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The Status Of Seals In The Gulf Of Mexico With A Record Of Feral Otariid Seals Off The United States Gulf Coast, Gordon Gunter

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The only seal native to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean area is the West Indian seal (family Phocidae). It is tan on the upper surface and a yellowish white underneath. It is now extinct or nearly so. Two seals were reported in Louisiana near the mouth of the Mississippi in January 1966. Photographs of one animal taken from a helicopter showed an otariid seal. In late June a light colored otariid seal began to reside on the buoys of the ship channel leading into Mobile Bay. It stayed there about two and a half weeks. The animal was …

Meristic And Morphometric Data On The Flatfish Citharichthys Gilberti From Panama, C.E. Dawson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Citharichthys gilberti Jenkins and Evermann, a common eastern Pacific flatfish, is known from Guaymas and Baja California, Mexico, south to Peru (Miller, 1966). It attains a total length of at least 260 mm (Meek and Hildebrand, 1928), frequently occurs on muddy bottoms and may enter rivers or other brackish water environments. Despite wide distribution there are apparently few literature references to the species and little is known of its life history or development. During a recent trip to the Pacific coast of Panama, C. gilberti was found to be the most abundant flatfish taken at a number of poisoned inshore …

Oyster Abundance In Apalachicola Bay, Florida In Relation To Biotic Associations Influenced By Salinity And Other Factors, R.W. Menzel, N.C. Hulings, R.R. Hathaway

Gulf and Caribbean Research

From June 1955 through May 1957, stations on three oyster reefs were sampled quantitatively at intervals and all oysters and associated macroscopic organisms were recorded per unit area. Station I was a privately leased “natural” reef, consisting of higher places exposed at low water, with a salinity range of 22.7-36.6 o/oo and was fairly productive. Station II, depth ca. two meters, was the least saline, range 1.2-29.3 o/oo, and was considered very productive for natural reef. Station III, depth one meter, salinity range 7.5-35.7 o/oo, was depleted although there was an abundant spatfall.

Depth and bottom types as well as …

Habits Of Juvenile Fishes In Two Rhode Island Estuaries, Mohammed Saeed Mulkana

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The basic purpose of this work was to gain information on the possible role of some Rhode Island estuaries as nursery grounds for young migrant and resident species of fishes.

The areas selected were, the lower Pettaquamscutt River and the lower Point Judith Pond, both in the town of Narragansett, Rhode Island. The seining operations were carried through summer and early fall of 1962 when these estuaries are heavily used as nursery grounds. Major features of the occurrence, abundance and distribution of young fishes were deduced by examining samples from seine hauls. Thirty-six species were recorded from the lower river …

A Bibliography Of Anomalies Of Fishes, Supplement 1, C.E. Dawson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The original bibliography (Gulf Res. Repts. 1 (6), 1964) has, reportedly, been of considerable value to workers interested in the teratology of fishes and other vertebrates. The present supplement is the first of a proposed series which will attempt to include all new and pertinent publications as well as those which have previously been overlooked. The overall usefulness of the bibliography should be enhanced by its maintenance on a relatively current basis. Supplements will be issued irregularly and will normally include 75 to 100 new citations.

Studies Of Annual Abundance Of Postlarval Penaeid Shrimp In The Estuarine Waters Of Mississippi, As Related To Subsequent Commercial Catches, J.Y. Christmas, Gordon Gunter, Patricia Musgrave

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Several workers and several lines of evidence have shown that the shrimp life cycle is very short, probably about 15 to 16 months, for the very small fraction reaching the largest adult size. Additionally, a great deal of commercial fishing is carried out upon sub-adult populations within the bays and shallow Gulf. In fact most shrimp that are caught have never spawned. These shrimp grow up within one warm season and they are derived from larvae which make their way to inside waters from the offshore spawning areas. Thus, it has been surmised for a long time that prediction of …

A Biological Investigation Of The Caloosahatchee Estuary Of Florida, Gordon Gunter, Gordon E. Hall

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A biological sampling program in the lower Caloosahatchee River and Estuary by District and consultant biologists was authorized by the Office, Chief of Engineers on 7 May 1957. This survey of the effects of Lake Okeechobee discharge and local runoff through the Caloosahatchee River on the fishes and animals of this Gulf estuary was a continuation of a previously authorized study of Lake releases to the Atlantic Coast (Gunter, 1959).

Scope and purpose of this work was to: (a) Review the history of the Caloosahatchee River and analyze the problems concerned with discharges into the Estuary; (b) present biological data …

A Bibliography Of Anomalies Of Fishes, C.E. Dawson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

This bibliography was originally intended as an adjunct to the author's current studies of anomalies in marine fish populations. A number of recent notes have shown, however, that present workers are largely unfamiliar with the rather extensive literature on fish teratology in respect to both particular anomalies and their previous recognition in a species or other taxon. There is an evident need for a compilation of the literature and it is hoped that the present work will fulfill its purpose by facilitating current and future studies in this important area of ichthyology.

Standard bibliographical and abstracting sources such as Dean's …

Biological Investigations Of The St. Lucie Estuary (Florida) In Connection With Lake Okeechobee Discharges Through The St. Lucie Canal, Gordon Gunter, Gordon E. Hall

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A survey of the turbidity, salinity and sediment effects of St. Lucie Canal discharge into the St. Lucie Estuary was authorized by the Chief of Engineers on May 9, 1955. Expansion of that program to include the work of the present biological investigation was authorized by the Chief of Engineers on June 12, 1956.

The scope and purpose of this biological work was to: (a) review the history of the St. Lucie Canal and analyze the problems concerned with discharges of fresh water into the St. Lucie Estuary: (b) present biological data from a 2-year investigation of estuarine conditions, January …

A Seasonal Ecological Study Of Foraminifera From Timbalier Bay, Louisiana, Robert P. Waldron

Gulf and Caribbean Research

This study concerns the ecological habits of living Foraminifera from a shallow Louisiana coastal bay during a period of ten months. It is a part of an extensive study undertaken by the Coastal Studies Institute of Louisiana State University to determine the effect of chemical and physical properties of water upon marine life in a large, open bay over an extended period of time. Samples were collected monthly from established locations for the chemical, biological and foraminiferal determinations. Results of the chemical and biological studies will be published by the respective investigators in subsequent papers.

The period of time covered …

The Fauna And Flora Of Horn Island, Mississippi, E. Avery Richmond

Gulf and Caribbean Research

From 26 February 1944 until 4 February 1945, I was stationed with the U. S. Army on Horn Island, Mississippi, and decided to observe and record the animals and plants existing there. At the time, it seemed that little attention had been devoted to the wildlife of this island, but eventually it became apparent that some studies had been made. However, many of the observations have not been published and many of the records of the flora and fauna living on and around the island are scattered and unavailable. The most outstanding papers include those of Lloyd and Tracy (1901), …

Specific Names Of The Atlantic American White Shrimp (Family Penaeidae), Gordon Gunter

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Penaeid shrimp are of special interest to zoologists for several reasons, one being the fact that they are unique among the decapod Crustacea in having a nauplius larval stage, which is otherwise found only in lower groups.

The shrimp catch of the south Atlantic and Gulf coasts in 1360 amounted to one-fifth of the total value of all fishery products of the United States (Power, 1961), and the shrimp fishery is the most valuable one in the country. The catch depends almost wholly upon three species, Penaeus aztecus Ives, P. duorarum Burkenroad and P. setiferus (Linnaeus) , according to current …

On The Names Of Penaeus Setiferus (L.) And Penaeus Schmitti Burkenroad, L.B. Holthuis

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Dr. Gordon Gunter, who sent me the manuscript of his paper “Specific Names of the Atlantic American White Shrimp (Family Penaeidae)” for comment was so kind to allow me to have my reactions to it published simultaneously with it. Unfortunately I cannot agree with Doctor Gunter’s views on the scientific names that should be used for the two Atlantic species of White Shrimp.

In the first place I believe that Doctor Gunter’s suggestion that the northern species should be known at Penaeus fluviatilis Say and the southern as P. setiferus (L.) instead of respectively P. setiferus (L.) and P. schmitti …

Studies On The Larval Development Of Rithropanopeus Harrisii (Gould) Of The Family Xanthidae (Brachyura), M. Roy Hood

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Because the early biologists did not see decapod larvae “in the act” of changing from one phase to another due to the fact that they were parts of planktonic collections and their parentage was unknown, each phase was given a generic and specific name of its own. Gurney (1921) did not concur with this practice, but was of the opinion that it is more profitable to assign larvae to definite genera or families, even if the reference proved to be wrong.

The chief difficulty encountered in rearing decapod larvae is the maintenance of a constant supply of suitable living food …

Reply To Dr. L.B. Holthuis On The Names Of White Shrimp, Gordon Gunter

Gulf and Caribbean Research

As an explanation to the reader it should be stated that my paper was submitted to Doctor Holthuis for Crustaceana. He asked me to withdraw it and I did so saying that I would publish it elsewhere. He then asked me to publish his remarks along with it, to which I agreed, and they are given above. However, his interpretations and ideas in this instance are contrary to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Therefore, I have prepared the following rebuttal.