Marine Biology Commons^™

Ecological History, Catastrophism, And Human Impact On The Mississippi/Alabama Continental Shelf And Associated Waters: A Review, Rezneat M. Darnell

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The Mississippi/Alabama continental shelf and associated coastal waters together form a complex ecological system of interrelated parts. The biological system of the area has become established during the period of sea level rise following the last continental glacial maximum about 18,000 years ago. Contemporary biological populations of the inshore waters are subject to episodic catastrophic events caused by exceptional cold fronts, flooding, major storms, hypoxia, red tide outbreaks, and major droughts. Most of these events are not known to affect the shelf populations directly, but indirect effects through food chain disruptions are likely. Loop Current intrusions and entrainment of deep …

Effects Of Salinity On Survival And Growth Of Postlarval Penaeus Vannamei, John T. Ogle, Kathy Beaugez, Jeffrey M. Lotz

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Eight and 22-day-old Penaeus vannamei postlarvae were exposed to several salinities for 24 hours and 120 hours by direct transfer from 32 ppt salinity to lower salinity waters. The challenge study included six experiments conducted on 8-day-old postlarvae (PL-8) and five experiments conducted on 22-day-old postlarvae (PL-22). Each experiment consisted of ten replicates of ten animals each. Shrimp were held in 1 L plastic containers with 500-ml of seawater. Lowered salinity resulted in lower survival for shrimp of both ages. Longer exposure time resulted in lower survival for shrimp of both ages. Younger shrimp exhibited lower survival than older shrimp. …

Feeding Biology, Distribution, And Ecology Of Two Species Of Benthic Polychaetes: Paraonis Fulgens And Paraonis Pygoenigmatica (Polychaeta: Paraonidae), Gary R. Gaston, Jerry A. Mclelland, Richard W. Heard

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Paraonis fulgens and Paraonis pygoenigmatica inhabit sandy littoral and sublittoral sediments of the northem Gulf of Mexico and U.S. East Coast, but seldom overlap in distribution. The purpose of this study was to compare the feeding ecology and distribution of these species. We analyzed distributions and gut contents of Gulf of Mexico specimens and found that P. fulgens inhabited substrates with slightly more silt and clay than those inhabited by P. pygoenigmatica. Although Paraonis fulgens ingested more diatoms than P. pygoenigmatica, this distinction likely resulted from habitat differences, not selective feeding. Previous studies suggested that P. fulgens fed …

Closed System Culture Of Penaeus Vannamei, John T. Ogle, Jeffrey M. Lotz

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Penaeus vannamei were cultured utilizing three different closed recirculating seawater systems. The first system used biological filtration for water treatment. The second system utilized both physical and chemical filtration, but no biological filtration. The third system used a combination of biological, physical, and chemical filtration. Shrimp growth was monitored for a 12-week period for each system. Shrimp from the biological filtration system had a growth rate of 0.82 g/wk and an overall survival rate of 45.6%. Shrimp from the closed system which used physical and chemical filtration had a growth rate of 0.99 g/wk and a survival rate of 29.2%. …

A Note On The Fine Structure Of Myoskeletal Junctions In Acartia Tonsa Dana (Copepoda, Calanoida), Harold D. Howse, William E. Hawkins, Harriet Perry

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The endoskeleton of the calanoid copepod, Calanus finmarchicus, and its muscle attachments were described by Lowe (1935). She reported that the endoskeleton in C. finmarchicus consists of two tendinous endosternites and chitinous exoskeletal ingrowths to which muscles are attached. Howse (1960) noted attachments of the main muscles of the thorax to the exoskeleton in Acartia tonsa.

Bouligand (1962) described the ultrastructure of muscle attachments to cuticle in three species of freshwater copepods of the genus Cyclops. Raymont et al. (1974) described the fine structure of muscle attachments to cuticle in C. finmarchicus.

Information of the …

Long-Term Adult Population Fluctuations And Distribution Of The Spot, Leiostomus Xanthurus, In Mississippi, Brian D. Leblanc, Deborah L. Murphy, Robin M. Overstreet, Michael J. Maceina

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Adult specimens of the spot, Leiostomus xanthurus, were collected from bayou, Mississippi Sound, and barrier island locations along the Gulf Coast of Mississippi from November 1982 to July 1989. The mean total length of all spot sampled in comparable gill net sets was 219 mm (± 14 standard deviation, n=4,338). Ninety-five percent of the spot were collected in the island and sound areas, where the salinity was higher than in the bayous. Catch per unit effort was high at island and sound stations in spring and autumn, with relatively few fish caught during the winter spawning season and summer. …

Variability In Growth Of Postlarval Penaeus Vannamei, John T. Ogle

Gulf and Caribbean Research

This note reports the average size of Penaeus vannamei postlarvae held under a variety of conditions for approximately 30 days. Fifteen separate and independent rearing trials were completed over several seasons. Extreme growth variations were noted, with significant differences existing in eight of the 26 replicates. Significant differences were noted for treatments in seven of the 12 studies. Shrimp ranged in size from an average of 0.01 to 3.08 g after a month of culture.

The Effect Of Salinity On Spawning Frequency Of Penaeus Setiferus In Aquaria, John T. Ogle

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Penaeus setiferus were matured and spawned in a small 120L tank system in the absence of males. No significant differences in the number of shrimp that spawned or the time required to spawn were detected for shrimp held at salinities of 20, 25 or 30 ppt in either natural or artificial seawater. The earliest that spawning occurred was an average of 17 days past ablation and as late as 28 days past ablation. None of the shrimp held in artificial seawater at 20 and 25 ppt spawned in the same molt cycle in which they were ablated, while one third …

Isopods Of The Genus Excorallana Stebbing, 1904 (Crustacea, Isopoda, Corallanidae) From The East Coast Of Mexico With A Supplemental Description Of E. Subtilis, Antonio Cantu-Diaz Barriga, Elva Escobar Briones

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Eight species of Excorallana, E. acuticauda, E. delaneyi, E. oculata, E. sexticornis, E. subtilis, E. tricornis tricornis, E. warmingii, and Excorallana sp. are recorded for the eastern coast of Mexico. The range of E. delaneyi is extended south in the Gulf of Mexico. Excorallana oculata and E. subtiIis are reported for the first time in the Gulf. Based on specimens from the east coast of Mexico, a supplemental description of E. subtilis is presented and its taxonomy to other closely related species discussed. A key is provided to the adult males of …

Notes On Some Chaetognaths From Pine Cay, Turks And Caicos Islands (British West Indies), Jerry A. Mclelland, Richard W. Heard

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Seven species of planktonic Chaetognatha - Ferosagitta hispida, Flaccisagitta enflata, F. hexaptera, Krohnitta pacifica, Sagitta bipunctata, Serratosagitta serratodentata, and Pterosagitta draco - were present in plankton samples collected in waters north of Pine Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands, British West Indies. In addition, the epibenthic species Spadella cephaloptera, Paraspadella nana, and P. schizoptera were present, the latter two species associated mainly with shallow clumps of the coralline alga, Neogoniolithon sp., and with sponge-algal communities. One specimen of S. cephaloptera was collected at 35 m from a sand bottom north of the fringing …

Food Preference Of Penaeus Vannamei, John T. Ogle, Kathy Beaugez

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The preference of Penaeus vannamei for 15 food items used in maturation was determined. The foods in order of preference were ranked as follows: Artemia, krill, Maine bloodworms, oysters, sandworms, anchovies, Panama bloodworms, Nippai maturation pellets, Shigueno maturation pellets, conch, squid, Salmon-Frippak maturation pellets, Rangen maturation pellets and Argent maturation pellets.

Six New Genera In The Chaetognath Family Sagittidae, Robert Bieri

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The following six new genera of Sagittidae, with type species listed in parentheses, are proposed: Adhesisagitta (Sagitta hispida Conant, 1985), Demisagitta (Sagitta demipenna Tokioka and Pathansali, 1963), Decipisagitta (Sagitta decipiens Fowler, 1905), Tenuisagitta (Sagitta tenuis Conant, 1986), Abacisagitta (Sagitta pulchra Doncaster, 1903), Oculosagitta (Sagitta megalophthalma Dallot and Ducret, 1969).

Studies On The Crustacea Of The Turks And Caicos Islands, British West Indies. Ii. Armadilloniscus Steptus, N. Sp. (Isopoda: Oniscidea: Scyphacidae) From Pine Cay, Marilyn Schotte, Richard W. Heard

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Armadilloniscus steptus, n. sp., the second species of this genus from the Caribbean Sea, is described and distinguished from the other five species from the New World. The new species, collected from the upper intertidal zone on Pine Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands, differs from A. coronacapitalis, A. ellipticus, A. holmesi, A. lindahli, and A. ninae by the greater degree of tuberculation of the integument, smaller size at maturity, and sexual dimorphism in the structure of the pleon.

Studies On The Crustacea Of The Turks And Caicos Islands, British West Indies I. Four New Marine Isopod Crustaceans From The Vicinity Of Pine Cay, Brian Kensley, Richard W. Heard

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Four undescribed species of shallow-water marine isopods were recently collected in the vicinity of Pine Cay in the western Caicos Islands. These are described and include the anthurid Licranthura tuberculata, possessing a tuberculate third article of the antenna and a rounded distolateral angle of the uropodal exopod; the anthurid Mesanthura spongicoia, which has a distinctive color pattern, distinctly attenuated body, and 5-7 spines on the third article of the mandibular palp; The paranthurid Califanthura minuta, a tiny (1.6 mm) species having a reduced, triangular uropodal exopod; and the stenetriid asellote Stenetrium caicosensis, which has a pronounced …

Studies On The Crustacea Of The Turks And Caicos Islands, British West Indies. Iii. Records Of Marine Isopoda From Pine Cay, Fort George Cay, Water Cay, And Adjacent Waters, Marilyn Schotte, Richard W. Heard, Brian Kensley

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Between April 1987 and April 1990, 45 species of marine isopods were collected from intertidal and subtidal habitats in the vicinity of Pine Cay, Turks and Caicos, British West Indies. Five species, Licranthura tuberculata, Mesanthura spongicola, Califanthura minuta, Stenetrium caicoensis, and Armadilloniscus stepus, are known currently only from the northeastern Turks and Caicos Islands. The Turks and Caicos collections represent considerable range extensions for many of the species collected. Four species, Apanthura cracenta, Mesanthura punctillata, Carpias triton, and Munna petronastes, known previously from the east coast of Central America (Belize), are …

Success Of Juvenile Striped Bass In Two Bay Systems In Mississippi: 1980-1984, Ronald R. Lukens, Larry C. Nicholson, J.Y. Christmas

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Success of a striped bass (Morone saxatilis, Walbaum) stocking program in the Biloxi Bay and St. Louis Bay systems in Mississippi was investigated by monitoring the occurrence of juveniles in bag seine collections in the Biloxi, Tchouticabouffa, Jourdan, and Wolf Rivers. A total of 554 juvenile striped bass were collected during the study. Hydrographic data and stomach analyses indicate that neither water conditions nor food was a limiting factor to juvenile striped bass survival. Appearance of juveniles subsequent to the stocking of Atlantic coast fry and fingerlings coupled with lateral line scale count data indicate that all juveniles …

Haustorius Jayneae, A New Species Of Haustoriid Amphipod From The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, With Notes On Its Ecology At Panama City Beach, Florida U.S.A., John M. Foster, Sara E. Lecroy

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A new species of sand-burrowing amphipod, Haustorius jayneae, is described from the swash zone and shallow subtidal sands along the north Florida and Mississippi Gulf coasts. It is most similar to H. canadensis from the American Atlantic coast, differing primarily in the presence of a distinct anterodistal spinous lobe on pereopod 6, article 5; a longer row of distal marginal spines on pereopod 7, article 4; and fewer proximal spines on the peduncle of uropod 1. A revised key to the known species of Haustorius is included and information on the ecology of H. jayneae n. sp. at Panama …

New Sandhoppers (Crustacea: Amphipoda) From The Gulf Coast Of The United States, E.L. Bousfield

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Three species of sand-burrowing semi-terrestrial amphipod crustaceans are newly described from sandy beaches of the North American coast of the Gulf of Mexico. They (and two related species from the open Atlantic coast of North America) are removed from the genus Talorchestia Dana 1853, and placed in a new genus, Americorchestia. Americorchestia salomani, new species, and A. heardi, new species, occur from northwestern Florida to the Mississippi Delta. They are morphological counterparts of the well-known sandhoppers from the open Atlantic coast, A. megalophthalma (Bate) and A. longicornis (Say) respectively. Americorchestia barbarae, new species, related to A. …

Design And Operation Of A Small Tank System For Ovarian Maturation And Spawning Of Penaeus Vannamei, John T. Ogle

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Ovarian maturation and spawning of Penaeus vannamei was accomplished in a 120 l (30 gal) tank as well as in a 800 l recirculating system consisting of six aquaria plumbed into a common biofilter. Pond reared animals stocked one per tank were fed a diet consisting of commercial pellets, squid, and bloodworms. Temperature was maintained at 28^oC and salinity between 28 and 32 ppt. Presence of black shields between aquaria, males, eggs in the water, and other females in the aquaria were not required for ovarian maturation. Thirty-six of 78 females held in the small talk system spawned. …

A Method To Construct Low-Cost Ponds For Aquaculture, John T. Ogle

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A 100 m² pond was constructed using a vinyl liner supported by hog wire panels shackled together in a circle. The construction was completed in one afternoon at a total cost of $612.00.

Pattern And Coloration Of Periclimenes Rathbunae From The Turks And Caicos Islands, With Comments On Host Associations In Other Anemone Shrimps Of The West Indies And Bermuda, Stephen Spotte, Richard W. Heard, Patricia M. Bubucis, Roy R. Manstan, Jerry A. Mclelland

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The commensal shrimp Periclimenes rathbunae Schmitt, 1924, lives in association with the sea anemones Condylactis gigantea Weinland, 1860, and Stichodactyla (= Stoichactis) helianthus Ellis, 1767, in the Turks and Caicos Islands, British West Indies. We describe its pattem and coloration in life. Published reports of distribution and host acceptance by P. rathbunae and three of its congeners (P. anthophilus Holthuis and Eibl-Eibesfeldt, 1964; P. pedersoni Chace, 1958; and P. yucatanicus Ives, 1891) are reviewed. The last two species are recorded for the first time from the Turks and Caicos, and the association of P. yucatanicus with Stichodactyla helianthus …

Maturation Of Penaeus Vannamei Based Upon A Survey, John T. Ogle

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Captive maturation and reproduction of Penaeus vannamei, a popularly cultured penaeid shrimp, was first achieved in 1977. Based upon interviews of 18 facility managers, average conditions are as follows: tank diameter of 4.6 m (15 ft), 100% water exchange with recirculation, temperature 27-29°C. salinity 28-32 ppt, and a photoperiod of 13-14 hours of light. Broodstock are predominately wild, undergo unilateral eyestalk ablation by enuculation, and are stocked at five per square meter with a 1:1 sex ratio. Penaeus vannamei at most facilities are fed squid, pellets and bloodworms four times daily and 3-7% of the females are found to …

Behavioral Determination Of A Geomagnetic Senstivity In The Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops Truncatus (Cetacea, Onotoceti), Alene A. Minchew

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Invertebrates Associated With The Thinstripe Hermit Clibanarius Vittatus (Bosc) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Diogenidae) From The Barrier Islands Of Mississippi, Leslie Bruce

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Hermit crabs, the gastropod shells that they inhabit, and associated epifauna constitute a motile microhabitat. Twenty-three macroscopic. epifaunal invertebrates were associated with the diogenid crab Clibanarius vittatus in Mississippi coastal waters. Epibiotic growth may discourage predation of the crab, reduce competition for the shells, or provide an advantage in agonistic shell interaction. In addition, the shell provides a hard substrate for settling and attachment of epifauna in an area that is largely devoid of hard substrate. Reduced sedimentation and prevention of shell burial, improved food availability, transport, and protection from predation may also be advantageous to the epizoans.

Tanaidacea (Crustacea: Peracardia) Of The Gulf Of Mexico. Viii., Barbara J. Viskup, Richard W. Heard

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Pseudosphyrapus siegi, n. sp. is described from benthic samples collected in deep water (595-2400 m) from the northern Gulf of Mexico. Of the five currently recognized species of Pseudosphyrapus Cup, 1980, P. siegi is most closely related to P. dispar (Lang, 1968), a southwestem Pacific cognate and only other member of the genus having a squama on antenna 2. Pseudosphyrapus siegi is distinguished from P. dispar by: (1) a more triangular, but less acute, rostrum (2) the presence of two 4-pronged spines on the second maxilla (homologous spines on P. dispar are 3-pronged), and (3) the absence of a …

Tanaidacea (Crustacea: Peracardia) Of The Gulf Of Mexico. Vii. Atlantapseudes Lindae, N. Sp. (Apseudidae) From The Continental Slope Of The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Gabriele H. Meyer, Richard W. Heard

Gulf and Caribbean Research

During 1983 through 1985, 53 specimens of Atlantapseudes lindae, new species, were collected in box core samples taken on the continental slope in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Atlantapseudes lindae can be distinguished from the only other member of the genus, A. nigrichela Băcescu, 1978 by several characters, including the length of the squama of antenna 2, which is no longer than the third peduncular segment, and the absence of anterolateral spines on pereonites 1-2 of females and 1-6 on males. The diagnosis for genus Atlantapseudes Băcescu, 1978 is amended to include the presence of sexually dimorphic chelae and …

An Illustrated Key To The Chaetognatha Of The Northern Gulf Of Mexico With Notes On Their Distribution, Jerry A. Mclelland

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A key is provided to facilitate the identification of 24 species in nine genera of Chaetognatha occurring in the northem Gulf of Mexico. Included are the deep-water species, Eukrohnia proboscidea, E. calliops, Mesosagitta sibogae, and Sagitta megalophthalma, all recent additions to the known fauna of the region. Meristic data, brief descriptions, ecological notes, Gulf of Mexico records, and illustrations are also presented.

Acanthohaustorius Uncinus, A New Species Of Sand-Burrowing Amphipod From The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, With Notes On Its Ecology (Haustoriidae: Haustoriinae), John M. Foster

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A new species of sand-burrowing amphipod, Acanthohaustorius uncinus, is described from vegetated and unvegetated estuarine sands from St. Andrew Bay, Florida and East Ship Island, Mississippi. The genus Acanthohaustorius has been informally recorded from St. Andrew Bay, but this species is now formally described from the Gulf of Mexico. A. uncinus n. sp. is most similar to A. millsi of the Open American Atlantic coast. It differs from A. millsi in the presence of a dorsally directed, hooked spine on the peduncle of uropod 1 and the totally cleft telson lobes. Information on the ecology of A. uncinus n. …

Tanaidacea (Crustacea: Peracardia) Of The Gulf Of Mexico. Vi. On The Genus Mesotanais Dollfus, 1897 With Descriptions Of Two New Species, M. Longisetosus And M. Vadicola, Jurgen Sieg, Richard W. Heard

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Two new species of tanaidaceans belonging to the family Leptocheliidae were collected from the continental shelves and slopes of the eastem and Gulf coasts of the United States. Both of these species are assigned to the poorly known genus Mesotanais Dollfus, 1897. Mesotanais is unique within the Leptocheliidae because its members lack eyes. The second supposedly important generic character, uniramous uropods, reported in the original description is considered to be a misdiagnosis. The assumption of this error is supported by the rediscovery of the type-species, Mesotanais dubius Dollfus, 1897 (Sieg and Bird, in press). In the present study, the genus …

The Growth Of Cultchless Crassostrea Virginica Spat At Biloxi Bay, Mississippi Using Different Methods Of Culture, John T. Ogle

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Oyster spat produced from the experimental hatchery of the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory at Point Cadet, Biloxi, Mississippi, were grown under a variety of conditions. Recovery of spat planted on adjacent bay bottom was negligible, despite the use of either whole oyster valves, crushed oyster shell or clam shell as a substrate. Negligible growth occurred for spat held in vertical and horizontal water tanks. Growth of spat in horizontal tanks was affected by the density of stocking, with lower densities producing faster growth. Growth in all studies was slower than anticipated and a comparison on growth for spat from a …