Geographic, seasonal, and bathymetric distributions of Chaceon larvae are described for the northeastern Gulf of Mexico

Blake, Norman

Erdman, Robert

Lindberg, William

Lockhart, Frank

Perry, Harriet

Stuck, Kenneth

Stuck, Lidia

Waller, Richard

English

Aquila Digital Community

Gulf Research ReportsVolume 8 | Issue 3January 1991Occurrence of Chaceon Larvae in Plankton Samples from Slope Waters of theNortheastern Gulf of MexicoHarriet PerryGulf Coast Research Laboratory, Harriet.Perry@usm.eduRichard WallerGulf Coast Research LaboratoryLidia StuckGulf Coast Research LaboratoryKenneth StuckGulf Coast Research LaboratoryRobert ErdmanUniversity of South Floridaet al.DOI: 10.18785/grr.0803.13Follow this and additional works at: http://aquila.usm.edu/gcrThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by The Aquila Digital Community. It has been accepted for inclusion in Gulf and CaribbeanResearch by an authorized editor of The Aquila Digital Community. For more information, please contact Joshua.Cromwell@usm.edu.Recommended CitationPerry, H., R. Waller, L. Stuck, K. Stuck, R. Erdman, N. Blake, F. Lockhart and W. Lindberg. 1991. Occurrence of Chaceon Larvae inPlankton Samples from Slope Waters of the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico. Gulf Research Reports 8 (3): 313-315.Retrieved from http://aquila.usm.edu/gcr/vol8/iss3/13Guy Research Reports, Vol. 8, No. 3, 313-315, 1991 OCCURRENCE OF CHACEON LARVAE IN PLANKTON SAMPLES FROM SLOPE WATERS OF THE NORTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO HARRIET M. PERRY', RICHARD WALLER', LIDIA STUCK', KENNETH STUCK', ROBERT ERDMAIP, NORMAN B L W 2 ,  FRANK LOCKHART3, AND WILLIAM LJNDBERG3 'Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, P.O. Box 7000, Ocean Springs, Mississippi 39564 2University of South Florida, Department of Marine Science, 140 Seventh Avenue South, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701 'Fisheries and Aquaculture, 7922 h W  71st Street, University of Florida, Gainemille, Florida 32606 ABSTRACT Geographic, seasonal, and bathymetric distributions of Chaceon larvae are described for the northeastem Gulf of Mexico. INTRODUCTION From 1986 to 1988 a cooperative research project to define geographic, seasonal and bathymetric distribu- tion and abundance of geryonid crabs in the northeastem Gulf of Mexico was carried out by personnel of the University of Florida, the University of South Florida, and the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (Lockhart et al. 1990). Four seasonal cruises (May 1987, August 1987, December, 1987, and February 1988) were conducted in five distinct geographic sampling areas (Figure 1). Three depth contours (311, 494, and 677 m) were sampled in each area. MATERIALS AND METHODS Plankton tows were made at each depth contour in Areas 1 through 5. Oblique tows were taken with closing nets (1 meter diameter, 333 micron mesh) equipped with Niskin double-trip devices. Deployment rate was ap- proximately 8 meters per minute. Tow depth and duration varied with station depth. The upper 200 meters of the water column were sampled at all depth contours (this was the only portion of the water column sampled at the 311 meter stations). At the 494 and 677 depth contours, bottom tow depth range was 200 to 400 meters and 200 to 500 meters, respectively. Samples were preserved in the field in 5% formalin and taken to Gulf Coast Research Laboratory for analysis. Samples in May, August, November/December 1987 Manuscript received November 5 ,  1990; accepted November 21, 1990. and February 1988 were taken aboard the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory vessel R/V TOMMY MUNRO . An additional set of samples was taken in Area 5 in March 1988 by personnel of the University of South Florida aboard the R/V SUNCOASTER (Florida Institute of Oceanography). RESULTS Chaceon larvae occurred infrequently and in small numbers. Larvae of the red crab, Chaceon quinquedens, occurred in samples in February. Zoeal stages I, 11, and III were identified from samples taken in the upper 200 meters of the water column (Table 1). Zoeae occurred in all areas except Area 4. The fourth zoeal stage and the megalopal stage were not collected. Zoeae of Chaceon fenneri (Stuck et al. In manuscript) were more limited in distribution. Seven stage I1 zoeae were collected in a surface tow in Area 2 in February. All other occurrences were in Area 5 in March 1988; a single stage I zoea and two stage II zoeae were identified from surface samples, and one stage I1 zoea was taken in a bottom tow. TABLE 1 Number of zoeae of Chaceon quinquedens by area and developmental stage. Area Zoea I Zoea JI Zoea IU 5 1 3 3 4 3 2 6 6 1 1 9 4 1 313 31 30 29 28' 27' 2 6' 25' 24' 23' 22' 21' 2OC A TL ANTIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . .  . .  . .  . ,  . . .  2000 m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . .  . .  , , .  . .  . .  , .  . .  . .  . . .  , . .  . _ .  . .  . .  . .  . .  . .  GULF OF MEXICO . .  . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  , .  . .  . . . .  ...... . .  . . . .  ',@ m . .  . .  CARIBBEAN SEA YUCATAN 31 30' 29' 28O 27' 2 6O 25 24O 23' 22O 210 200 Figure 1. Locations of MARFIN-Clurccon sampling areas in the Gulf of Mexico. OCCURRWCEOF CHACEON LARVAE, NORTHEASTERN GULF OF Mwrco 315 DISCUSSION Reproduction of C. quinquedens and C .  fenneri, based on gross description of the intact ovary and histological examination of ovarian tissue, was discussed by Erdman et al. (In press) and Perry etal.  (1989) for the eastem Gulf of Mexico. Both species exhibit an annual reproductive cycle. Oviposition in the red crab, C. quinquedens, begins in May with a brooding period of nine months. These data are similar to the data of Ganz and H e r "  (1975) who suggest the same cycle for red crab in New England waters, though the timing of events occurs earlier in the Gulf of Mexico. Oviposition in the golden crab, C. fennen', begins in late summer and tbe eggs are carried for six months. Reproduction of C. fenneri (Erdman et al. In press) corroborates the data of Hinsch (1988) for the eastem Gulf of Mexico, and was similar to that reported by Erdman and Blake (1988) for the Atlantic waters off southeast Florida. Although oviposition occurs earlier in the red crab, hatching of larvae coincides in both species. Zoeae of C. quinquedens and C .  fenneri occurred in plankton samples in February and March taken from slope waters of the eastem Gulf of Mexico. With a single exception, all larvae were taken in surface tows. Field evidence (presence of egg remnants on pleo- pods), histological data, and the occurrence of larvae of both species support an annual cycle of reproduction for these species in the Gulf of Mexico with hatching of eggs in the late wintedearly spring. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Funding was provided by the Department of Com- merce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- tion, National Marine Fisheries Service Marine Fisher- ies Initiative (MARFIN) Project NA89-WC-H-MF021. REFERENCES C WED Erdman, R.B. and N.J. Blake. 1988. Reproductive ecology of female golden crabs, Geryon fenneri Manning and Holthuis, from southeastem Florida. J. Crust. Biol. Erdman, R.B.,N.J. Blake, W.J. Lindberg,F.D. Lockhart, H.M. Perry, and R.S. Waller. Comparative reproduction of the deep sea crabs Chaceon fenneri and Chaceon quinquedens (Brachyura: Geryonidae) from the northeast Gulf of Mexico. Znt. J. Invert. Repro. Dev. (In press) Gam, A.R. and J.F. Hermann. 1975. Investigations into the southem New England red crab fishery. Rhode Island Dept. Nat. Res., Div. Fish. Wildl., Mar. Fish. Sect. 78pp. Hinsch, G.W. 1988. Morphology of the reproductive tract and seasonality of reproduction in the golden crab Geryon fenneni from the eastem Gulf of Mexico. J. Crust. Biol. 8~392-400. 8(2) ~254-261. Lockhart, F.D., W.J. Lindberg, N.J. Blake, R.B. Erdman, H.M. Perry, and R.S. Waller. 1990. Distributional differences and population similarities for two deep-sea crabs (Family Geryonidae) in the northeastem Gulf of Mexico. Perry, H.M., R. Waller, C. Trigg, T. McBee, R. Erdman, and N. Blake. 1989. Harvest potential of the deep sea red crab, Chaceon quinquedens, and distribution of the genus in the Gulf of Mexico. Final Report to NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, Marine Fisheries Initiative (MARFIN) Project NA89WC-H-MF02 1, 24 PP. Stuck, K.C., H.M. Perry, L.M. Stuck, and A.A. Barrett. Larval development of the golden crab, Chaceon fenneri (Manning and Holthuis, 1984) (Decapoda: Brachyura: Geryonidae) reared in the laboratory. Proc. Biol. SOC. Wash. (In submission) Can. J .  Fish. Aquat. Sci. 47( 11):2112-2122. 

Occurrence of Chaceon Larvae in Plankton Samples from Slope Waters of the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico

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Occurrence of Chaceon Larvae in Plankton Samples from Slope Waters of the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico

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