NOAA Technical Report NMFS Circular 449 Synopsis of Biological Data on the Pigfish, Orthopristis chrysoptera (Pisces: Haemulidae) George H. Darcy March 1983 FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 134 u.s. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Malcolm Baldrige, Secretary National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration John V. Byrne, Administrator National Marine Fisheries Service William G. Gordon, Assistant Administrator for Fisheries The National Marine Fisheries Service (~~1f ~) d a not approve, rec­ ommenrl or endoLe any proprietary pr due or propri,.tary material mentioned in this publication, '0 r ferene hall he made to ~MFS, or to this publication furnished by N~1 F. , in nny ad\' rtillng or salea pro­ motion which would indicate or imply that. ';\Y F ' approvel, r comm nds or endorses any proprietary product or propn t ry mat rial mentioned herein, or which hall a it purpo e an Int nt to cau dlr tly or indir etl)' the advertised product to u d or purcha d b cau of thil ' M FS publication. CONTENTS Introduction . ................. ... ... ... ....... .... ... ... ... .......... ... ...................... 1 Identity . ................................... ........ ... .. ..... ...................... .. ........ , . .. 1.1 Nomenclature .... ' ....... ... ... ......... ... .......... ....... ...... ................ ..... 1. 11 Valid name . ................. ........... .............................................. ... .... 1.12 Objective synonymy '" .................................... ...... .. ..... ...................... 1.2 Taxonomy ............. ........... .... ...... ..... .......... ..... .. ............................. 1.21 Affinities. ......... ... .. ............ .. ......... ... ... .. .. .. ............ ... ........ ... 1 1.22 Taxonomic status . .... .. .... ... ... .. ... ... .......... .......... ............... " 2 1.23 Subspecies.... ... ..... ........................................ ....... ......... ........ .. .. 2 1-.24 Standard common names, vernacular names ............... ... '.' . .. 2 1.3 Morphology .... ..... .... .......... .. .... ......... ........... ......... ................ ......... 2 1.31 External morphology . .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. ... .. .. 2 * 1. 32 Cytomorphology *1.33 Protein specificity 2 Distribution.. .. 3 2.1 Total area . .. 3 2.2 Differential distribution . .. 3 2.21 Spawn, larvae, and juveniles ....... , .... , ........... , . ..... .. ..... .. .. .... ..... " . .... .. .. .. ... 3 2.22 Adults. .. 4 2.3 Determinants of distribution changes. .. 4 *2.4 Hybridization 3 Bionomics and life history . .. 4 3.1 Reproduction ................................................ .. ............................. .. ....... 4 3.11 Sexuality......................................................................................... 4 3.12 Maturity .... .. 4 *3. 13 Mating 3.14 Fertilization ... .. .. 4 *3.15 Gonads 3.16 Spawning ............... .. 4 3. 17 Spawn... ............. ...................................................... ................... 5 3.2 Preadult phase . .. 5 3.2 1 Embryonic phase. .. 5 3.22 Larvae and adolescent phase. .. 5 3.3 Adult phase . .. 9 3.31 Longevity .............................................................. .. .... ................... 9 3.32 Hardiness. 9 3.33 Competitors........................... .......... ....... ............ ... ... ................... 9 3.34 Predators ............................. ... .......................................... ........... .. 9 3.35 Parasites, diseases, injuries, and abnormalities . .. 9 3.36 Chemical composition. .. 9 3.4 Nutrition and growth. .. 9 3.41 Feeding . ...................................................................... ................... 9 3.42 Food ................................. ................... ............................ .. ........ 12 3.43 Growth rate ...................................................................................... 14 3.44 Metabolism .................................... ... ........................... ..... ............ ... 14 3.5 Behavior. ........ .................................................................................. 15 3.51 Migrations and local movements ...................................................................... 15 3.52 Schooling ..................................................................... ........ ........... 15 *3.53 Responses to stimuli 4 Population. 15 4 .1 Structure . ......................................... ... .................. ....... ..................... 15 4.11 Sex ratio ..................................................................... ....... ........ .... 15 4.12 Age composition ............................................................................ ... ... 15 4.13 Size composition ............................................................... ......... ......... 15 *4 .14 Subpopulations 4.2 Abundance and density .......... ............................ .. .. .. ..... ........ , ..................... 17 4.3 Natality and recruitment ....... ................................................. ..................... 18 *4.31 Reproduction rates 4.32 Factors affecting reproduction ............... .......... ....... ............................... ........ 18 4.33 Recruitment ............................... ......... ...... ........ .... .. .. .. ................ ..... 18 1lI *4.4 Mortality and mortlldlty *4.5 Dynamics of population 4 .6 The population In the commumty lind thc ecnsy,tel11 . II! 5 ExploitatIOn . .. .. 1'1 5. 1 FI~hl~g l:qulpment . ....... 1'1 5.2 Fishmg areas 1'1 5 3 Flshmg ~ea,ons 19 5.4 FI~hmg operations and resu 11\ .. 19 5.41 EtfMt and mtenslt) '" ... 14 *5 42 clectlvlt} 5.43 Catches 19 *6 Protection and management *6. J Regulatory measures *7 Pond fish culture Acknowledgments 21 Llteratup Cited 22 'No mformatlon available. Synopsis of Biological Data on the PigfIsh, Orthopristis chrysoptera (Pisces: Haemulidae)l George H. Darcyl ABSTRACT Information on the biology and resources of the pigfish, Orlhopristis chrysoplera, is compiled, reviewed, and analyzed in the FAO species synopsis style. INTRODUCTION Orthopristis duplex Girard, 1859 Orthopristis Julvomaeulatus. Uhler and Lugger, 1876 The pigfish, Orthopristis ehrysoptera, is a common, nearshore PomadasysJulvomaeulatus. Jordan and Gilbert, 1882 haemulid fish of the southeastern Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Orthopristis ehrysopterus. Bean, 1891 coasts of the United States and Mexico. Although not a major commercial species, it is of some economic importance in areas 1.2 Taxonomy such as Chesapeake Bay and the coasts of North Carolina and Flor­ ida and is a frequently caught recreational species; it is considered a 1 .21 Affinities good quality food fish and is used locally for bait. Because of its abundance, it is an important member of shallow-water eelgrass Suprageneric (Zostera) and turtlegrass (Thalassia) communities. The pigfish also occurs offshore in deeper water where it is caught as by catch Phylum: Chordata by shrimp trawlers. This is a summary of pertinent biological data Class: Osteichthyes concerning this species. Superorder: Acanthopterygii Order: Perciformes 1 IDENTITY Suborder: Percoidei Family: Haemulidae 1.1 Nomenclature Systematics and distribution of the family Haemulidae were 1. 11 Valid name reviewed by Konchina (1976) , who listed several previously recog­ nized families (Gaterinidae, Pomadasidae, Prisinpomidae, Plec­ Orthopristis ehrysoptera (Linnaeus, 1766) (Fig. 1). torhinchidae, and Xenichthyidae) now included in Haemulidae. Although recent usage has favored the family name Pomadasyidae, Pigfish, Orthopristis ehrysoptera (Linnaeus, 1766:485) type Haemulidae is an earlier name which should be applied (Robins et locality: Charleston, South Carolina. The name comes from the al. 1980). Greek orthos (straight) and pristes (file or saw), referring to the evenly serrated preopercle (Jordan and Fesler 1893), and the Greek Generic ehrysos (gold) and pter (wing or fin) , probably referring to the sometimes gold-tinged fins. Members of the genus Orthopristis are probably most closely related to those of the genus Pomadasys, differing primarily in hav­ 1.12 Objective synonymy ing a longer anal fin (ill, 9-13 vs. ill, 6- 7), smaller scales, and less well developed dorsal fin spines (Jordan and Fesler 1893; Courte­ The following synonymy is based on the work of Jordan and nay and Sahlman 1978). Fesler (1893), Hildebrand and Schroeder (1928), and Konchina The following ·description of the genus is derived from Courte­ (1976): nay and Sahlman (1978): "Chin with a central groove behind the symphysis of the lower jaw; ... Preopercle rather finely serrate, Perea ehrysoptera Linnaeus, 1766 none of the serrae directed forward; soft portions of dorsal and anal Labrus Julvomaeulatus Mitchill, 1814 fins naked or with scales at their basal parts; body rather elongate, PristipomaJulvomaeulatum. many authors the head long; snout pointed; lips thin; anal fin long, with 3 spines Pristipomafaseiatum Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1830 and 9 to 13 soft rays." Synonyms of Orthopristis include: Mierolepidotus Gill, 1862 'Contribution No. 83-07M of the Southeast Fisheries Center. 2Southeast Fisheries Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, 75 Vir­ Pristoeantharus Gill, 1862 ginia Beach Drive, Miami, FL 33149. Isaeiella Jordan and Fesler, 1893 Figure 1.- dull Orthopri lis chrysoplua. (From Goode 11IS4 . pl' Ie 146 .1 Specific The following specie diagnosi i from Courtenay and Sahlman 1\10 sub~pcclc are recognILed. (1978): "Body ovate-elliptical, considerably compressed, lIS Jeplh