Neon Goby -- Elijah Hatten

    The neon goby, or Elacatinus oceanops, is known for its vibrant blue horizontal stripe against a black body and pale white underside. E. oceanops has translucent fins and grows to about 2 inches. They are mainly found on coral reefs in the western Atlantic around southern Florida, the Caribbean Sea, and northern Yucatan peninsula. They like to sit atop coral heads and in small crevices. Their main food source is ectoparasites on larger reef fish such as tangs, snapper, grouper, eels, etc. The larger fish hover above the reef while neon gobies pick external parasites off of the skin, gills, and mouth. This symbiotic cleaning service is provided by all members of the Elacatinus genus. They also feed on zooplankton and sometimes algae. 

    

    Neon gobies are extremely popular in aquaria and easily breed in captivity. Although no scientific literature describes them as such, breeders of neon gobies report them as being sequential hermaphrodites, like many species of Elacatinus. Neon gobies form monogamous pairs and spend much of their life with their partner. They can be territorial towards other individuals of the same species. They spawn from February to April, and males guard eggs until they hatch which usually takes about 6-8 days. After hatching, no parental care is provided, and the larval stage lasts 18-25 days.

References

https://azaquaculture.com/aquaculture-notes-elacatinus-oceanops-the-neon-goby/

http://www.fishbase.org/summary/3876

Old Dan Bank in the Keys! - Alyssa Cotten

 Old Dan Bank was the first of three sites we visited on Tuesday, and is located in the Florida Bay close to the main channel. It was the shallowest location of the day as depth was 1-5 ft. It was very beautiful however it challenged our snorkeling abilities as we tried our best to not disturb the bottom or step on any fragile coral. The site had tons of turtle grass (Thalassia) which is a sea grass and lots of algae like Udotea, Halimeda, Ventricaria, and Penicillus. I thought the Ventricaria was the coolest here as it's nicknamed bubble algae for its perfectly spherical shape and bubble like formation. 

Ventricaria found at Old Dan Bank

The visibility here was great at 15-20ft and we were able to see so many creatures. Some of the fish we found were burrfish, grunts, glass minnow, sergeant majors, high hats, etc. Old Dan Bank was also home to tons of invertebrates such as anemones, queen conchs, spaghetti worm, pen shell, starfish, shrimp, crab, jellyfish, snail, sponge, and scallops. 

Spaghetti Worm seen at Old Dan Bank

High Hat via Jess

Corals were also fairly abundant here but weren't quite in the form of a reef like you might think. The corals here aren't attached to the bottom or spread out on hard substrates as the bottom is a sand/ rubble matrix. So they all just kind of hang out on the bottom and are pretty small compared to corals we saw later on in the week. Some of the species found there include Cladocora arbuscula, Porites furcata, Manicina areolata, Siderastrea radians, etc. 

Manicina Areolata aka Rose Cup Coral

There was some current here but not much and some wind as well. The water felt great as it was 76 degrees and sunny above. The bottom was pretty flat here so low relief conditions compared to sites later in the week. I really enjoyed Old Dan Bank as it was one of our easier snorkels and we were able to see the corals and other creatures easier due to the shallow depth. 

Queen Conch via Dr. Voss

Spot-fin Porcupinefish - Alyssa Cotten

Looe Key Spot-fin Porcupinefish

When I saw this big guy while snorkeling at Looe Key I was very excited because in my high school marine science class we took care of a striped burrfish. At the time we thought it was a porcupinefish so we named it porky, but later we found out it was in fact a burrfish. So as soon as we saw this one at Looe Key I knew I wanted to write about it for this post as I absolutely love getting to see these guys up close. 

I initially thought this was just a puffer fish that had gotten really big, but after doing some research I've discovered it's a spot-fin porcupinefish. It can also go by giant porcupinefish, which suites it the best, or its scientific name Diodon Hystrix. I believe the one I saw (pictured above) was close to 18 inches long and just very large for a group of fish that is normally as big as your hand. As an adult this species can be 15-35 inches long and weigh around 6 pounds. They are found in tropical and temperate areas from California to Chile, most of the eastern coast of the U.S., the Caribbean, and Brazil. They like to live inshore in reefs, caves, and other structured places. These big guys are typically found at depths up to 50 meters but like to stay a little shallower than that as I saw this one around 8 meters down. 

Most people commonly mistake porcupinefish for pufferfish. They are very similar however the main difference is that porcupine fish are covered in spines and puffers are more smooth with no spines. Spot-fin porcupines have lots of spines that lay very flat and can be hard to see unless they're puffed up. They are normally a sandy brown color on top and white on bottom with darker spots all over. They're easy to identify by their large round eyes, tapered body, and small fins, and are even easier to identify when they're defensive.

Instead of having many smaller teeth in rows, porcupinefish have a hard plate that crushes up small crustaceans like crabs and urchins. They mainly eat hard shelled animals as their mouths are specially adapted for them. There are not many predators of these fish as they have a great defense mechanism in place that consists of inflating themselves with water. Which then makes their spines poke out. As they make themselves a large pointy balloon shape it becomes difficult for predators to get them. They can also emit poisons in defense. 

To reproduce a few males will corral a single female towards the surface where they all release their eggs and sperm. The eggs are then fertilized and freely float until ready to hatch. This typically happens once a year. Spot-fins also live alone mostly and are fairly docile. They can be slower fish that like to hide during the day, which was exhibited with one I found as it hid in the rocks every time I swam closer.     

I love these fish and all of their close relatives, like puffers and the burrfishes. I think they have one of the most unique and distinctive looks so it's never boring looking at them. I also thought this fish was really special as I had no clue a species that large existed and thought I had just struck gold finding this guy. It will definitely be one of my favorite and most memorable parts of this whole trip!

Spot-fin Porcupinefish from National Marine Sanctuary Foundation's website

Sources:

https://marinesanctuary.org/blog/sea-wonder-spotted-porcupinefish/

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Diodon_hystrix/

Big Sponge (2) - Leo E

 Big Sponge (2)

    Big Sponge 2 was visited on Tuesday, May 25th because some fishermen were anchored on Big Sponge. The site was observed from approximately 13:40-14:40. This site was located on the oceanside of the Keys. This site was very shallow, varying from approximately 3 to 8 feet in depth and had low relief. Visibility was pretty decent at this site, approximately 15 feet. The water temperature was 79.2 degrees Fahrenheit. The current and wind were rather mild on this day, as it was observed slightly after high slack tide, and this stratified habitat was primarily dominated by hard bottom structure. 

    Big Sponge 2 was a habitat that harbored a variety of different organisms. Many sponges, such as the loggerhead sponge, bowl sponge, and barrel sponge were observed here. Other invertebrates observed here include the inflated seabiscuit, a Caribbean reef squid, spiny lobster, red and sargassum shrimp, queen conchs, diademas, brittle stars, and red-ridged clinging crabs. Fish observed here include scrawled cowfish, beaugregories, hogfish, white grunts, shrimp fish, high hats, slippery dicks, file fish, sergeant majors, blue-striped grunts, spotfin and banded butterflyfish, and French angelfish. Corals observed here were Siderastrea radians, Manicina areolata, Porites astreoides, Cladocora arbuscula, Plexaura sp., Eunicea sp., Solenastrea hyades, and Pseudodipteria gorga. Finally plants observed here included Thalassia testudinum, Udotia sp., Laurencia sp., Acetabularia sp., and Halimeda sp. 

Mutton Snapper - Leo E

 Lutjanus analis

    The Mutton snapper is a species of snapper commonly found in the state of Florida. Found in coastal waters near structure, these fish are well known in the angler world for being a great fight and tasty. They can grow up to 76 cm, or a little over 11 kg in Florida. They can be found from as far north as Massachussets to Brasil, but found most commonly in tropical waters. This week, many mutton snappers were observed in coral reef habitats in the Florida Keys. 

    Mutton snappers can be identified by their olive color and black spot found below their dorsal fin. They contain blue lines below their eyes, which can help distinguish them from lane snappers. They also have pointed anal and dorsal fins, but a rounded tail fin. Mutton snappers are of a single genetic stock, and generally develop in inshore waters such as seagrass flats or mangrove habitats before moving to deeper water as it ages. 

    Mutton snappers tend to be solitary and can be most often found near structure. This species spawns in between the months of February to August, and depending on temperature and location can vary on when spawning aggregations occur. The photo above shows a mutton snapper seen at Looe Key. 

References: 

https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/saltwater/snapper/mutton-snapper/

https://gulfcouncil.org/fishing-regulations/mutton-snapper-lutjanus-analis/

Zane Grey Blog - Gabbie Nelson

Zane Grey Site Summary 

Photo credits: Hannah Schwaiger

This week, as a part of our 5 week marine field studies course, we visited the Keys Marine Lab in Marathon, Florida. It was an adventure filled week spent mostly on the boat and snorkeling. One of the sites we visited was a small inlet called Zane Grey. There was a super strong ebb current as the tide went from high to low. The water was a tea color, caused by the tannins of leaves that have fallen into the water breaking down. Visibility was pretty decent at the mouth of the inlet, and slowly worsened as we moved further in and the current grew stronger. The dominant plants throughout Zane Grey are mangroves and sargassum. We were even lucky enough to see some coral, a result of the hard substrate. The sediment on the bottom was a matrix of decaying leaves, rocks, and shell fragments. There was an array of organisms living in the inlet. A few that stood out to me were spiny lobster, sergeant major, purple tunicate, and upside down mangrove jelly. The current was so strong I almost couldn't swim in with the other students, but I'm glad I pushed through. 

Photo credits: Hannah Schwaiger

Photo credits: Hannah Schwaiger

Sea you all next week! 

Gabbie Nelson

Rainbow Parrotfish - Gabbie Nelson

 Rainbow Parrotfish

Background

    The rainbow parrotfish, also known as Scarus guacamaia, is a fish living in tropical regions from the Bahamas to Argentina.  They can live up to seven years old and grow as much as four feet. They dwell at anywhere from 3 to 25 meters in the water column. 

Diet

Parrotfish are herbivores and mainly feed on algae. In fact, they will spend 90% of their day consuming algae growing on coral reefs. This provides an important ecosystem service for the coral as it prevents the algae from outgrowing the reef, and the coral zooxanthellae are able to photosynthesize. The parrotfish has two plates, which are teeth fused together, that it uses to chew food. It will then defecate, excreting bits of digested coral that in turn provide biogenous sediment for the ocean floor. 

Reproduction

One dominant male mates with all the females. A dominant male can arise through being born a male, also called a primary male, or be born a male and transition to male, a secondary male. Once the dominant male dies, a primary or secondary male will replace him. Primary males may also disguise themselves as females in an effort to sneakily mate with females without drawing the attention of the dominant male. 

Impact on humans 

Rainbow parrotfish aren't a direct threat to humans, but can cause harm if consumed. They have a high concentration of ciguatoxin in their tissue, caused by a high consumption level of dinoflagellates. Symptoms range from dizziness to nausea and vomiting. This can become serious if untreated, but early treatment includes pumping the stomach. 

ESA status and conservation

Fortunately, there are no serious threats facing the rainbow parrotfish. IUCN has them listed as near threatened. They can become vulnerable to local extinction from overfishing or invasive species. A future threat to look out for is climate change. 

References 

https://www.fishbase.se/summary/1155#

https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/ciguatera-fish-poisoning/

http://species-identification.org/species.php?species_group=caribbean_diving_guide&id=247

https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/animals-we-protect/parrotfish/

https://sta.uwi.edu/fst/lifesciences/sites/default/files/lifesciences/documents/ogatt/Scarus_guacamaia%20-%20Rainbow%20Parrotfish.pdf

Gabbie Nelson

KML site: Old Dan Bank(5/25/21)- Kayley McDowell

     The first sight we went to on Tuesday of this week was called Old Dan Bank. This site consisted of both seagrasses and coral habitats. Old Dan Bank had a low relief with a sand/rubble matrix. Also, the current wasn't that strong and the visibility was around 15-20ft. The seagrasses included Thalassia as well as some marine algae such as Penicillus and Halimedia. There was also quite a few corals some of them were Cladocora arbuscula, Siderastrea radians, Solenastrea bournoni, and more. Some of the fish species at this site included the lizardfish, sergeant majors, burr fish, spotted drum, etc. Others that were sited at this spot were starfish, sea urchins, and spiny lobsters. I think the most interesting thing about this site is that none of the corals were really attached and they all seemed to be really small in comparison to other places we visited this week. Here are some pictures from Tuesday:

Spiny Lobster

Starfish

Fishes

Urchin

Hermit crab ft. Dr. Voss

Week 2 - KML - Stag Party East - Eliannis S.

 We visited the Stag Party East site on Wednesday the 26th, and it was our last site with the KML crew. This is a mid channel patch reef that is located on the Atlantic side of the Florida Keys. We specifically went to a part of the reef that is a restoration site. At this site, many of us were unable to witness the beauty of this site due the sea sickness provoked by incoming waves. Regardless, we were still able to discuss the conditions of this site and make a list of some of the species that were present here.

When we arrived at this site, it was early in the afternoon and the skies were partly cloudy with a weather temperature of 79 F. During our time here, the boat was being rocked by waves that were about 2 to 3 feet in height. The depth in this area was estimated to be between 12-18 ft. The bottom of this reef consisted of low relief patches of sand, seagrasses, and hard substrate. A lot of the coral that was present here was soft coral, which indicates that this is a high energy site. Because this reef is further from land, it has a tighter nutrient cycle, meaning that there is low nutrients but high productivity. 

Looking at the types of fish that inhabited this area, we clearly noticed that smaller fish were more abundant. In the other places that we had previously visited, we saw a variety of sizes and types of fish, but not here. At this site we saw only a couple of large fish, such as the gray/french angel fish and a nurse shark. The reason for this may be that some organisms cannot withstand the high energy that is present at this site. On the other hand, we did see a variety of corals. 

Scrawled Filefish - Photo taken by Dr. Voss

Trumpet fish swimming through corals and sponges - photo taken by Dr. Voss

French Angelfish swimming through soft coral present at this site - photo taken by Dr. Voss

Big Sponge (2) - Nicky Kemp

The third site on Tuesday, May 25th was Big Sponge (2), it was very diverse but contained a large portion of sponges. The habitat was a mixture of seagrass and sand patches, the water temperature was 79.2 degrees Fahrenheit. The area had low relief with a mild current, this allows for particles to flow throughout the water and benefits filter feeders. Fish species found at Big Sponge (2) included yellow stingray, scrawled cowfish, beau Gregory, hogfish, and white grunt. Species of coral found were Siderastrea radians, Manicina areolate, Porites astroides, and Cladocora arbuscula 

Nicky Kemp

Nurse Shark - Nicky Kemp

 

On Wednesday, May 26th, a nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) at Stag Party East. Nurse sharks are solitary bottom feeders that are primarily active at night. They are suction feeders with relatively small mouths that feed on small fish, stingrays, and invertebrates. Adult nurse sharks are a brownish color and can get as long as 10 feet. Nurse sharks are found along tropical and subtropical waters. They are typically found inshore around coral reefs, mangrove islands, and seagrass flats. Nurse sharks are ovoviviparous which means they have embryos develop inside eggs that remain in the mother until ready to be hatched. It takes females 18 months to produce a new batch of eggs. Their gestation period is around 6 months and has about 21 – 29 pups. Male nurse sharks reach sexual maturity around 10 – 15 years, while females reach sexual maturity around 15 – 20 years. The average lifespan is up to 25 years. The nurse shark that was seen at Stag Party East was swimming along the bottom of the coral reef and looked around 6 feet in length.  The conditions were sunny and partly cloudy, the water temperature was 79 degrees Fahrenheit. The depth was around 12 to 18 feet with visibility at 30 feet. The water was rough with swells around 2 – 3 rollers, high energy. 

Nicky Kemp

Yellowtail Damsel- Kayley McDowell

Yellowtail Damselfish- Microspathodon chrysurus

We saw the Yellowtail Damsel (Microspathodon chrysurus) at many of the sites we visited this week. I have pictures of these fish at Looe Key as well as Old sweat bank. Yellowtail damsels are located in subtropical marine reef associated areas with a depth rage of 1-65m. This fish can be found residing among the branches of yellow stinging coral, Millepora. The adults can be found in shallow waters of coral reefs near caves or holes to hide in. The maximum length of these species is around 21cm while the common length is roughly 15cm. Yellowtail Damsels feed on algae but also on polyps of fire coral, inverts, and the juveniles occasionally pick parasites from other species of fish.

Yellowtail Damsels are oviparous meaning they lay eggs to be hatched later on. The eggs are demersal and adhere to the substrate they are laid on.  The males usually guard and aerate the eggs until they are hatched. Juveniles are dark blue with scattered intensely iridescent blue spots with a clear or light-yellow tail fin. The adults are a grey-brown with scattered iridescent blue spots near the top of head and the tail fin is yellow. An advantage to this color change is camouflage against predators to match their surroundings better. This fish is listed as least concern for the IUCN red list status.

Sources:

https://biogeodb.stri.si.edu/caribbean/en/thefishes/species/3876

https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Microspathodon-chrysurus.html

https://reefguide.org/keys/yellowtaildamsel.html

https://www.antiguamarinelife.info/Yellowtail_Damselfish.html

https://rollingharbour.com/2017/10/23/bahamas-reef-fish-39-yellowtail-damselfish/

KML Site: Stag Party East (05/27) - Courtney Collins

 Stag Party East  

During this week at the Keys Marine Lab (KML) we visited 10 different sites. The goals of this week were to observe and identify different species of fish, coral, and marine plants as well as learn about the different habitats in this area. 

Photo taken by Dr. Voss

Photo taken by Dr. Voss

 

Photo taken by Dr. Voss

On Thursday morning we visited Stag Party East, a midchannel patch reef located north of KML in the Atlantic Ocean. It was partly cloudy with water temperature at 79°C and rougher seas than seen at other sites. Depth was 12-18ft with 30 ft of visibility making it easy to spot fish, coral, and plants. Due to the location and substrate composition soft coral was more prevent. Hard substrate was observed with patches of sand making it an ideal habitat for branching corals like Acropora cervicornis, soft corals, sea fans, and marine plants but not for boulder corals like Orbicella faveolate or Diploria labyrinthiformis. Stag Party East is unique because it was a restoration site for Acropora cervicornis. Fish diversity was higher than other sites visited but was not the site with the highest diversity seen.

KML Fish Species - Midnight Parrotfish - April Thomas

 

Midnight Parrotfish photo by Dr. Voss

The Midnight Parrotfish, Scarus coelestinus, has a bright blue face with dark blue and black scales. Sightings of this fish were at locations that were deeper and had larger reefs, like Cheeca Rock and Looe Key. The Midnight Parrotfish lives at depths between 3 and 76 meters and inhabit reefs. They can reach about two feet long and are the third-largest parrotfish in the Caribbean. Their diet is made up of algae and small organisms that live on rocks that they scrape off. Their eggs are fertilized externally and are pelagic until they sink to the bottom where they remain until they hatch. The Midnight Parrotfish is under least concern but it is presumed that they are decreasing in population due to a decrease in reef habitats. 

Sources: 

https://www.marinebio.org/species/midnight-parrotfishes/scarus-coelestinus/ 

https://mexican-fish.com/midnight-parrotfish/

April Thomas

5/29/2021

Spotted Eagle Ray: Courtney Collins

Spotted Eagle Ray Aetobatus narinari 

 

Background: 

Thursday May 22 while snorkeling Looe Key, a popular diving and snorkeling spot here in the Florida Keys, a Spotted Eagle Ray was sited. Spotted Eagle Rays got their common name because of how they flay through the water like an eagle fly’s through the sky.  

 

Feeding: 

Like other rays the spotted eagle rays diet consists of bivalves, shrimp, crabs, worms, whelks, and the occasional squid. The duck-like shape of their mouth and plate-like teeth allow them to stick their mouth in the sand to catch and crush benthic animals. 

 

Habitat: 

These rays are found in warmer subtropical waters near coral reefs or in bays. Although most sightings are between 0-80 meters spotted eagle rays have been seen at lower depths. Once believed to be found all around the world scientists are now questioning whether they are all the same species or if they are actually different species. 

 

Reproduction:

Male spotted eagle rays will chase the females nibbling at their dorsum, or dorsal surface, and bite their pectoral fin before attempting abdomen-to-abdomen copulation. This typically lasts for about 30-90 seconds. The spotted eagle ray is ovoviviparous meaning they have internal reproduction where eggs develop and hatch inside the mother’s body. Once the eggs have hatched it receives nutrients from the yolk sac. Only when the pups can survive on their own will the mother give birth, typically to 4 pups. 

 

Morphology: 

Although the Spotted Eagle Ray can commonly be mistaken for a Manta Ray at first glance due the similar body structure these rays are actually very different. Two of the most distinguishing characteristics is the structure of their mouth as well as their color morphology. The spotted eagle ray has a flat rounded duck-like mouth that allows them to collect food from the sand. The pearly white spots on their dark gray back help differentiate them from other rays. The Spotted Eagle Ray can grow to a max width of 3 m, length 5 m, and a max weight of 230 kg. 

 Photo from Wikipedia

Photo from Florida Museum of Natural History 

Conservation:  

Near threatened on IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Bycatch 

Sources: 

https://oceana.org/marine-life/sharks-rays/spotted-eagle-ray

https://www.marinebio.org/species/spotted-eagle-rays/aetobatus-narinari/

https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/aetobatus-narinari/

KML species - Spiny Lobster - Alex F

 

Spiny Lobster

Panulirus argus

       The Caribbean spiny lobster is a common crustacean found in the Florida Keys. They are an important bottom feeder and remover of detritus in the waters of the South Atlantic. The large lobster serves as an crucial animal in the middle of the food chain and a recognizable icon for the Florida Keys as a whole.

    Spiny lobsters are actually a genus of 60 species with diverse morphologies, but in our field exercises in the keys we saw the Panulirus argus. The Caribbean spiny lobster grows to an average length of 20 cm with reddish-brown and cream colored patterns on their thorax and abdomen respectively. They are also distinct from other lobsters by their lack of any prominent claws on their anterior legs. As well the spiny lobster sports two pairs of antennae with the second pair being half of their total body length. These antennae were often the first sign of a spiny lobster in the field as they like to find hiding locations in the daytime.

    Spiny lobsters were especially common in our field activities because they favor locations that offer cover such as mangroves and reefs. These lobsters are more active at night and seek safe locations to hide between nights on the benthos. At Old Sweat Bank, dozens of spiny lobsters could be seen bunkering in the soft sediment in relatively shallow water. They generally stay at these shallower ranges except for the vertical migration of females for spawning. 

    The species are opportunistic feeders who sometimes eat mollusks like the gastropods we saw at the same locations, but often eat detritus and scavenge carcasses. In the Keys, spiny lobsters experience predation from nurse sharks, and larger groupers and snappers. Spiny lobster are a good representation of the food chain in the Keys as we saw many examples of their prey and their predators at every location we visited in our time in the Keys.

    It cannot be stressed enough how important the spiny lobster is for the Keys fisheries. P. argus is easily the most commercially harvested and eaten of its taxa in the U.S. and is only comparable to the shrimp fisheries in terms of value here in the Keys. I ate spiny lobster on Sunday when we first arrived and I definitely understand the attraction. It is no wonder why the spiny lobster is one of the most iconic animals in the Florida Keys among a gallery of other appealing sea life. The spiny lobster is serving the needs of the Florida Keys above and below water. 

KML Site - Cheeca Rock - April Thomas

 

The Cheeca Rock site location had a lot of fish diversity compared to the locations done prior. Compared to the other sites, this one was deeper so allowed for more coral formations as opposed to mostly seagrasses in shallower locations. This led to an increased variety in fish, corals, and invertebrates that have more room to take up for habitation. Visibility and wave conditions weren't rough and were perfect for seeing the reef,  Fish species found at Cheeca Rock included different species of parrotfish, angelfish, barracudas, and a nurse shark. 

April Thomas

Stoplight parrotfish - Jess Marquis

Stoplight parrotfish (Sparisoma viride)

Description: Males are a light blue and pink with yellow and red markings on its tail, similar to a stoplight. Females have red bellies and tails, and the body has while and grey scales lined with black.

Sightings: We saw the Stoplight parrotfish at most of the sites we went to.  But at Looe Key, there were lots of them that we were able to get close to them! Both male and females were spotted at this site. They were seen swimming and grazing on the algae on the rocks.

Habitat: They live in shallow waters (3-50 meters) in coral reefs, they are a diurnal species.

Feeding: These fish graze off of algae on rocks and live corals. Through the use of their strong beak they also make sediment when they chip off rock with the algae.

Predation: Carnivorous fish eat Stoplight Parrotfish such as snappers and moray eels.

Reproduction: They mate all year round, but when there is in imbalance in genders, they have the ability to change genders in order to keep the population up

Conservation: These fish play a minor roll in fisheries and aquariums and are rated least concerned in the ICUN Red List. Although they aren’t in immediate danger it is important to conserve all life

https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/sparisoma-viride/

https://www.fishbase.de/summary/Sparisoma-viride.html .

Two female Stoplight parrotfish. Photo courtesy of Dr. Voss

 

The Scrawled Cowfish

   The scrawled cowfish, Acanthostracion quadricornis, inhabits tropical waters in the Caribbean and off the west coast of Africa. This species sports a unique morphology as tough bony plates make a pseudo-carapace that aids against predation.  A. quadricornis has distinctive appendages above its bulbous eyes and vibrant blue horizontal coloration across its snout and body. A single spine adorns both the dorsal and ventral ends of the body. An elongated caudal peduncle makes A. quadricornis appear stout, adding to the myriad of physical quirks that make it easily identifiable. Additionally, this species has a base color that is typically a beige to yellow color, allowing for camouflage amongst sandy sediment. The average adult reaches approximately 20 cm in total length as A. quadricornis becomes sexually mature at least 19 cm in total length. The small pouty mouth of A. quadricornis holds fewer than 30 teeth in total. This species preys on a multitude of invertebrates including cnidarians, crustaceans, and marine foliage. Spawning takes place biyearly, once in the winter months and then again in the late summer. The juveniles produced spend their early lives in pelagic waters. Adults inhabit beds of seagrasses in relatively shallow water. Despite being commonly consumed by humans (following vigilant preparation), this species does not face any threats to its overall population.  

   Throughout our week with the Keys Marine Lab, we had two separate sightings of A. quadricornis. The initial sighting took place at Stag Party East while the following sighting occurred in the tide pools of Bahia Honda State Park. Each habitat could be characterized by shallow waters, exposed sandy substrate, and the presence of seagrasses.  

    The sightings of A. quadricornis were an exciting experience as I had never known about the species prior to this week. Its presence in the Florida Reef Tract is a testament to the immense biodiversity within this ecosystem and the unique creatures that inhabit it. With all the peculiar defining characteristics of A. quadricornis, it's difficult not to appreciate its docile and aloof temperament. 

A. quadricornis found in Stag Party East. Photo courtesy of Dr. Joshua Voss

Best Fishes, 

Sydney Brown 

Works Cited

Bester, Cathleen. “DISCOVER FISHES Acanthostracion Quadricornis.” Florida Museum, University of Florida, www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/acanthostracion-quadricornis. Accessed 27 May 2021.

Lexy Gabos - The Yellow Stingray

 Yellow Stingray - Urobatis jamaicensis

Background: We saw the yellow stingray at Big Sponge (2) this week. The yellow stingray is a batoid in the order Myliobatiformes (stingrays) and family Urotrygonidae (American round stingrays) found most commonly around tropical marine reef habitats up to about 25 meters deep. They can grow up to about 76cm in length, and are often found nestled within or along sandy sediment. 

Coloration: The body shape of a yellow stingray is mostly round with no sharp edges. Similar to all stingrays, they lack a dorsal fin and have a fairly well-developed caudal fin with a double-serrated spine. Their body is usually dark yellow with dark spots or blotches on the surface and tail, and the ventral surface can range in color anywhere from yellow or green to brown or white. 

Feeding: Their most common prey include fishes, shrimp, worms, clams, and other small invertebrates. As a feeding mechanism, yellow stingrays are known to lift the front end of their disc to attract smaller prey seeking shelter. Their coloration also helps them camouflage within the sand to ambush passing prey. They have a venomous spine which can be used to inflict venom as a line of defense. 

Reproduction: Like all stingrays, the yellow stingray is viviparous which means it gives birth to live young; a typical litter will have three or four pups. They become sexually mature at around three years of age and their life expectancy is about eight years.

Conservation: This species is not usually a targeted fishing species, but most commonly ends up getting caught as by-catch from larger fishing vessels. Their populations are threatened by habitat loss and prey reduction, although they are currently listed as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List.

Sources:

https://www.fishbase.de/summary/2581

https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/urobatis-jamaicensis/

Lexy Gabos

05/28/2021

Zane Grey Site - Jess Marquis

 

               On our first day we went to Zane Grey, which is on the Atlantic side of the Keys. We were lucky and arrived when the tide was extremely low, and we were able to see more of the mangrove roots but unfortunately there was a strong current that made navigating some areas difficult. Where the roots were underwater there was fish and sponges! This area had a unique water color, it was tea colored due to the tannins in the water. Although this area had a large amount of seagrasses, there was some corals present, which could have been due to the mixed substrate, some sections were sandy while others had more rocky. The seagrasses were seen in the softer substrate areas, while the corals were seen in the rocky areas. The location had medium relief, by the mangroves, the water was relatively shallow, but a fair bit deeper where the current was strongest. In these areas where it went from deep to shallow there was a large number of fish, such as Parrotfish and Sargent Majors, unfortunately I didn’t get any pictures of them, but I did manage to take pictures of some tunicates on the mangrove roots and a spiny lobster under a rock!