Table 21. List of the most specious fish families collected from deep water habitats (> 30 m)
in Puerto Rico and the USVI (from Grana, 2005 a)
Depth (meters)
Fish Families Common Name
#
Species 30 - 100 100 - 500 501 - 1000
> 1,000
Serranidae
Groupers/Sea Basses
52
24
25
3
Stomidae
Dragonfishes
51
2
4
15
30
Myctophidae
Lanternfishes
49
0
3
42
4
Carangidae
Jacks
25
14
10
1
Ophidiidae
Cusk Eels
20
3
3
6
8
Lutjanidae
Snappers
17
3
13
1
Haemulidae
Grunts
17
17
Apogonidae
Cardinalfishes
17
15
2
Gobiidae
Gobies
16
15
1
Muraenidae
Moray Eels
16
8
8
Sciaenidae
Croakers
15
14
1
Carcharhinidae
Requiem Sharks
15
5
9
1
0
Scorpaenidae
Scorpionfishes
14
7
6
1
Paralichthydae
Largetooth Flounders
13
5
7
1
Ophichthidae
Snake Eels
13
9
3
1
Congridae
Conger Eels
13
4
5
4
Macrouridae
Grenadiers
13
0
2
6
5
Labridae
Wrasses
13
9
4
Paralepididae
Barracudinas
12
0
0
1
11
Ogcocephalidae Batfishes
11
1
6
3
1
2. Deep-sea Larval Fish Studies
Ramirez-Mella and García-Sais (2003) reported on the taxonomic composition, spatial
distribution and abundance of coral reef and oceanic-type fish larvae across a neritic
oceanic gradient off from the reefs of La Parguera, southwest coast of Puerto Rico. Fish
larvae were collected using a Tucker Trawl with 308 um mesh nets. Samplings were
obtained from the surface mixed layer of the water column, encompassing depths
between the surface and 60 meters. Although some penetration of Myctophidae,
Scombridae, Gonostomatidae, Photichthyidae and Coryphaenidae larvae into neritic
shelf zones was detected, the abundance and taxonomic richness of oceanic-type fish
larvae increased sharply at the shelf-edge and beyond (Table 22). Myctophidae was the
numerically dominant oceanic-type fish larvae collected throughout the neritic-oceanic
gradient as far as 46 kilometers offshore. Other commonly occurring fish families of
larval fishes off the insular shelf from La Parguera included Nomeidae,
Bregmacerotidae, Paralepididae, Melanostomidae and others (Ramirez-Mella and
García-Sais, 2003).
84
in Puerto Rico and the USVI (from Grana, 2005 a)
Depth (meters)
Fish Families Common Name
#
Species 30 - 100 100 - 500 501 - 1000
> 1,000
Serranidae
Groupers/Sea Basses
52
24
25
3
Stomidae
Dragonfishes
51
2
4
15
30
Myctophidae
Lanternfishes
49
0
3
42
4
Carangidae
Jacks
25
14
10
1
Ophidiidae
Cusk Eels
20
3
3
6
8
Lutjanidae
Snappers
17
3
13
1
Haemulidae
Grunts
17
17
Apogonidae
Cardinalfishes
17
15
2
Gobiidae
Gobies
16
15
1
Muraenidae
Moray Eels
16
8
8
Sciaenidae
Croakers
15
14
1
Carcharhinidae
Requiem Sharks
15
5
9
1
0
Scorpaenidae
Scorpionfishes
14
7
6
1
Paralichthydae
Largetooth Flounders
13
5
7
1
Ophichthidae
Snake Eels
13
9
3
1
Congridae
Conger Eels
13
4
5
4
Macrouridae
Grenadiers
13
0
2
6
5
Labridae
Wrasses
13
9
4
Paralepididae
Barracudinas
12
0
0
1
11
Ogcocephalidae Batfishes
11
1
6
3
1
2. Deep-sea Larval Fish Studies
Ramirez-Mella and García-Sais (2003) reported on the taxonomic composition, spatial
distribution and abundance of coral reef and oceanic-type fish larvae across a neritic
oceanic gradient off from the reefs of La Parguera, southwest coast of Puerto Rico. Fish
larvae were collected using a Tucker Trawl with 308 um mesh nets. Samplings were
obtained from the surface mixed layer of the water column, encompassing depths
between the surface and 60 meters. Although some penetration of Myctophidae,
Scombridae, Gonostomatidae, Photichthyidae and Coryphaenidae larvae into neritic
shelf zones was detected, the abundance and taxonomic richness of oceanic-type fish
larvae increased sharply at the shelf-edge and beyond (Table 22). Myctophidae was the
numerically dominant oceanic-type fish larvae collected throughout the neritic-oceanic
gradient as far as 46 kilometers offshore. Other commonly occurring fish families of
larval fishes off the insular shelf from La Parguera included Nomeidae,
Bregmacerotidae, Paralepididae, Melanostomidae and others (Ramirez-Mella and
García-Sais, 2003).
84