May 2014 USVI Fish Fact Cards Reef Responsible: A Market-Driven Approach to a Sustainable Seafood Industry in the US Virgin Islands What is Reef Responsible? “Reef Responsible” is the use of coral reefs and other marine natural resources so as to not deplete stocks or otherwise cause harm or degradation to those natural resources. What do we Hope to Achieve? We hope to increase your understanding of how catching, purchasing, serving, and consuming locally harvested seafood can positively influence the future of the US Virgin Islands’ commercial fishery and coral reefs. !! Good Go Don’t Purpose of This Guide ! Choice Slow Eat! ! ! The Good Choice, Go Slow, and Don’t Eat seafood list for the US Virgin Islands was developed with USVI Department of Planning and Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries staff and based on current USVI local and US federal fisheries regulation.! ! This guide was developed to provide information on commercially important fish and invertebrate species caught in local US Virgin Islands and US federal waters.! ! We hope that it will be used to make informed decisions about the seafood that you purchase from local restaurants as well as the seafood that you purchase to prepare on your own.! Reefsponsible List! ! These fish species are considered good choices Good because they mature quickly and reproduce Choice rapidly, their populations are in a good state, or are sustainable alternatives to native species.! These fish species are considered good Go alternatives, however there are seasonal Slow closures and size limits that are important to know.! These fish species are endangered or Don’t threatened, are protected by international, US Eat! federal, and/or USVI local law, and should never be harvested.! Reefsponsible List! ! Good Choice! Go Slow! Don’t Eat! ! ! ! Dolphinfish! Groupers! Groupers Lionfish! Grunts! Goliath! Tuna! Jacks! Nassau! Tilapia! Parrotfishes! ! Wahoo! Queen Conch! Parrotfishes! Snappers! Blue! Surgeonfish! Midnight! Spiny Lobster! Rainbow! Swordfish! Triggerfish! Whelk! Dolphinfish Good Choice Dolphinfish Good Other Names: Coryphaena hippurus, Mahi Mahi Choice Identifying Characteristics: Large dorsal fin from above the eye to base of tail. Biology ! ! Important Info Max length: 5 ft Popular with recreational anglers Common length: 2-4 ft and very important to commercial Found in small schools of fisheries. a few males and many females. Feeds on fish and zooplankton. Fast growing, pelagic (open ocean), and highly migratory. IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern drawnbydawn.com Lionfish Good Choice Red Lionfish Good Other Names: Pterois volitans Choice Identifying Characteristics: Red and white zebra stripes, long, showy pectoral fins. Biology ! ! Important Info Max length: 17 in Have defensive venomous spines Common length: 8-16 in on dorsal, ventral, and anal fins. Feeds on fish, crustaceans Invasive to Caribbean. Once and plankton. Fast spines are removed they can be reproduction rate. Native safely eaten. Like some reef fish, to the Pacific and Indian they can cause ciguatera oceans, but have invaded poisoning if taken from certain the Atlantic/Caribbean. areas. IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern fisheries.is Tilapia Good Choice Tilapia Good Other Names: Oreochromis mossambicus, O. Choice niloticus Identifying Characteristics: Small mouth. Black bars on the body. Single long dorsal fin. Biology ! ! Important Info Max length: 18 in Freshwater tropical fish from Common length: 6-8 in Africa and Eurasia. Popular in Feeds on phytoplankton aquaculture. Grown in several and small quantities of areas in the USVI. zooplankton. Fast reproduction rate. IUCN Red List Status: Near Threatened (Sustainable in USVI) Tuna Good Choice Tuna Good Other Names: Thunnus (Yellowfin, Bigeye) Choice Large pelagic (open-water) fish. Biology ! ! Important Info Max length: 8 ft Size Limit: Minimum curved fork Common length: 4-6 ft length of 27 inches. ! This fish travels in schools Important: Requires additional with other species of federal permit for commercial and similar size. Large fish recreational take. sometimes school with dolphins. IUCN Red List Status: Near Threatened (Sustainable in USVI) Wahoo Good Choice Wahoo Good Other Names: Acanthocybium solandri Choice Identifying Characteristics: Long cigar shaped body. Pointed snout. Biology ! ! Important Info Max length: 8 ft More common in the Pacific Common length: 4-5 ft although occasionally harvested Feeds on fish and squid. in the Atlantic/Caribbean. Pelagic (open ocean) and highly migratory. IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern idenfyfish.blogspot.com Blue Tang Go Slow Blue Tang Go Other Names: Acanthurus coeruleus (others in Slow family: Ocean Surgeonfish, Doctorfish) Identifying Characteristics: A scalpel like spine at the base of the tail. Biology ! ! Important Info Max length: 15 in Important algae grazer, which Common length: 5-10 in helps to maintain healthy reefs, Travel in large schools. typically found in large school Juveniles clean dead skin with Ocean Surgeonfish and and parasites from sea Doctorfish. turtles. IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern drawnbydawn.com Caribbean Spiny Lobster Go Slow Caribbean Spiny Lobster Go Other Names: Panulirus argus Slow Identifying Characteristics: Spines on the carapace. Long antennae. Biology ! ! Important Info Max length: 24 in Minimum 3 1/2 inch carapace Common length: 6-10 in length. No harvest of females with Feed on gastropods, eggs. Illegal to spearfish lobster in bivalves and carrion. territorial and federal waters. IUCN Red List Status: Insufficient Data Grouper Go Slow Grouper Go Other Names: Epinephelus Mycteroperca (Red, Slow Tiger, Yellowfin, Yellowedge, Black) Large reef dwellers. Biology ! ! Important Info Max length: 5 ft May aggregate to spawn. Closed Common length: 3-5 ft season February 1 - April 30. Like Feeds on a wide variety of some reef fish, they can cause fishes and invertebrates. ciguatera poisoning if taken from Can be found in coral and certain areas. rocky reefs. Sex-reversal observed in some species. IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern - Vulnerable acfishing.com GrUNT Go Slow Grunt Go Other Names: Haemulon (French, White, Slow Spanish, Bluestriped, etc.) Nearshore/reef dwellers. Biology ! ! Important Info Max length: 15 in May gather in small to large Common length: 8 in schools (often in the hundreds) on Feed on a wide variety of coral reefs. invertebrates. Common on coral/rocky reefs. Named for pig-like grunts produced by pharyngeal (throat) teeth. IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated JACK Go Slow Jack Go Other Names: Caranx (Bar, Yellow, Horse-Eye, Slow Crevalle, Black, Blue Runner, etc.) Biology ! ! Important Info Max length: 5 ft Most species are found in small Common length: 3 ft groups up to large schools. Feed on slow moving Occasionally a school will reside crustaceans and some in one area. fishes. Pelagic with juveniles near the shore. More than 150 species. IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern Lane Snapper Go Slow Lane Snapper Go Other Names: Lutjanus synagris Slow Identifying Characteristics: Diffused to dark vertical bars on back. 8 -10 horizontal yellow stripes on sides. Biology ! ! Important Info Max length: 2 ft Closed season April 1 - June 30. Common length: 10 in Feeds at night on small fishes, crabs, shrimp, cephalapods. IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated Mutton Snapper Go Slow Mutton Snapper Go Other Names: Lutjanus analis Slow Identifying Characteristics: Fine blue lines below the eye. A black spot on mid-body line, just below the rear dorsal fin. Biology ! ! Important Info Max length: 2.5 ft Closed season April 1 - June 30. Common length: 1-2 ft Like some reef fish, they can Found in small schools cause ciguatera poisoning if taken during the day. Feeds day from certain areas. and night on fish, crustaceans, cephalopods, and gastropods. IUCN Red List Status: Vulnerable A. H. Baldwin Parrotfish Go Slow Parrotfish Go Other Names: Scaridae, Stoplight, Red Band, Slow Queen, Princess, etc. Local Names: Gutu Identifying Characteristics: Beak-like mouth. Males can be brightly colored. Large scales. Biology ! ! Important Info Max length: 18 in Important algae grazer, which Common length: 6-16 in helps to maintain healthy Primary algae grazers on Caribbean reefs. Size Limits: coral reefs. Important bio- Redband – 8 inches (fork length), eroder. Some species Princess, Queen, Striped, Redtail, spawn daily.! Stoplight, and Redfin – 9 inches (fork length). IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern zazzle.com Queen Conch Go Slow Queen Conch Go Other Names: Strombus gigas Slow Identifying Characteristics: Large spiral shell with a wide flared lip pink in color. Biology ! ! Important Info Max shell length: 12 in Minimum shell length of 9 inches Common length: 7-9 in from tip of spire to distal end of Found on sandy and hard- shell or 3/8 inch lip thickness at bottomed lagoons, coral its widest point. Closed season rubble fields, and June 1 - October 31. Harvest occasionally seagrass prohibited in federal waters beds, at depths ranging except Lang Bank, St. Croix from 3 to 250 ft. during open season. IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated Queen Triggerfish Go Slow Queen Triggerfish Go Other Names: Balistes vetula, Ole Wife Slow Identifying Characteristics: Streaming tips on rear dorsal and tail fin. Two blue stripes on face. Biology ! ! Important Info Max length: 2 ft The trigger spine of the Queen Common length: 8-16 in Triggerfish locks in place to Feeds on crustaceans and prevent being swallowed by their sea urchins. predators. IUCN Red List Status: Vulnerable Duane Raver Red Hind Go Slow Red Hind Go Other Names: Epinephelus guttatus Slow Identifying Characteristics: Grouper with red spots and black bars along the edge of the tail and back fins. Biology ! ! Important Info Max length: 2 ft At spawning aggregation site, Common length:10-15 in closed season December 1 – Feeds mainly on crabs, February 28. Closure during other crustaceans, and spawning season appear to have small fishes. Spawns in increased the average size of this aggregations. Territorial. fish and led to the return of a healthy, growing population in St.