E. Fishes Associated with Deep Sea Habitats in Puerto Rico and the U. S.
Virgin Islands
Taxonomic characterizations of fish communities from deep habitats in Puerto Rico and
the U. S. Virgin Islands started during the late 19
th century and are probably still
incomplete due to the extreme sampling difficulties imposed by depth, visibility, and the
high rugosity and abrupt insular slope around these islands. The study effort on deep
sea communities continues at present with the aid of advanced photographic technology
aboard automated and manned submersibles (Singh et al., 2004; Armstrong et al., in
press), as well as with the utilization of mixed gases for deep water diving (Pyle, 2000).
Deep waters of the Caribbean Sea offer favorable life conditions for ichthyofaunal
communities. Water masses below 1,500 meters are well supplied with oxygen, have a
relatively high temperature (4 - 5 ° C) and salinities between 34 – 35 su (Svedrup et al.,
1942). Although geographically separated from the Western Atlantic by chains of
islands and submarine ridges, the Caribbean is physically connected to the Atlantic
Ocean by island passages up to 1,600 meters deep. Such deep water pathways allow
for an effective Caribbean - Atlantic connectivity of adult and larval deep sea fishes.
1. Early Collections and Records
The first collections of deep sea fishes from the Caribbean Sea were obtained by the
Steamer Blake during its second dredging season of 1878-79, when more than 20
stations within the Lesser Antilles were sampled (Agassiz, 1888). The “Fish Hawk”
expedition produced the first fish records for deep waters around Puerto Rico from
dredge samplings at 50 stations, of which 17 were deeper than 30 m (Bowers, 1900).
During the early 20
th century (1920-1930’s), additional collections were procured by the
R/V Dana, R/V Pawnee and the R/V Atlantis in the Western Atlantic, with most of the
collection effort concentrated on the Gulf of Mexico and the Straits of Florida (Rass,
1971). The west, north and east coast of Puerto Rico were sampled by the Yatch
“Caroline” during 1933, as part of a joint venture between Mr. Eldridge Johnson and the
Smithsonian Natural History Museum to sample the “Puerto Rican Deep” (Bartch, 1933).
This initiative involved sampling the deep waters of the insular slope, and the deep
79
Virgin Islands
Taxonomic characterizations of fish communities from deep habitats in Puerto Rico and
the U. S. Virgin Islands started during the late 19
th century and are probably still
incomplete due to the extreme sampling difficulties imposed by depth, visibility, and the
high rugosity and abrupt insular slope around these islands. The study effort on deep
sea communities continues at present with the aid of advanced photographic technology
aboard automated and manned submersibles (Singh et al., 2004; Armstrong et al., in
press), as well as with the utilization of mixed gases for deep water diving (Pyle, 2000).
Deep waters of the Caribbean Sea offer favorable life conditions for ichthyofaunal
communities. Water masses below 1,500 meters are well supplied with oxygen, have a
relatively high temperature (4 - 5 ° C) and salinities between 34 – 35 su (Svedrup et al.,
1942). Although geographically separated from the Western Atlantic by chains of
islands and submarine ridges, the Caribbean is physically connected to the Atlantic
Ocean by island passages up to 1,600 meters deep. Such deep water pathways allow
for an effective Caribbean - Atlantic connectivity of adult and larval deep sea fishes.
1. Early Collections and Records
The first collections of deep sea fishes from the Caribbean Sea were obtained by the
Steamer Blake during its second dredging season of 1878-79, when more than 20
stations within the Lesser Antilles were sampled (Agassiz, 1888). The “Fish Hawk”
expedition produced the first fish records for deep waters around Puerto Rico from
dredge samplings at 50 stations, of which 17 were deeper than 30 m (Bowers, 1900).
During the early 20
th century (1920-1930’s), additional collections were procured by the
R/V Dana, R/V Pawnee and the R/V Atlantis in the Western Atlantic, with most of the
collection effort concentrated on the Gulf of Mexico and the Straits of Florida (Rass,
1971). The west, north and east coast of Puerto Rico were sampled by the Yatch
“Caroline” during 1933, as part of a joint venture between Mr. Eldridge Johnson and the
Smithsonian Natural History Museum to sample the “Puerto Rican Deep” (Bartch, 1933).
This initiative involved sampling the deep waters of the insular slope, and the deep
79