Marine Biology Commons^™

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 …

Records Of Deep-Water Chaetognaths From The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Jerry A. Mclelland, Harriet M. Perry

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Fourteen species of deep-water Chaetognatha were present in plankton samples collected between 200 and 677 m at five stations along the continental slope of the northem Gulf of Mexico. Samples were taken in conjunction with the MARFlN Geryon cruises of 1987 and 1988. New Gulf of Mexico records resulting from this study were Eukrohnia calliops, Eukrohnia proboscidea, Mesosagitta sibogae, and Sagitta megalophthalma. Other deepwater species present were Eukrohnia fowleri, E. bathypelagica, E. bathyantarctica, Caecosagitta macrocephala, Mesosagitta decipiens, M. minima, Solidosagitta planctonis, Krohnitta subtilis, Flaccisagitta hexaptera, and F. lyra …

Larval Distribution And Abundance Of Carangidae (Pisces), From The Southern Gulf Of Mexico, 1983-1984, Cesar Flores-Coto, Marina Sanchez-Ramirez

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The larval distribution and abundance of several taxa of the carangids from the southem Gulf of Mexico are analyzed, based on data from four oceanographic cruises conducted between 1983 and 1984. The material was collected with a bongo net fished to maximum depths of 200 m. The species collected were Chloroscombrus chrysurus (54.2%), Decapterus punctatus (15.8%), Trachurus Iathami (11.8%), Selene setapinnis (6.1%), Selar crumenophthalmus (6.0), Caranx hipposllatus (0.9%), Caranx crysos (0.7%) and Selene sp. (0.3%). The higher frequency of occurrence and greater abundance of larvae of all species was found over the continental shelf, and in some cases, in the …

Calliax Jonesi, N. Sp. (Decapoda: Thalassinidea: Callianassidae) From The Northwestern Bahamas, Richard W. Heard

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Two specimens of Calliax jonesi, n. sp., were collected from fine carbonate sediments in 3 to 5 m of water at Bimini Harbor, Bahamas. Of the species presently assigned to the genus Calliax de Saint Laurent, 1973, C. jonesi appears to be most closely related to C. quadracuta (Biffar, 1970), presently known from the Atlantic coast of Venezuela and the Florida Keys. Calliax jonesi is distinguished from C. quadracuta by: (1) the absence of a distal spinose process on the dorsal and ventral margins of the carpus of the first pair of chelipeds, (2) the armature and shape of …

A Redescription Of Oncholaimoides Elongatus Hopper, 1961 (Nematoda: Enoplida) With Descriptions Of The Other Two Members Of The Genus, Edwin J. Keppner, Lisa A. Keppner

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Oncholaimoides elongatus is redescribed from specimens collected from subtidal, shallow-water sediments from the Gulf of Mexico, Bay County, Florida. The original description of this species was based on a single male specimen from the Gulf of Mexico, Baldwin County, Alabama. Descriptions of Oncholaimoides rugosus and Oncholaimoides striatus from subtidal sediments of St. Andrew Bay, Bay County, Florida are given. A key to the species of Oncholaimoides is provided.

Excorallana Delaneyi, N. Sp. (Crustacea: Isopoda: Excorallanidae) From The Northeastern Gulf Of Mexico, With Observations On Adult Characters And Sexual Dimorphism In Related Species Of Excorallana Stebbing, 1904, Ilya Stone, Richard W. Heard

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Excorallana delaneyi n. sp. was found associated with the sponges Halichondria sp. and Hymeniacidon sp. in St. Joseph Bay, Florida. Excorallana delaneyi is most similar to E. berbicensis Boone, 1918 described from Brazil, but it can be distinguished from that species and other members of the genus by the shape and spination of the uropods and pleotelson. A key is presented to separate E. delaneyi and the other seven species of Excorallana that lack lateral notches in the pleotelson. Morphological differences between the subadults and adults of E. delaneyi are described, and possible taxonomic problems resulting from such differences in …

The Effects Of Weathered Crude Oil From The M/T Alvenus Spill On Eggs And Yolk-Sac Larvae Of Red Drum (Sciaenops Ocellatus), George J. Guillen, Dennis Palafox

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The Biitish tanker M/T ALVENUS ran aground 16.1 km south of Cameron, Louisiana, on 30 July 1984. An estimated 10,157 MT of Venezuelan crude oil were spilled into the Gulf of Mexico. Approximately 2,700 MT of the heavy viscous oil impacted beaches and an additional 1,360 MT remained in the subtidal areas of west Galveston Island, about 160 km southwest of the accident site. Red drum, which spawn in the Gulf of Mexico in the fall, could have been seriously impacted by oil concentrations potentially lethal to eggs or larvae. The impact of weathered crude oil on the survival, growth, …

Tanaidacea (Crustacea: Peracardia) Of The Gulf Of Mexico. Iv. On Nototanoides Trifurcatus Gen. Nov., Sp. Nov., With A Key To The Genera Of The Nototanaidae, Jurgen Sieg, Richard W. Heard

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Nototanoides trifurcatus gen. nov., sp. nov. is described and illustrated from the Gulf of Mexico. Nototanoides differs from the other genera of the family by the male possessing a vestigial maxilliped. It most closely resembles the genera Nototanais and Androtanais. In addition to the differences of the maxillipeds the males of Nototanoides can be separated by the 4-segmented antenna 1 and the females are distinguished by the trifurcate spine on the second segment of the palp of the maxilliped. A key to known genera of the family Nototanaidae is presented.

A Survey Of Population Characteristics For Red Drum And Spotted Seatrout In Louisiana, John M. Wakeman, Paul R. Ramsey

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Red drum and spatted seatrout stocks were sampled from seven separate study areas along the Louisiana coast and from one estuarine area in Texas, with additional intensive temporal (monthly) and microgeographic (range of salinity regimes) samplings being carried out in one Louisiana study area. Condition coefficients, which did not appear to be affected by salinity regimes within the microgeographic sampling area, varied significantly according to study area, with Texas fish showing significantly lower condition coefficients than Louisiana fish. Van Bertalanffy growth equations were fitted and annual mortality rates were estimated to obtain preliminary estimates of yields, population numbers, and densities …

Metabolic Activity Of The Epiphytic Community Associated With Spartina Alterniflora, Wilmer C. Stowe, James G. Gosselink

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Primary production and respiration rates were determined for two epiphytic communities associated with Spartina alternifloraLoisel., in the southwestern Barataria Bay area of Louisiana. The communities studied were: (1) a shoreline community and (2) a community 1.5 meters inland from the shoreline site. Annual mean net production and respiration rates for the shoreline community were 25.8 and -19.6 mg C • (m² substrate area)^-1 • h^-1 respectively;whereas the inland community showed corresponding rates of -3.3 and -12.5 mg C • (m² substrate area)^-1 • h^-1, respectively. Thus, the shoreline community was a net …

Spatial Influences On Temporal Variations In Leaf Growth And Chemical Composition Of Thalassia Testudinum Banks Ex König In Tampa Bay, Florida, Michael J. Durako, Mark D. Moffler

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The importance of spatial influences on seasonal fluctuations in Thalassia testudinum leaf blade lengths and chemical constituents was demonstrated. Differences between samples from fringe and mid-bed for several constituents were significant and, if not accounted for, could affect the measurement of apparent seasonal cycles. Fringe-shoots, reflecting the influence of more intense grazing activity, had shorter leaf blade lengths, lower dry weights and carbohydrate levels, and higher protein levels than mid-bed shoots. Mid-bed rhizomes and roots had highest protein and ash levels reflecting possible sediment influence. Percent ash and protein in the rhizomes, and percent carbohydrate in the roots exhibited seasonal …

Testis-Ova In Spawning Blue Tilapia, Oreochromis Aureus, B. Clark, H.J. Grier

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Hermaphroditism characterized by the presence of oocytes in the testes is described in the blue tilapia, Oreochromis aureus, for the first time. Testis-ova were observed in three of 24 spawning males exhibiting otherwise normal male morphology. The testis-ova appeared non-vitellogenic and lacked a follicle cell layer. It is speculated that the testis-ova did not become vitellogenic due to their association with Sertoli cells and the hormonal environment of the male.

Soil Characteristics Of Four Juncus Roemerianus Populations In Mississippi, Lionel N. Eleuterius, John D. Caldwell

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The physical and chemical characteristics of soil from four widely separated Juncus roemerianus populations in Mississippi tidal marshes are determined. The J. roemerianus populations studied are located in Grand Bayou, Salt Flats, Weeks Bayou,and Belle Fantaine marshes. Organic matter, pH, CEC, N, P, K, Ca, S, Mg, and Zn analyses are based on composite soil samples. The percentage of sand, silt, and clay of the marsh soils is determined along with soil water content from the four locations. Statistical analysis indicates which marshes are different for each soil characteristic tested. No appreciable amounts of organic matter are present in the …

Soil Characteristics Of Spartina Alterniflora, Spartina Patens, Juncus Roemerianus, Scirpus Olneyi, And Distichlis Spicata Populations At One Locality In Mississippi, Lionel N. Eleuterius, John D. Caldwell

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Soil characteristics from five adjacent monotypic zones or different populations of tidal marsh plants are determined. Populations of Spartina alterniflora, Spartina patens, Juncus roemerianus, Scirpus olneyi, and Distichlis spicata located in Graveline Bay marsh, Mississippi, are studied. Slight elevational differences between the plant populations exist. The aerial biomass for each plant population is different based on seasonal determinations. Soil pH, organic matter, N, P, K, S, Zn, Ca, and Mg concentrations are based on analyses of seasonal composite soil samples. Analyses of soil water samples are used to determine water content, salinity, PO₄, and …

Notes On Barnacles (Cirripedia: Thoracica) From The Gulf Of Mexico, Stephen R. Gittings

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Examination of several collections of barnacles from the northern and western Gulf of Mexico made over the last 30 years has improved our knowledge of the distributions of several taxa previously considered to be absent or rare in those regions. Conchoderma auritum (Linnaeus) and Heteralepas sp. aff. cornuta (Darwin) are recorded for the first time from the Gulf of Mexico. Conchoderma auritum, Conchoderma virgatum (Spengler), Heteralepas cornuta (Darwin), Balanus trigonus (Darwin), Balanus venustus Darwin, and Balanus amphitrite amphitrite Darwin have broad distributions outside the Gulf of Mexico. Tetraclita stalactifera stalactifera (Lamarck) is abundant in the intertidal zones of the …

Yield-Per-Recruit Of Spotted Seatrout, Richard E. Condrey, Gerald Adkins, Michael W. Wascom

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A von Bertalanffy growth curve,

L = 65.47 cm (1 - e^{-.2005 (t + .4113 yr)}),

is derived from published data on spotted seatrout in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and used in constructing a yield-per-recruit contour. Maximum yield-per-recruit is approached as F increases above 1 and age of first entry approaches 3.9 years (14.9 in., 1.1 lb). A linear regression is derived relating average size of capture to gill net mesh size (MS in inches),

L = 1.97 in. + 8.63 MS,

and used along with legal sizes of first harvest to evaluate the impact of current …

Seedling Establishment Of Spartina Alterniflora And Spartina Patens On Dredged Materials In Texas, James W. Webb, J.D. Dodd, B.H. Koerth, A.T. Weichert

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Effects of fertilizer, elevation, and tidal inundation on seedling establishment of Spartina alterniflora and Spartina patens were tested at a wave-protected sandy dredged material site, Galveston Bay, Texas. No seedlings that grew from sown seeds became established at elevations below 36 cm (msl) while the greatest number established in the upper tier. Seedlings of S. alterniflora were more numerous than S. patens in the upper and middle tiers. Naturally occurring seedlings of S. alterniflora, which apparently germinated from seeds produced on transplants in adjacent plots, established at all elevations of the site during winter. The average time of tidal …

Sexual Dimorphism In Species Of Raninoides (Brachyura: Raninidae) And The Status Of Raninidoides Schmitti Sawaya, 1944, Gary D. Goeke

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The frog crab Raninoides schmitti was described from São Paulo, Brazil, as closely related to R. loevis. Detailed comparison shows R. schmitti to be a junior synonym of R. loevis. Absence of information detailing sexual dimorphism of species in the genus Raninoldes contributed to the designation of a dimorphic male as a discrete taxon. Examples of sexual dimorphism within the genus Raninoides are described.

The Epiphytic Diatom Flora Of Two Sargassum Species, Robert S. Maples

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The epiphytic diatom flora on the brown algae Sargassum natans (L.) J. Meyer and S. fluitans Børgesen were investigated and compared. A total of 50 taxa representing 21 genera were identified. The most abundant taxa were Amphora exigua Greg., A. coffeiformis (Ag.) Kütz., Synedra fasciculata (Ag.) Kütz., Cocconeis pseudodiruptoides Foged, and Navicula ramosissima (Ag.) Cleve. Comparisons of the dominant species and diversity statistics characterizing the two samples indicated the two brown algal species supported nearly identical epiphytic diatom floras.

Distribution And Ecology Of The Synaphobranchidae Of The Gulf Of Mexico, Douglas M. Martin

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Synaphobranchid eels of the Gulf of Mexico are an important part of the upper continental slope ichthyofauna, occurring most frequently between 500 and 1,500 m. Two of the four known genera (Histiobranchus and Diastobranchus) have not been reported from the Gulf. Synaphobranchidae tend to occur within a narrow range of temperatures compared to the North Atlantic synaphobranchid eels. However, distribution of these eels in the deeper parts of the Gulf appears to be correlated more to change in depth than to temperature, salinity, or dissolved oxygen. The distribution at the shallower limits of their depth range appear to …

A Review Of The Genus Clythrocerus (Brachyura: Dorippidae) In The Eastern Gulf Of Mexico With Notes On Clythrocerus Stimpsoni, Gary D. Goeke, Richard W. Heard

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The four members of the dorippid crab genus Clythrocerus from the Gulf of Mexico are reviewed. The rediscovery of C. stimpsoni has allowed for the first description of the male of the species. Known previously only from the unique holotypic female, the rediscovery of C. stimpsoni is based on material from the same general area as the type-locality. Clythrocerus granulatus and C. perpusillus are reported for the first time from the Gulf of Mexico. The latter form was the most frequently collected species of Clythrocerus from the study area. Although no specimens of C. nitidus occurred in our samples, previous …

Autecology Of The Black Needlerush Juncus Roemerianus, Lionel N. Eleuterius

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Juncus roemerianus generally occupies the upper half of the intertidal plane and covers about 92% or 25,000 hectares of marsh in Mississippi. The vegetative canopy is best described as a series of disjunct and intergrading populations. Considerable phenotypic variation and differences in standing crop exist between populations. J. roemerianus has very wide environmental tolerances in comparison to all other tidal marsh angiosperms. Soil types inhabited by the rush range from very sandy to highly organic muds and peats, which may vary in the concentration of nutrient elements (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium). Neither soil type, nutrient concentration, water content, pH nor …

Growth And Production Of The Dwarf Surf Clam Mulinia Lateralis (Say 1822) In A Georgia Estuary, Randal L. Walker, Kenneth R. Tenore

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The bivalve Mulinia lateralis is a dominant member of estuarine benthos, but its presence and abundance in Georgia estuarine waters is sporadic over time. Recruitment and production was monitored from 1977 through 1981 at three inner and one outer more saline ( > 18 ppt) areas of Wassaw Sound. Until the winter of 1981, Mulinia lateralis was absent or at very low densities. Significant settlement occurred in January 1981 when densities in the outer sound reached as high as 63,000 individuals • m^-2). The clam was more abundant in sandy mud (x̄ = 10,161 • m^-2) than …

A Range Extension For Manayunkia Aestuarina (Bourne, 1883) (Polychaeta: Sabellidae) To The Gulf Coast Of The United States With A Review Of Previous Habitat Information, T. Dale Bishop

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The sabellid polychaete Manayunkia aestuarina (Bourne, 1883) is reported for the first time from the Gulf coast of the United States and from a Juncus roemerianus marsh. Individuals were collected from a brackish J. roemerianus marsh in St. Louis Bay, Mississippi, (30^o22'N, 89^o15'W) during the period of June 1979 to May 1980. Adults with eggs were first noted in early January and increased in number through May. Brooded young were observed from late January through May. Habitat comparisons are made between this and other North American and European populations. The present population is associated with lower …

Amphipods Of The Family Ampeliscidae (Gammaridea). Iv. Infraspecific Variation In Ampelisca Agassizi, Gary D. Goeke, Richard W. Heard

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Considerable variation noted, in Ampelisca agassizi is herein described. The variations in the shape of the basis of pereopod 7 and the carina of urosomite I are most obyious. No relationship was found with the atypical specimens and their age, associated sediment or location.

Ultrastructure Of Rodlet Cells: Response To Cadmium Damage In The Kidney Of The Spot Leiostomus Xanthurus Lacépède, William E. Hawkins

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Rodlet cell ultrastructure was studied in normal and cadmium-damaged kidney tissues of the spot Leiostomus xanthurus, an estuarine teleost. Rodlet cells in control fish occurred in all parts of the nephron except the renal corpuscle, were oblong to pear-shaped (about 5x10 µm), and contained up to 30 rodlet bodies, a basally situated nucleus, poorly developed mitochondria, and a filamentous cortex. Desmosomes and tight junctions joined rodlet cells to kidney epithelial cells. After cadmium exposure, rodlet cells showed a range of responses from secretory stimulation to necrosis. Rodlet bodies, which were membrane-bound, club-shaped granules, were secreted by a merocrine process, …

Effects Of Space Shuttle Exhaust Plumes On Gills Of Some Estuarine Fishes: A Light And Electron Microscopic Study, William E. Hawkins, Robin M. Overstreet, Mark J. Provancha

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The first few launches of the space shuttle resulted in fish kills in a lagoon near the launch site. To study this phenomenon further, sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus), sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna), and mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) were exposed to the exhaust plume in buckets placed near the launch site. An open bucket provided a full exposure, a partly closed one provided an intermediate exposure, and a closed one was the control. Three h after launch, the pH of the water from the full exposure had decreased from about 7 to about 3, Al and …

Amphipods Of The Family Ampeliscidae (Gammaridea). Iii. Ampelisca Parapacifica, A New Species Of Amphipod From The Western North Atlantic With The Designation Of A Substitute Name For A. Eschrichtii Pacifica Gurjanova, 1955, Gary D. Goeke, Richard W. Heard

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A new species of benthic amphipod, Ampelisca parapacifica, is described from the southeastern Gulf of Mexico and compared with the closely allied Ampelisca pacifica Holmes, 1908, from the eastern Pacific. The distinctive form of the third uropod separates this species pair from other members of the "macrocephala" subgroup of the genus Ampelisca Kroyer, 1842. Ampelisca parapacifica is distinguished from A. pacifica by antenna I peduncle segment 2 less t}an twice the length of article 1 and uropod I peduncle shorter than the rami. Previous Atlantic records of A. pacifica are assigned to the proposed new species. The Pacific populations …

Comments On Density Inversions In Marine Shallow Waters And Beyond, Gordon Gunter, Forrest V. Durand

Gulf and Caribbean Research

It has been shown within the past 70 years that salinity and thus density inversions are often detectible in shallow bays and estuaries. This terminology means that surface salinities are sometimes higher than those at lower depths. The first such discoveries in this country were made by Sumner, Louderback, Schmitt and Johnston (1914) in San Francisco Bay. They used Negetti-Zambta reversing thermometers for temperature and silver nitrate titration for salinity determination. These were by then considered to be classical methods and had been worked out in northern Europe, mostly in Scandinavia. They were introduced to the United States Gulf Coast …

A Preliminary Checklist Of Epiphytic And Benthic Marine Diatoms Of Louisiana, Robert S. Maples

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A checklist of diatoms collected from the various habitats in coastal salt marshes, estuaries, and nearshore Gulf waters of Louisiana has been compiled for the first time. The checklist includes 193 taxa (species and their varieties) in 38 genera. The largest number of taxa are species of Navicula and Nitzschia with 46 and 36, respectively. Future studies of the varied habitats along the Louisiana coast should result in many new additions to this preliminary checklist.