Life Sciences Commons^™

Observations On Mass Mortalities Of The Sooty Eel, Bascanichthys Bascanium, And The Speckled Worm Eel, Myrophis Punctatus, Associated With A Fish Kill In The Mississippi Sound, James S. Franks, Ross P. Dodds

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Mass mortalities of the sooty eel, Bascanichthys bascanium, and the speckled worm eel, Myrophis punctatus, were observed in association with a fish kill which occurred the morning of 18 June 1994 on the south shore of Deer Island, a nearshore barrier island located off Biloxi, Mississippi. B. bascanium and M. punctatus, as well as other fishes, were found dead and dying near the shore in reddish-brown water and along a lengthy stretch of fringing sandy beach. Both species of eels are infrequently reported from Mississippi waters but were the most abundant fishes recorded from the kill. A …

Butyltins In Crassostrea Virginica From Nine Reefs In Mississippi Sound, Thomas F. Lytle, Julia S. Lytle

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Tributyltin (TBT), a very effective anti-foulant, has been banned from most marine paint uses since 1988 because of its reputed toxicity to nontarget organisms. Crassostrea virginica were collected from nine reefs in the Mississippi Sound in 1993 and analyzed for concentrations of butyltins: TBT, dibutyltin (DBT) and monobutyltin (MBT). TBT concentrations ranged from <2 to >20 ng(Sn)/g wet wt. Highest concentrations of butyltins were found at eastern Sound reefs near intense shipping and ship building activities with lowest concentrations found in the western Sound.

Evaluation Of A Leased Oyster Bottom In Mississippi Sound, John Supan

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Twenty-four pairs of spat plates, strategically located on a 600-ha (1500-a) oyster lease, were monitored biweekly to determine the rate of oyster spatfall. Spatfall occurred from May 6 to July 31 and again from August 15 to October 24, 1979. The greatest spatfall occurred from August 15 to September 4, 1979. Data from shell bags that accompanied the spat plates indicated a maximum growth of 3.2 cm in two months. Oyster spat which attached to the planted cultch materials on the leases grew up to 7.9 cm during the 17-month sampling period, ending December 11, 1979. The lease area is …

Food Contents Of Six Commercial Fishes From Mississippi Sound, Robin M. Overstreet, Richard W. Heard

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Specific dietary contents from six fishes collected in Mississippi Sound are recorded. In order of their importance, primary components grouped in major taxonomic categories were fishes, penaeid shrimps, and other crustaceans for Cynoscion nebulosus; Crustaceans and fishes for C. arenarius; fishes and crustaceans for C. nothus; crustaceans, pelecypods, and polychaetes for Pogonias cromis; crustaceans, molluscs, polychaetes, and fishes for Archosargus probatocephalus; and fishes and penaeid shrimps for Paralichthys lethostigma. Principal items in the diets of most of the fishes included Anchoa mitchilli, Penaeus aztecus, P. setiferus, and Callinectes sapidus. Those …

First Recorded Observance Of The Dinoflagellate Prorocentrum Minimum (Pavillard) Schiller 1933 In Mississippi Sound And Adjacent Waters, Harriet M. Perry, Jerry A. Mclelland

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The present paper documents the occurrence of the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum in Mississippi Sound and adjacent coastal waters. Outbreaks of discolored water are attributed to blooms of P. minimum in February 1977 and in January and February 1981. Data are presented on the seasonality of the organism in St. Louis Bay. Observations on water appearance and a descriptive analysis of the cells are presented for the 1981 blooms.

Studies On Amyloodinium Ocellatum (Dinoflagellata) In Mississippi Sound: Natural And Experimental Hosts, Adrian R. Lawler

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Four species of parasitic dinoflagellates have been found to occur naturally on the gills and fins of Mississippi Sound fishes: Amyloodinium ocellatum (Brown 1931) Brown and Hovasse 1946, Oodinium cyprinodontum Lawler 1967, and two undescribed species. Sixteen of 43 species of fishes examined had natural gill infections of A. ocellatum. Seventy-one of 79 species of fishes exposed to A. ocellatum dinospores were susceptible, and succumbed, to the dinoflagellate. Eight did not die even though exposed to numerous dinospores. The most common signs in an infested fish were spasmodic gasping and uncoordinated movements. Trophonts of A. ocellatum were found on …

Food Of The Atlantic Croaker, Micropogonias Undulatus, From Mississippi Sound And The Gulf Of Mexico, Robin M. Overstreet, Richard W. Heard

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The diet of the Atlantic croaker from Mississippi Sound has been examined for the first time. Over 83 taxa were encountered, or more than were reported from croaker in any other region. We also found 60 taxa, 36 of which overlapped with the above, in croaker from various offshore stations in the Gulf of Mexico. In Mississippi Sound the frequency of occurrence of items revealed primarily crustaceans followed by polychaetes, molluscs, fishes, and less common items, and, in the open Gulf, molluscs appeared slightly more often than in inshore croaker and than polychaetes in offshore fish. The diets were assessed …

Classification Of Mississippi Sound As To Estuary Hydrological Type, Charles K. Eleuterius

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Mississippi Sound is classified as to estuary hydrological type by the method of Pritchard (1955). Differences in salinity between surface and near-bottom water were calculated from 2,401 pairs of observations made at 90 stations from 4 April 1973 to 12 April 1977. Frequency distribution tables, constructed by tallying the vertical salinity differences into three classes corresponding to three of Pritchard's estuary types (A, stratified; B, partially mixed; D, well mixed) were used to assess salinity structure of the water column. The greatest variation as to type occurred from January through June. From July through December, the water column becomes predominately …

Food Of The Red Drum, Sciaenops Ocellata, From Mississippi Sound, Robin M. Overstreet, Richard W. Heard

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Examined digestive tracts of the red drum in Mississippi Sound contained mostly decapod crustaceans. Crustaceans accounted for 34 of 59 encountered taxa, more than reported from any other region. Nevertheless, the general diet for 104 fish with food contents out of the 107 examined is similar to that reported for red drum in several other studies from other areas. In addition to crustaceans, fishes followed by polychaetes occurred as the most important items (in 99, 43, and 15% of the drum with food, respectively). Blue crabs occurred in even more drum than the frequently encountered penaeid shrimps. Other commercial species …

Geographical Definition Of Mississippi Sound, Charles K. Eleuterius

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Boundaries for Mississippi Sound are determined by application of definitions, established surveying practices and observations of the physical processes of the area. U.S. Coast and Gcodetic charts 1266 (1972 edition), 1267 (1972 edition) and 1268 (1974 edition) were used in ascertaining the boundaries. These boundaries provide a formal geographical definition for Mississippi Sound.

Location Of The Mississippi Sound Oyster Reefs As Related To Salinity Of Bottom Waters During 1973-1975, Charles K. Eleuterius

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The relationship of producing natural oyster reefs of Mississippi Sound to the salinity regime of bottom waters is investigated. Extreme and average conditions were extracted from data taken at 87 stations over a 21-month period from June 1973 through February 1975. With one exception, the producing reefs were subjected to salinity minimums of 2.0 to 4.0 parts per thousand (ppt), maximums of 18.0 to 22.0 ppt, with average conditions being between 10.0 and 16.0 ppt. Salinity-suitable areas in the Sound not now inhabited by oysters are described.

Biology And Distribution Of The Macrocoelenterates Of Mississippi Sound And Adjacent Waters, W. David Burke

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Studies conducted in Mississippi Sound from April 1971 through June 1973 elucidated the seasonal and areal distribution of seven species of macrocoelenterates: Aurelia aurita (L), Chrysaora quinquecirrhu (Desor 1848), Pelagia noctiluca Forskål 1775, Chiropsalmus quadrumantus (Miiller 1859), Rhopilema verrillii (Fewkes 1887), Stomolophus meleagris L. Agassiz 1862, and Physalia physalis (L). Physical parameters presumed relevant to the distribution of each of these animals are presented. Developmental histories of certain of these forms are described.

Pelagic Cnidaria Of Mississippi Sound And Adjacent Waters, W. David Burke

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Investigations were made in Mississippi Sound and adjacent waters from March 1968 through March 197 1 to record the occurrence and seasonality of planktonic cnidarians. About 700 plankton samples were taken from estuarine and oceanic areas. From these samples, 26 species of hydromedusae were identified, 12 of which were collected from Mississippi Sound. In addition, 25 species of siphonophorae were identified from Mississippi waters, although only 6 species were collected in Mississippi Sound. From an examination of about 500 trawl samples taken during this period, 10 species of Scyphozoa were found in Mississippi waters, 6 of which occurred in Mississippi …

Cetacean Notes. I. Sei And Rorqual Whales On The Mississippi Coast, A Correction. Ii. A Dwarf Sperm Whale In Mississippi Sound And Its Helminth Parasites, Gordon Gunter, Robin Overstreet

Gulf and Caribbean Research

I. Gunter and Christmas (1973) described the events leading to the stranding of a baleen whale on Ship Island, Mississippi, in 1968, giving the species as Balaenoptera physalus, the Rorqual. Unfortunately the identification was in error, but fortunately good photographs were shown. The underside of the tail was a splotched white, but there was no black margin. The specimen also had fewer throat and belly grooves than the Rorqual, as a comparison with True’s (1904) photograph shows. Dr. James Mead (in litt.) pointed out that the animal was a Sei Whale, Balaenoptera borealis. This remains a …

Nutritional Components Of The Standing Plankton Crop In Mississippi Sound, Mohammed Saeed Mulkana, Walter Abbott

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A study on seasonal changes in the nutritional components of standing plankton biomass was made from 20 April 1965 to 6 September 1966. Plankton were separated into net plankton and nannoplankton fractions. Nannoplankton3 standing biomass exceeded by 72 times that of net plankton.

Although protein and carbohydrate levels were higher in net plankton on a unit weight basis, total nutrients available from nannoplankton were substantially higher. Some seasonal trends were apparent as changes in the standing biomass in net plankton. Nannoplankton exhibited no seasonal trends. Lipid and caloric values of net plankton showed seasonal trends similar to those shown by …

Observations On The Biology Of Mudshrimps Of The Genus Callianassa (Anomura: Thalassinidea) In Mississippi Sound, Philip J. Phillips

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The apparent habitat isolation of the mudshrimps Callianassa islagrande Schmitt and Callianassa jamaicense louisianensis Schmitt (Anomura : Thalassinidea) in Mississippi Sound is a function of species-related differences in ability to burrow and survive in the significantly different substrates of each habitat. C. islagrande is found only in sand bottomed beaches of the offshore barrier islands, whereas C. j. louisianensis is found only in the muddy backwaters of the mainland and Deer Island. Both forms produce deep and extensive permanent or semipermanent burrows in their respective habitat and are probably of some significance in sediment turnover. Laboratory studies show that C. …

Seasonal Occurrence Of The Pelagic Copepoda In Mississippi Sound, Thomas D. Mcilwain

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Collections of planktonic copepods from Mississippi Sound were made from January 1965 to March 1966. The following fifteen free­ living copepods were identified: Eucalanus pileatus, Paracalanus par­vus, Centropages hamatus, Centropages furcatus, Temora stylifera, Temora longicornis, Labidocera aestiva, Labidocera species, Acartia tonsa, Oithona brevicornis, Oithona species, Oncaea venusta, Cory­caeus species, Sappharina nigromaculata and Euterpina acutifrons.

It was found that there is a definite seasonal distribution of cope­pods in Mississippi Sound with peak populations of copepods occu­rring in the spring, summer and fall.