Demersal fishes associated with Lophelia pertusa coral and hard-substrate biotopes on the continental slope, northern Gulf of Mexico
The demersal fish fauna of Lophelia pertusa (Linnaeus, 1758) coral reefs and associated hard-bottom biotopes was investigated at two depth horizons in the northern Gulf of Mexico using a manned submersible and remote sampling. The Viosca Knoll fauna consisted of at least 53 demersal fish species, 37...
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ftunivnebraskali:oai:digitalcommons.unl.edu:usgsstaffpub-2063 2023-11-12T04:20:44+01:00 Demersal fishes associated with Lophelia pertusa coral and hard-substrate biotopes on the continental slope, northern Gulf of Mexico Sulak, Kenneth J. Brooks, R. Allen Luke, Kirsten E. Norem, April D. Randall, Michael Quaid, Andrew J. Yeargin, George E. Miller, Jana M. Harden, William M. Caruso, John H. Ross, Steve W. 2007-11-01T07:00:00Z application/pdf https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usgsstaffpub/1054 https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/usgsstaffpub/article/2063/viewcontent/Sulak_BMS_2007_Demersal_fishes.pdf unknown DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usgsstaffpub/1054 https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/usgsstaffpub/article/2063/viewcontent/Sulak_BMS_2007_Demersal_fishes.pdf USGS Staff -- Published Research Earth Sciences Geology Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Other Earth Sciences Other Environmental Sciences text 2007 ftunivnebraskali 2023-10-30T11:42:37Z The demersal fish fauna of Lophelia pertusa (Linnaeus, 1758) coral reefs and associated hard-bottom biotopes was investigated at two depth horizons in the northern Gulf of Mexico using a manned submersible and remote sampling. The Viosca Knoll fauna consisted of at least 53 demersal fish species, 37 of which were documented by submersible video. On the 325 m horizon, dominant taxa determined from frame-by-frame video analysis included Stromateidae, Serranidae, Trachichthyidae, Congridae, Scorpaenidae, and Gadiformes. On the 500 m horizon, large mobile visual macrocarnivores of families Stromateidae and Serranidae dropped out, while a zeiform microcarnivore assumed importance on reef “Thicket” biotope, and the open-slope taxa Macrouridae and Squalidae gained in importance. The most consistent faunal groups at both depths included sit-and-wait and hover-and-wait strategists (Scorpaenidae, Congridae, Trachichthyidae), along with generalized mesocarnivores (Gadiformes). The specialized microcarnivore, Grammicolepis brachiusculus Poey, 1873, appears to be highly associated with Lophelia reefs. The coral “Thicket” biotope was extensively developed on the 500 m site, but fish abundance was low with only 95 fish per hectare. In contrast to Lophelia reefs from the eastern the North Atlantic, the coral “Rubble” biotope was essentially absent. This study represents the first quantitative analysis of fishes associated with Lophelia reefs in the Gulf of Mexico, and generally in the western North Atlantic. Text Lophelia pertusa North Atlantic University of Nebraska-Lincoln: DigitalCommons@UNL |
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Open Polar |
collection |
University of Nebraska-Lincoln: DigitalCommons@UNL |
op_collection_id |
ftunivnebraskali |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Earth Sciences Geology Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Other Earth Sciences Other Environmental Sciences |
spellingShingle |
Earth Sciences Geology Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Other Earth Sciences Other Environmental Sciences Sulak, Kenneth J. Brooks, R. Allen Luke, Kirsten E. Norem, April D. Randall, Michael Quaid, Andrew J. Yeargin, George E. Miller, Jana M. Harden, William M. Caruso, John H. Ross, Steve W. Demersal fishes associated with Lophelia pertusa coral and hard-substrate biotopes on the continental slope, northern Gulf of Mexico |
topic_facet |
Earth Sciences Geology Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Other Earth Sciences Other Environmental Sciences |
description |
The demersal fish fauna of Lophelia pertusa (Linnaeus, 1758) coral reefs and associated hard-bottom biotopes was investigated at two depth horizons in the northern Gulf of Mexico using a manned submersible and remote sampling. The Viosca Knoll fauna consisted of at least 53 demersal fish species, 37 of which were documented by submersible video. On the 325 m horizon, dominant taxa determined from frame-by-frame video analysis included Stromateidae, Serranidae, Trachichthyidae, Congridae, Scorpaenidae, and Gadiformes. On the 500 m horizon, large mobile visual macrocarnivores of families Stromateidae and Serranidae dropped out, while a zeiform microcarnivore assumed importance on reef “Thicket” biotope, and the open-slope taxa Macrouridae and Squalidae gained in importance. The most consistent faunal groups at both depths included sit-and-wait and hover-and-wait strategists (Scorpaenidae, Congridae, Trachichthyidae), along with generalized mesocarnivores (Gadiformes). The specialized microcarnivore, Grammicolepis brachiusculus Poey, 1873, appears to be highly associated with Lophelia reefs. The coral “Thicket” biotope was extensively developed on the 500 m site, but fish abundance was low with only 95 fish per hectare. In contrast to Lophelia reefs from the eastern the North Atlantic, the coral “Rubble” biotope was essentially absent. This study represents the first quantitative analysis of fishes associated with Lophelia reefs in the Gulf of Mexico, and generally in the western North Atlantic. |
format |
Text |
author |
Sulak, Kenneth J. Brooks, R. Allen Luke, Kirsten E. Norem, April D. Randall, Michael Quaid, Andrew J. Yeargin, George E. Miller, Jana M. Harden, William M. Caruso, John H. Ross, Steve W. |
author_facet |
Sulak, Kenneth J. Brooks, R. Allen Luke, Kirsten E. Norem, April D. Randall, Michael Quaid, Andrew J. Yeargin, George E. Miller, Jana M. Harden, William M. Caruso, John H. Ross, Steve W. |
author_sort |
Sulak, Kenneth J. |
title |
Demersal fishes associated with Lophelia pertusa coral and hard-substrate biotopes on the continental slope, northern Gulf of Mexico |
title_short |
Demersal fishes associated with Lophelia pertusa coral and hard-substrate biotopes on the continental slope, northern Gulf of Mexico |
title_full |
Demersal fishes associated with Lophelia pertusa coral and hard-substrate biotopes on the continental slope, northern Gulf of Mexico |
title_fullStr |
Demersal fishes associated with Lophelia pertusa coral and hard-substrate biotopes on the continental slope, northern Gulf of Mexico |
title_full_unstemmed |
Demersal fishes associated with Lophelia pertusa coral and hard-substrate biotopes on the continental slope, northern Gulf of Mexico |
title_sort |
demersal fishes associated with lophelia pertusa coral and hard-substrate biotopes on the continental slope, northern gulf of mexico |
publisher |
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln |
publishDate |
2007 |
url |
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usgsstaffpub/1054 https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/usgsstaffpub/article/2063/viewcontent/Sulak_BMS_2007_Demersal_fishes.pdf |
genre |
Lophelia pertusa North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
Lophelia pertusa North Atlantic |
op_source |
USGS Staff -- Published Research |
op_relation |
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usgsstaffpub/1054 https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/usgsstaffpub/article/2063/viewcontent/Sulak_BMS_2007_Demersal_fishes.pdf |
_version_ |
1782336533106262016 |