with the Wing Trawling System Geoffrey Udoff [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td Part of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, and the Marine Biology Commons Recommended Citation Udoff, Geoffrey, "An Alternate Trawling Method: Reduced Bycatch and Benthic Disturbance Achieved with the Wing Trawling System" (2016). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 2217. https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/2217 This Thesis is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by ScholarWorks@UNO with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Thesis in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights- holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/or on the work itself. This Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UNO. For more information, please contact [email protected]. An Alternate Trawling Method: Reduced Bycatch and Benthic Disturbance Achieved with the Wing Trawling System A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of New Orleans in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Earth and Environmental Sciences by Geoffrey Udoff B.Sc.
  • Snapper and Grouper: SFP Fisheries Sustainability Overview 2015

    Snapper and Grouper: SFP Fisheries Sustainability Overview 2015

    Snapper and Grouper: SFP Fisheries Sustainability Overview 2015 Snapper and Grouper: SFP Fisheries Sustainability Overview 2015 Snapper and Grouper: SFP Fisheries Sustainability Overview 2015 Patrícia Amorim | Fishery Analyst, Systems Division | [email protected] Megan Westmeyer | Fishery Analyst, Strategy Communications and Analyze Division | [email protected] CITATION Amorim, P. and M. Westmeyer. 2016. Snapper and Grouper: SFP Fisheries Sustainability Overview 2015. Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Foundation. 18 pp. Available from www.fishsource.com. PHOTO CREDITS left: Image courtesy of Pedro Veiga (Pedro Veiga Photography) right: Image courtesy of Pedro Veiga (Pedro Veiga Photography) © Sustainable Fisheries Partnership February 2016 KEYWORDS Developing countries, FAO, fisheries, grouper, improvements, seafood sector, small-scale fisheries, snapper, sustainability www.sustainablefish.org i Snapper and Grouper: SFP Fisheries Sustainability Overview 2015 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The goal of this report is to provide a brief overview of the current status and trends of the snapper and grouper seafood sector, as well as to identify the main gaps of knowledge and highlight areas where improvements are critical to ensure long-term sustainability. Snapper and grouper are important fishery resources with great commercial value for exporters to major international markets. The fisheries also support the livelihoods and food security of many local, small-scale fishing communities worldwide. It is therefore all the more critical that management of these fisheries improves, thus ensuring this important resource will remain available to provide both food and income. Landings of snapper and grouper have been steadily increasing: in the 1950s, total landings were about 50,000 tonnes, but they had grown to more than 612,000 tonnes by 2013.
  • Guianas Brazil Shrimp and Groundfish Subregional FMP Concept

    Guianas Brazil Shrimp and Groundfish Subregional FMP Concept

    4th (Virtual) Meeting of the WECAFC/CRFM/IFREMER Working Group on Shrimp and Groundfish of the North Brazil-Guianas Shelf ------------------------------------------------------------------- 18-19 November 2020 Guianas Brazil Regional Fisheries Management Plan Guianas-Brazil Shrimp and Groundfish - Subregional FMP Concept Contents Goal ...................................................................................................................................................... 5 Preamble ............................................................................................................................................... 5 Principles .............................................................................................................................................. 6 Purpose ................................................................................................................................................. 7 Approach .............................................................................................................................................. 7 Scope ............................................................................................................................................ 7 Existing Management Objectives ............................................................................................ 8 Overall Subregional Management Objectives ....................................................................... 9 Shared Resources Inventory ....................................................................................................
  • Sphyraenidae Rafinesque, 1815 - Barracudas [=Sphyrenidia] Notes: Sphyrenidia Rafinesque, 1815:89 [Ref

    Sphyraenidae Rafinesque, 1815 - Barracudas [=Sphyrenidia] Notes: Sphyrenidia Rafinesque, 1815:89 [Ref

    FAMILY Sphyraenidae Rafinesque, 1815 - barracudas [=Sphyrenidia] Notes: Sphyrenidia Rafinesque, 1815:89 [ref. 3584] (subfamily) Sphyraena [as Sphyrena, name must be corrected Article 32.5.3; stem corrected to Sphyraen- by Bonaparte 1831:156 [ref. 4978], confirmed by Günther 1860:334 [ref. 1963] and by Gill 1872:12 [ref. 26254]] GENUS Sphyraena Artedi, in Rose, 1793 - barracudas [=Sphyraena Artedi [P.], in Röse, 1793:112, Acus Plumier [C.], in Lacepède, 1803:327 (footnote), Agrioposphyraena (subgenus of Sphyraena) Fowler [H. W.], 1903:749, Australuzza Whitley [G. P.], 1947:136, Callosphyraena Smith [J. L. B.], 1956:38, 42, Indosphyraena Smith [J. L. B.], 1956:38, 39, Sphyraena Klein [J. T.], 1778:464, Sphyraena Walbaum [J. J.] (ex Klein), 1792:584, Sphyraena Bloch [M. E.] & Schneider [J. G.], 1801:109, Sphyraenella Smith [J. L. B.], 1956:38] Notes: [ref. 3833]. Fem. Esox sphyraena Linnaeus, 1758. Type by subsequent designation or subsequent monotypy. Spelled Sphyrena by Rafinesque 1810:34 and Sphaerina by Swainson 1839:175 (242) [ref. 4303]. Apparently above is oldest available name for genus; authors also date to Bloch & Schneider 1801 or Klein; Walbaum (1792) is unavailable. •Valid as Sphyraena Artedi, 1793 [some authors use Röse as author] -- (de Sylva 1975 [ref. 6302], de Sylva 1984:534 [ref. 13666], Yoshino in Masuda et al. 1984:121 [ref. 6441], Ben-Tuvia in Whitehead et al. 1986:1194 [ref. 13677], de Sylva & Williams 1986:722 [ref. 6301], Daget 1986:35 [ref. 6203], Lin & Shao 1987 [ref. 6420], Johnson 1986:32 [ref. 5676], Daget in Lévêque et al. 1992:789 [ref. 21590], Gomon et al. 1994:664 [ref.
  • Red Snapper, Vermilion Snapper, Yellowtail Snapper Gulf of Mexico

    Red Snapper, Vermilion Snapper, Yellowtail Snapper Gulf of Mexico

    Red Snapper, Vermilion Snapper, Yellowtail Snapper Lutjanus campechanus, Rhomboplites aurorubens, Ocyurus chrysurus ©Monterey Bay Aquarium Gulf of Mexico/South Atlantic Vertical Line: Hydraulic/Electric Reel, Rod and Reel, Hand Line January 9, 2013 Rachelle Fisher, Consulting Researcher Disclaimer Seafood Watch® strives to ensure all our Seafood Reports and the recommendations contained therein are accurate and reflect the most up-to-date evidence available at time of publication. All our reports are peer- reviewed for accuracy and completeness by external scientists with expertise in ecology, fisheries science or aquaculture. Scientific review, however, does not constitute an endorsement of the Seafood Watch program or its recommendations on the part of the reviewing scientists. Seafood Watch is solely responsible for the conclusions reached in this report. We always welcome additional or updated data that can be used for the next revision. Seafood Watch and Seafood Reports are made possible through a grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. 2 Final Seafood Recommendation Although there are many snappers caught in the U.S., only the three most commercially important species relative to landed weight and value (red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus), vermilion snapper (Rhomboplites aurorubens), and yellowtail snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus) are discussed here. This report discusses snapper caught in the South Atlantic (SA) and Gulf of Mexico (GOM) by vertical gear types including hydraulic/electric reel, rod and reel, and handline. Snapper caught by bottom longline in the GOM and SA will not be discussed since it makes up a statistically insignificant proportion of the total snapper catch in the GOM and in the SA bottom longline fishing in waters shallower than 50 fathoms, where snapper are generally caught, is prohibited.
  • Intrinsic Vulnerability in the Global Fish Catch

    Intrinsic Vulnerability in the Global Fish Catch

    The following appendix accompanies the article Intrinsic vulnerability in the global fish catch William W. L. Cheung1,*, Reg Watson1, Telmo Morato1,2, Tony J. Pitcher1, Daniel Pauly1 1Fisheries Centre, The University of British Columbia, Aquatic Ecosystems Research Laboratory (AERL), 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada 2Departamento de Oceanografia e Pescas, Universidade dos Açores, 9901-862 Horta, Portugal *Email: [email protected] Marine Ecology Progress Series 333:1–12 (2007) Appendix 1. Intrinsic vulnerability index of fish taxa represented in the global catch, based on the Sea Around Us database (www.seaaroundus.org) Taxonomic Intrinsic level Taxon Common name vulnerability Family Pristidae Sawfishes 88 Squatinidae Angel sharks 80 Anarhichadidae Wolffishes 78 Carcharhinidae Requiem sharks 77 Sphyrnidae Hammerhead, bonnethead, scoophead shark 77 Macrouridae Grenadiers or rattails 75 Rajidae Skates 72 Alepocephalidae Slickheads 71 Lophiidae Goosefishes 70 Torpedinidae Electric rays 68 Belonidae Needlefishes 67 Emmelichthyidae Rovers 66 Nototheniidae Cod icefishes 65 Ophidiidae Cusk-eels 65 Trachichthyidae Slimeheads 64 Channichthyidae Crocodile icefishes 63 Myliobatidae Eagle and manta rays 63 Squalidae Dogfish sharks 62 Congridae Conger and garden eels 60 Serranidae Sea basses: groupers and fairy basslets 60 Exocoetidae Flyingfishes 59 Malacanthidae Tilefishes 58 Scorpaenidae Scorpionfishes or rockfishes 58 Polynemidae Threadfins 56 Triakidae Houndsharks 56 Istiophoridae Billfishes 55 Petromyzontidae
  • 1 RED SNAPPER – Lutjanus Spp. Depending on Language And

    1 RED SNAPPER – Lutjanus Spp. Depending on Language And

    RED SNAPPER – Lutjanus spp. Depending on language and location, the name Red Snapper applies to a number of fish species across the globe within the Lutjanidae family, and refers to those snappers that exhibit a red coloration as adults. Species falling under the title “red snapper” include: • Lutjanus campechanus (Northern red snapper; found in the Western Atlantic from the Gulf of Mexico and southeastern USA to the northern coast of South America) • Lutjanus argentimaculatus (Mangrove red snapper; found in the Indo-West Pacific from East Africa to Southeast Asia and south to the northern coasts of Australia) • Lutjanus purpureus (Southern red snapper; found in the Caribbean Sea to the northeast coast of South America) • Lutjanus buccanella (Blackfin snapper; found in the Western Atlantic from the Gulf of Mexico and southeastern USA to the northern coast of South America) • Lutjanus bohar (Two-spot red snapper; found in the Indo-Pacific from East Africa to the Pacific islands south to Australia. • Lutjanus erhrytropterus (Crimson red snapper; found in the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans, from the Gulf of Oman to Japan and northern Australia) • Lutjanus malabaricus (Malabar blood snapper; found in the Western Pacific, where it is found east to Fiji and Japan, and Indian Ocean, where it occurs west to the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea). Snappers are an extremely important fishery resource in the geographies where they are found, contributing to production for both local consumption as well as export markets. Red snappers are one of the most valuable and widely recognized members among the Lutjanidae, although the common name “red snapper” pertains to, and are sometimes used indistinctively for, several distinct species.
  • Zootaxa, a New Species of Snapper

    Zootaxa, a New Species of Snapper

    Zootaxa 1422: 31–43 (2007) ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2007 · Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) A new species of snapper (Perciformes: Lutjanidae) from Brazil, with comments on the distribution of Lutjanus griseus and L. apodus RODRIGO L. MOURA1 & KENYON C. LINDEMAN2 1Conservation International Brasil, Programa Marinho, Rua das Palmeiras 451 Caravelas BA 45900-000 Brazil E-mail:[email protected] 2Environmental Defense, 485 Glenwood Avenue, Satellite Beach, FL, 32937 USA E-mail: [email protected] Abstract Snappers of the family Lutjanidae contain several of the most important reef-fishery species in the tropical western Atlantic. Despite their importance, substantial gaps exist for both systematic and ecological information, especially for the southwestern Atlantic. Recent collecting efforts along the coast of Brazil have resulted in the discovery of many new reef-fish species, including commercially important parrotfishes (Scaridae) and grunts (Haemulidae). Based on field col- lecting, museum specimens, and literature records, we describe a new species of snapper, Lutjanus alexandrei, which is apparently endemic to the Brazilian coast. The newly settled and early juvenile life stages are also described. This spe- cies is common in many Brazilian reef and coastal estuarine systems where it has been often misidentified as the gray snapper, Lutjanus griseus, or the schoolmaster, L. apodus. Identification of the new species cast doubt on prior distribu- tional assumptions about the southern ranges of L. griseus and L. apodus, and subsequent field and museum work con- firmed that those species are not reliably recorded in Brazil. The taxonomic status of two Brazilian species previously referred to Lutjanus, Bodianus aya and Genyoroge canina, is reviewed to determine the number of valid Lutjanus species occurring in Brazil.