Review: Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico, Texas, Louisiana and Adjacent Waters by H. Dickson Hoese and Richard H. Moore

H. Dickson Hoese and Richard H. Moore, Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico, Texas, Louisiana and adjacent waters. XV + 327 pp., 513 color plates. ISBN 0-89096-027-5, Texas A&M University Press, College Station Texas, 1977. $12.50

Observations on Fishes Previously Unrecorded or Rarely Encountered in the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico

Twenty-one species of marine fishes previously unrecorded or rarely encountered in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico were taken by trawl, dredge, spear or hand capture or observed by SCUBA or research submersible. Biological data are added to the knowledge of all these forms, and several species are shown to have permanent populations in the region

Physical and Biological Observations of the Northern Rim of the de Soto Canyon made from a Research Submersible

During June 1978, the research submersible DIAPHUS completed 27 dives in the north central Gulf of Mexico. Fourteen of these were concentrated on and around the high relief, northern ledge or rim of the De Soto Canyon, located at depths of 50-60 m, and approximately 25 km S of Navarre, Florida. The ledge is composed of limestone outcroppings. The invertebrate fauna is characterized as two principle assemblages, one associated with a sand-shell-coraline-algae slope and the other with a limestone block ledge. The ichthyofauna is dominated by deep water reef species, thirty of which are identified and their habitat and abundance described

Oculocutaneous Albinism in a Finetooth Shark, Carcharhinus isodon, from Mobile Bay, Alabama

Albinism has been documented in numerous species of teleosts (Dawson, 1964, 1966, 1971; Dawson and Heal, 1971). However, published accounts of oculocutaneous albino elasmobranches are relatively rare. Oculocutaneous albinism is a deficiency of the melanocyte system, resulting in a lack of skin pigment and pink eyes. Coad and Gilhen (2002) reviewed the literature and found published reports of 24 cases of albinism in 20 species with only eight of those being oculocutaneous albinos, 12 being piebaldistic (partial albinos), and 4 not clearly defined. Coloration in piebaldistic specimens includes partially white dorsal or ventral surfaces, lack of diagnostic markings (such as ocellae), or leucistic (yellow) coloration

Point Count Censusing from a Submersible to Estimate Reef Fish Abundance Over Large Areas

Point count estimates of fish abundance were taken from a research submersible at thirty-two sites on a 0.5 km2 patch reef on the Florida Middle Grounds, off the West Florida Shelf. Of the fifty species recorded, nine species were selected for total population estimates based on their behavior and visibility. Data from the individual point counts were extrapolated to the entire reef. Best estimates of total populations of these species varied from 320 for the short big eye (Pristigenys alta) to 307,600 for the purple reeffish (Chromis scotti). The estimate for the commercially important red grouper (Epinephelus morio) was 1,560, a concentration reasonably similar to the 960 simultaneously estimated from a mark-recapture assessment

George Armytage Rounsefell 1905-1976

Remembrances and reflections on the life and career of George Armytage Rounsefell

Feeding Periodicity and Prey Habitat Preference of Red Snapper, Lutjanus campechanus (Poey, 1860) on Alabama Artificial Reefs

Conclusive understanding of the role temperate artificial reefs play in the trophic dynamics of Lutjanus campechanus (Poey, 1860) is limited. Thus, diel feeding habits of red snapper on artificial reefs were examined using gut fullness, diet composition, and prey habitat preferences. Red snapper were collected by hook and line from artificial reefs off Alabama in July and Aug. 2000. Examination of stomach contents found red snapper feeding upon fish, demersal crustaceans, and pelagic zooplankton. Although other studies suggest that lutjanids primarily feed nocturnally, red snapper in this study fed throughout the day and night. Significant differences in gut fullness were found between 2-hr time intervals; however, no obvious pattern in feeding periodicity was evident. Although fish was the largest diet component by weight for both day and night during diel sampling, examination of prey habitat preferences indicate that red snapper fed on more water-column organisms during the day and more sand- or mud-associated organisms at night. Based on our interpretation of these results, we hypothesize that red snapper reside above the reefs during the day, opportunistically feeding mostly upon water-column-associated organisms and some benthic prey. At night they may move away from the reef to consume nocturnally active fishes and benthic crustaceans