Marine Biology Commons^™

Giants Among Micromorphs: Were Cincinnatian (Ordovician, Katian) Small Shelly Phosphatic Faunas Dwarfed?, Benjamin F. Dattilo, Rebecca L. Freeman, Winfried S. Peters, William P. Heimbrock, Bradley Deline, Anthony J. Martin, Jack W. Kallmeyer, Jesse Reeder, Anne Argast

Winfried S. Peters

Using Gis Mapping Of The Extent Of Nearshore Rocky Reefs To Estimate The Abundance And Reproductive Output Of Important Fishery Species, Jeremy Claisse, Daniel Pondella, Jonathan Williams, James Sadd

James Sadd

Kelp Bass (Paralabrax clathratus) and California Sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher) are economically and ecologically valuable rocky reef fishes in southern California, making them likely indicator species for evaluating resource management actions. Multiple spatial datasets, aerial and satellite photography, underwater observations and expert judgment were used to produce a comprehensive map of nearshore natural rocky reef habitat for the Santa Monica Bay region (California, USA). It was then used to examine the relative contribution of individual reefs to a regional estimate of abundance and reproductive potential of the focal species. For the reefs surveyed for fishes (i.e. 18 …

Cannibalism Causes Size-Dependent Intraspecific Predation Pressure But Does Not Trigger Autotomy In The Intertidal Gastropod Agaronia Propatula, Ariel Z. Cyrus, Jennifer Swiggs, Pilar Santidrian Tomillo, Frank V. Paladino, Winfried S. Peters

Winfried S. Peters

What Can We Learn From Confusing Olivella Columellaris And O. Semistriata, Two Key Species In Panamic Sandy Beach Ecosystems?, Alison Troost, Samantha Rupert, Ariel Cyrus, Frank Paladino, Benjamin Dattilo, Winfried Peters

Benjamin F. Dattilo

The Orientation Of Strophomenid Brachiopods On Soft Substrates, Roy Plotnick, Benjamin Dattilo, Daniel Piquard, Jennifer Bauer, Joshua Corrie

Benjamin F. Dattilo

Strophomenid brachiopods have long been interpreted as ‘‘snowshoe’’ strategists, with their flattened concavoconvex valves providing resistance to foundering in very soft sediments. There has been a sharp difference of opinion in whether the shells were oriented with their convex or their concave surface in contact with the sediment. This study, along with independent evidence from sedimentology, ichnology, and morphology, indicates that the strophomenids lived with their shells concave down (convex up). Experiments indicate the force required to push shells into soft cohesive muds is much greater for the convex up than for the convex down orientation. Forces also increase with …

The Cannibalistic Snail Agaronia Propatula Is Reluctant To Feed On Autotomized ‘Tails’ Of Conspecifics, Ariel Z. Cyrus, Winfried S. Peters

Winfried S. Peters

Molecular Pedomorphism Underlies Craniofacial Skeletal Evolution In Antarctic Notothenioid Fishes, R. Albertson, Yi-Lin Yan, Tom Titus, Eva Pisano, Marino Vacchi, Pamela Yelick, H. Detrich, John Postlethwait

H. William Detrich III

Background Pedomorphism is the retention of ancestrally juvenile traits by adults in a descendant taxon. Despite its importance for evolutionary change, there are few examples of a molecular basis for this phenomenon. Notothenioids represent one of the best described species flocks among marine fishes, but their diversity is currently threatened by the rapidly changing Antarctic climate. Notothenioid evolutionary history is characterized by parallel radiations from a benthic ancestor to pelagic predators, which was accompanied by the appearance of several pedomorphic traits, including the reduction of skeletal mineralization that resulted in increased buoyancy. Results We compared craniofacial skeletal development in two …

The “Curse Of Rafinesquina:” Negative Taphonomic Feedback Exerted By Strophomenid Shells On Storm-Buried Lingulids In The Cincinnatian Series (Katian, Ordovician) Of Ohio, Rebecca Freeman, Benjamin Dattilo, Aaron Morse, Michael Blair, Steve Felton, John Pojeta

Benjamin F. Dattilo

Taphonomic feedback is the idea that accumulation of organic remains either enhances the habitat for some organisms (positive taphonomic feedback), and/or degrades the habitat for others (negative taphonomic feedback). Examples of epibionts living on skeletal remains are direct evidence of positive taphonomic feedback. Disruption of infaunal burrowing activities by skeletal fragments is an example of negative taphonomic feedback; direct fossil evidence of this phenomenon has not been documented previously. Infaunal organisms are vulnerable to exhumation or entombment during storms, but organisms that burrow can also re-establish viable life positions subsequently. For example, when modern lingulids re-burrow after exhumation, they first …

Evolutionary Adaptation Of Marine Zooplankton To Global Change, Hans Dam

Hans G. Dam

Predicting the response of the biota to global change remains a formidable endeavor. Zooplankton face challenges related to global warming, ocean acidification, the proliferation of toxic algal blooms, and increasing pollution, eutrophication, and hypoxia. They can respond to these changes by phenotypic plasticity or genetic adaptation. Using the concept of the evolution of reaction norms, I address how adaptive responses can be unequivocally discerned from phenotypic plasticity. To date, relatively few zooplankton studies have been designed for such a purpose. As case studies, I review the evidence for zooplankton adaptation to toxic algal blooms, hypoxia, and climate change. Predicting the …

Patterns Of Life History And Habitat Use Of An Important Recreational Fishery Species, Spotfin Croaker, And Their Potential Fishery Implications, Jonathan Williams, Jeremy Claisse, Daniel Pondella, Lea Medeiros, Charles Valle, Michael Shane

Daniel Pondella

Spotfin croakers Roncador stearnsii, a prized recreational catch, were collected throughout the Southern California Bight, primarily as bycatch from a long-term, scientific gill-net collection effort. The maximum otolith-based age in the present study was 24 years—14 years greater than in a previous scale-based aging study. Multiple models were used to estimate mean length at age, including models that utilize larvae as well as juveniles and adults, and the model selection results suggest sexual dimorphism in growth patterns. The juvenile and adult catch per unit effort reflected a clear pattern of habitat selectivity, with fish strongly preferring soft-bottom habitats. Catches …

El Niño Periods Increase Growth Of Juvenile White Seabass (Atractoscion Nobilis) In The Southern California Bight, Jonathan Williams, Larry Allen, Mark Steele, Daniel Pondella

Daniel Pondella

Studies of the impact of El Niño periods on marine species have usually focused on negative, highly visible eVects, e.g., decreasing growth rates or increasing mortality due to a decline in primary productivity in typically nutrient rich upwelling zones; but positive effects related to elevated water temperature are also known. This study examined how the growth rate of juvenile white seabass, Atractoscion nobilis, responded to changes in ocean temperature in an El Niño period (1997–1998) in the northern portion of the Southern California Bight, USA. Growth rates of juvenile white seabass during their first 4 years of life were …

Life History, Ecology, And Long-Term Demographics Of Queenfish, Eric Miller, Jonathan Williams, Daniel Pondella, Kevin Herbinson

Daniel Pondella

Queenfish Seriphus politus were collected at coastal power plants from San Clemente to Ventura, California. Power functions best described relations between otolith length, width, or weight and either standard length (SL) or total body weight. The length–weight relationship was described by the following equation: weight 1⁄4 10􏰀5 3 SL3.09. Individuals were aged to 12 years by using sagittal otolith sections. Females grew at a significantly faster rate than males. Both sexes reached 50% maturity by 100 mm SL, or shortly after age 1. The total annual instantaneous mortality coefficient was estimated at 0.42. Catalina Harbor (on the windward side of …

What Can We Learn From Confusing Olivella Columellaris And O. Semistriata, Two Key Species In Panamic Sandy Beach Ecosystems?, Alison Troost, Samantha Rupert, Ariel Cyrus, Frank Paladino, Benjamin Dattilo, Winfried Peters

Winfried S. Peters

Comparing Volunteer And Professionally Collected Monitoring Data From The Rocky Subtidal Reefs Of Southern California, Usa, David Gillett, Daniel Pondella, Jan Freiwald, Kenneth Schiff, Jennifer Caselle, Craig Shuman, Stephen Weisberg

Daniel Pondella

Volunteer-based citizen monitoring has increasingly become part of the natural resources monitoring framework, but it is often unclear whether the data quality from these programs is sufficient for integration with traditional efforts conducted by professional scientists. At present, the biological and physical characteristics of California’s rocky reef kelp forests are concurrently monitored by two such groups, using similar methodologies—underwater visual census (UVC) of fish, benthic invertebrates, and reef habitat, though the volunteer group limits their sampling to transects close to the reef surface and they use a more constrained list of species for enumeration and measurement. Here, we compared the …

The Behavioural And Sensory Ecology Of Agaronia Propatula (Caenogastropoda, Olividae), A Swash-Surfing Predator On Sandy Beaches Of The Panamic Faunal Province, Ariel Cyrus, Samantha Rupert, Amy Silva, Monika Graf, Jeremy Rappaport, Frank Paladino, Winfried Peters

Winfried S. Peters

Autotomy Of The Posterior Foot In Agaronia Propatula (Caenogastropoda: Olividae) Occurs In Animals That Are Fully Withdrawn Into Their Shells, Samantha D. Rupert, Winfried S. Peters

Winfried S. Peters

Life History, Sexual Dimorphism And 'Ornamental' Feathers In The Mesozoic Bird Confuciusornis Sanctus., Winfried S. Peters, Dieter Stefan Peters

Winfried S. Peters

The Value Of A Net‐Cage As A Fish Aggregating Device In Southern California, Daniel Pondella

Daniel Pondella

There is an urgent need for primary data that can be used to quantify the value of marine aquaculture facilities that also describe influences on the surrounding natural ecosystem and its wild fish communities. Divers completed 360 transect replicates below a net-cage and at nearby and distant rocky reefs off Catalina Island, California, estimating the species abundance and size class of all conspicuous fishes in the water column. We observed 10,234 fishes aggregating below the net-cage with a mean annual density of 142 (SE ± 30) per 100 m2 and diversity H′ 2.29. At the adjacent reference reef, we counted …

Demographic Parameters Of Yellowfin Croaker, Umbrina Roncador (Perciformes: Sciaenidae), From The Southern California Bight, Daniel Pondella, John Froeschke, Lynne Wetmore, Eric Miller, Charles Valle, Lea Medeiros

Daniel Pondella

The yellowfin croaker, Umbrina roncador Jordan & Gilbert, 1882, is a common nearshore and surf-zone species in the southern California bight. Age was determined for individuals (n = 1,209) using annual increments in otoliths, and size at age was modeled using the von Bertalanffy growth curve (L∞ = 307.754 mm, k = 0.278 yr−1, t0 = −0.995 yr; maximum age = 15 yr). Females (L∞= 313.173 mm, k = 0.307 yr−1, t0 = −0.771 yr) grew significantly faster and larger than males (L∞= 298.886, k = 0.269 yr−1, t0 = −1.072 yr). Age and growth modeling based upon otolith length …

Life History And Courtship Behavior Of Black Perch, Embiotoca Jacksoni (Teleostomi: Embiotocidae), From Southern California, Bridgette Froeschke, Larry Allen, Daniel Pondella

Daniel Pondella

The black perch, Embiotoca jacksoni Agassiz, 1853, is a common reef fish associated with nearshore marine habitats of California, with the majority of the population occurring within the Southern California Bight. Black perch were collected throughout southern California from Santa Barbara to Carlsbad, including Santa Catalina Island, to determine their physical characteristics, growth, sex ratio, periodicity of reproduction, and length of gestation. Courtship observations were conducted using scuba along the King Harbor Breakwater in Redondo Beach, California, from January 2004 to December 2005 to verify periodicity of courting and associated reproductive behaviors. Specimens captured ranged from 75 to 220 mm …

Fisheries Independent Assessment Of A Returning Fishery: Abundance Of Juvenile White Seabass (Atractoscion Nobilis) In The Shallow Nearshore Waters Of The Southern California Bight, 1995–2005, Larry G. Allen, Daniel J. Pondella Ii, Michael A. Shane

Daniel Pondella

Nearshore, coastal and embayment areas off southern California were sampled to determine the spatial and temporal patterns abundance and size distributions of young white seabass in the shallow (5–14 m) waters from Santa Barbara south to Imperial Beach off San Diego. A total of 19 stations, 13 in nearshore coastal waters and 6 in embayments, dispersed along the Southern California Bight were surveyed in each sampling month using 45.7 m variable mesh, monofilament gill nets. In the 11-year period of sampling (April 1995–June 2005), a total of 8075 juvenile white seabass was captured in 42 sampling months. The mean catch-per-unit-effort …

Ecology Of Marine Fishes : California And Adjacent Waters, Larry Allen, Daniel Pondella, Michael Horn

Daniel Pondella

Fundamental ideas in marine ecology have emerged from the study of marine fishes. This unique, authoritative, and accessible reference, compiled by 35 luminary ecologists, evolutionary biologists, and ichthyologists, provides the first-ever synthesis and interpretation of the large, often daunting, body of information on the ecology of marine fishes. Comprehensive and generously illustrated, this volume focuses on the fauna of the eastern pacific, paying particular attention to the California coast, which is among the most diverse and best studied of all marine ecosystems.

The Reef Fish Assemblage Of The Outer Los Angeles Federal Breakwater, 2002–2003, John Froeschke, Larry Allen, Daniel Pondella

Daniel Pondella

The conspicuous and cryptic fish assemblage of the Los Angeles Federal Breakwater was assessed from 2002 to 2003. Thirty-five species were observed or collected during the study period. The assemblage of cryptic fishes was composed primarily of a mix of Oregonian and San Diegan, species including snubnose sculpin (Orthonopias triacis), coralline sculpin (Artedius corallinus) and blackeye goby (Rhinogobiops nicholsii). The species composition of conspicuous fishes was approximately equal between taxa from these two provinces. Blacksmith (Chromis punctipinnis), black perch (Embiotoca jacksoni) and kelp bass (Paralabrax clathratus) dominated the assemblage of conspicuous fishes. Species composition reflects the localized cool temperature regime …

The Phylogeny Of Paralabrax (Perciformes: Serranidae) And Allied Taxa Inferred From Partial 16s And 12s Mitochondrial Ribosomal Dna Sequences, Daniel Pondella, Matthew Craig, Jens Frank

Daniel Pondella

Partial sequences of 16S and 12S mitochondrial ribosomal DNA were used to examine the phylogenetic relationships of the primarily eastern Pacific genus Paralabrax (Perciformes: Serranidae) and allied taxa. Paralabrax is considered a basal serranine, which is itself considered the basal subfamily in the Serranidae. Multiple serranines reported closely related to Paralabrax from the genera Serranus, Hypoplectrus, Cratinus, and Centropristis were used as outgroups. Species from the remaining two subfamilies, Epinephilinae and Anthiinae, of the Serranidae were also used in the analyses. The tree of the Serranidae was rooted with the families Polyprionidae and Priacanthidae. Paralabrax, the Serranidae, and the Serraninae …

Analysis Of Age And Growth In Two Eastern Pacific Groupers (Serranidae: Epinephelinae), Matthew Craig, Daniel Pondella, John Hafner

Daniel Pondella

In an attempt to characterize species specific-growth rates of two Eastern Pacific groupers, individuals from two sympatric species, Epinephelus labriformis (n = 173), and Cephalopholis panamensis (n = 127), were collected at various localities in Mexico and the Galápagos archipelago in 1997 and 1998. Sagittal otoliths were removed, and age of each individual was determined by direct visual inspection of annuli present following sectioning. Length/weight relationships were determined, and growth curves were generated using the von Bertalanffy growth model. The two species demonstrated similar growth rates, yet, as determined by the von Bertalanffy parameters, E. labriformis tended towards a larger …

Pollination Of The Crown Imperial Fritillaria Imperialis By Great Tits Parus Major, Winfried S. Peters, Michael Pirl, Gerhard Gottsberger, Dieter Stefan Peters

Winfried S. Peters

Factors Affecting The Abundance Of Juvenile Fish Species On A Temperate Artificial Reef, Daniel Pondella, John Stephens

Daniel Pondella

In contrast to most artificial reefs which are placed at relatively deep depths so as not to interfere with shipping, rocky breakwaters provide important habitat in the intertidal-shallow subtidal zone. This zone is especially preferred for recruitment by many rocky shore fishes. The breakwaters of King Harbor, Redondo Beach, California enhance this zone. Further, the lee of the outer breakwater provides a stable, quiet water area for numerous Young-of-Year (YOY) fishes. By means of SCUBA we monitored YOY abundance from 1986-1990. During these five years there were dramatic natural and anthropogenic disturbances of the habitat. With little inter-annual variation of …