A review on systematic and taxonomic of the Persian Gulf fish species, based on geographical distribution pattern and habitat diversity, using by GIS

During the period from 2011 - 2015 with the aim of this study was to systematically review and in particular the revised classification of the Persian Gulf (and the Strait of Hormuz) and to obtain new information about the final confirmed list of fish species of Iranian waters of the Persian Gulf (and Hormuz Strait), samples of museums, surveys and sampling, and comparative study of all available sources and documentation was done. Classification systematic of sharks and batoids and bony fishes. Based on the results, the final list of approved fish of the Persian Gulf (including the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman border region) are 907 species in 157 families, of which 93 species of fish with 28 cartilaginous families (including 18 families with 60 species and 10 families with 34 species of shark and batoids); and 129 families with 814 species of bony fishes are. The presence of 11 new family with only one representative species in the area include Veliferidae, Zeidae, Sebastidae, Stomiidae, Dalatiidae, Zanclidae, Pempheridae, Lophiidae Kuhliidae, Etmoptridae and Chlorophthalmidae also recently introduced and approved. The two families based Creediidae Clinidae and their larvae samples for newly identified area. 62 families with mono-species and 25 families with more than 10 species are present including Gobiidae (53), Carangide (48), Labride (41), Blenniidae (34), Apogonidae (32) and Lutjanidae (31) of bony fishes, Carcharhinidae (26) of sharks and Dasyatidae (12) in terms of number of species of batoids most families to have their data partitioning. Also, 13 species as well as endemic species introduced the Persian Gulf and have been approved in terms of geographical expansion of the Persian Gulf are unique to the area.Two species of the family Poeciliidae and Cyprinodontidae have species of fresh water to the brackish coastal habitats have found a way;in addition to 11 types of families Carcharhinidae, Clupeidae, Chanidae, Gobidae, Mugilidae, Sparidae also as a species, with a focus on freshwater river basins in the south of the country have been found. In this study, it was found that out of 907 species have been reported from the study area, 294 species (32.4 %) to benthic habitats (Benthic habitats) and 613 species (67.6 %) in pelagic habitats (Pelagic habitats) belong. Coral reefs and rocky habitats in the range of benthic fish (129 species - 14.3 %) and reef associated fishes in the range of pelagic fishes (432 species – 47.8 %), the highest number and percentage of habitat diversity (Species habitats) have been allocated. As well as fish habitats with sea grass and algae beds in benthic habitat (17 species- 1.9 %) and pelagic - Oceanic (Open sea) in the whole pelagic fish (30 species – 3.3 %), the lowest number and percentage of habitat diversity into account. From the perspective of animal geography (Zoogeography) and habitat overlaps and similarities (Habitat overlapping) fish fauna of the Persian Gulf compared with other similar seas (tropical and subtropical, and warm temperate) in the Indian Ocean area - calm on the surface, based on the presence of certain species that the fish fauna of the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea and the Bay of Bengal (East Arabian Sea) compared to other regions in the Indian Ocean (Pacific) is closer (about 50%), and the Mediterranean (East area) and The Hawaiian Islands have the lowest overlap and similarity of habitat and species (about 10%).

The Annual Economic Survey of Federal Gulf Shrimp Permit Holders: Report on the Design, Implementation, and Descriptive Results for 2006

This technical memorandum documents the design, implementation, data preparation, and descriptive results for the 2006 Annual Economic Survey of Federal Gulf Shrimp Permit Holders. The data collection was designed by the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Fisheries Science Center Social Science Research Group to track the financial and economic status and performance by vessels holding a federal moratorium permit for harvesting shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico. A two page, self-administered mail survey collected total annual costs broken out into seven categories and auxiliary economic data. In May 2007, 580 vessels were randomly selected, stratified by state, from a preliminary population of 1,709 vessels with federal permits to shrimp in offshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The survey was implemented during the rest of 2007. After many reminder and verification phone calls, 509 surveys were deemed complete, for an ineligibility-adjusted response rate of 90.7%. The linking of each individual vessel’s cost data to its revenue data from a different data collection was imperfect, and hence the final number of observations used in the analyses is 484. Based on various measures and tests of validity throughout the technical memorandum, the quality of the data is high. The results are presented in a standardized table format, linking vessel characteristics and operations to simple balance sheet, cash flow, and income statements. In the text, results are discussed for the total fleet, the Gulf shrimp fleet, the active Gulf shrimp fleet, and the inactive Gulf shrimp fleet. Additional results for shrimp vessels grouped by state, by vessel characteristics, by landings volume, and by ownership structure are available in the appendices. The general conclusion of this report is that the financial and economic situation is bleak for the average vessels in most of the categories that were evaluated. With few exceptions, cash flow for the average vessel is positive while the net revenue from operations and the “profit” are negative. With negative net revenue from operations, the economic return for average shrimp vessels is less than zero. Only with the help of government payments does the average owner just about break even. In the short-term, this will discourage any new investments in the industry. The financial situation in 2006, especially if it endures over multiple years, also is economically unsustainable for the average established business. Vessels in the active and inactive Gulf shrimp fleet are, on average, 69 feet long, weigh 105 gross tons, are powered by 505 hp motor(s), and are 23 years old. Three-quarters of the vessels have steel hulls and 59% use a freezer for refrigeration. The average market value of these vessels was $175,149 in 2006, about a hundred-thousand dollars less than the average original purchase price. The outstanding loans averaged $91,955, leading to an average owner equity of $83,194. Based on the sample, 85% of the federally permitted Gulf shrimp fleet was actively shrimping in 2006. Of these 386 active Gulf shrimp vessels, just under half (46%) were owner-operated. On average, these vessels burned 52,931 gallons of fuel, landed 101,268 pounds of shrimp, and received $2.47 per pound of shrimp. Non-shrimp landings added less than 1% to cash flow, indicating that the federal Gulf shrimp fishery is very specialized. The average total cash outflow was $243,415 of which $108,775 was due to fuel expenses alone. The expenses for hired crew and captains were on average $54,866 which indicates the importance of the industry as a source of wage income. The resulting average net cash flow is $16,225 but has a large standard deviation. For the population of active Gulf shrimp vessels we can state with 95% certainty that the average net cash flow was between $9,500 and $23,000 in 2006. The median net cash flow was $11,843. Based on the income statement for active Gulf shrimp vessels, the average fixed costs accounted for just under a quarter of operating expenses (23.1%), labor costs for just over a quarter (25.3%), and the non-labor variable costs for just over half (51.6%). The fuel costs alone accounted for 42.9% of total operating expenses in 2006. It should be noted that the labor cost category in the income statement includes both the actual cash payments to hired labor and an estimate of the opportunity cost of owner-operators’ time spent as captain. The average labor contribution (as captain) of an owner-operator is estimated at about $19,800. The average net revenue from operations is negative $7,429, and is statistically different and less than zero in spite of a large standard deviation. The economic return to Gulf shrimping is negative 4%. Including non-operating activities, foremost an average government payment of $13,662, leads to an average loss before taxes of $907 for the vessel owners. The confidence interval of this value straddles zero, so we cannot reject, with 95% certainty, that the population average is zero. The average inactive Gulf shrimp vessel is generally of a smaller scale than the average active vessel. Inactive vessels are physically smaller, are valued much lower, and are less dependent on loans. Fixed costs account for nearly three quarters of the total operating expenses of $11,926, and only 6% of these vessels have hull insurance. With an average net cash flow of negative $7,537, the inactive Gulf shrimp fleet has a major liquidity problem. On average, net revenue from operations is negative $11,396, which amounts to a negative 15% economic return, and owners lose $9,381 on their vessels before taxes. To sustain such losses and especially to survive the negative cash flow, many of the owners must be subsidizing their shrimp vessels with the help of other income or wealth sources or are drawing down their equity. Active Gulf shrimp vessels in all states but Texas exhibited negative returns. The Alabama and Mississippi fleets have the highest assets (vessel values), on average, yet they generate zero cash flow and negative $32,224 net revenue from operations. Due to their high (loan) leverage ratio the negative 11% economic return is amplified into a negative 21% return on equity. In contrast, for Texas vessels, which actually have the highest leverage ratio among the states, a 1% economic return is amplified into a 13% return on equity. From a financial perspective, the average Florida and Louisiana vessels conform roughly to the overall average of the active Gulf shrimp fleet. It should be noted that these results are averages and hence hide the variation that clearly exists within all fleets and all categories. Although the financial situation for the average vessel is bleak, some vessels are profitable. (PDF contains 101 pages)

The hydrology of a small fish pond at the University of Agriculture, Makurdi Experimental Fish Farm

The monthly and seasonal water requirements of a small fish pond (0.068ha; maximum capacity of 613.83m super(3)) at the University of Agriculture, Makurdi Fish Farm (Benue, Nigeria) were determined during the period of February to August 1996. The sources of water for the pond were rainfall, (103.4cm), run-off (6.3cm) and regulated inflow (95.0cm). The water loss for the period were Evapotranspiration, (106.74cm), Seepage (71.64cm) and regulated discharge (25.00cm). Evapotranspiration was identified as the main source of water loss while rainfall was the major source of water gain. The mean monthly water deficit was 24.56~c11.43cm while the mean monthly surplus was 9.84~c8.05cm. The quantity of water required to maintain the optimal water level in the pond was 474.00m super(3). Preliminary water budget of the study area showed that rainfed aquaculture can be effectively carried out at Makurdi during the months of June to October with supplementary inflows during the dry season months

Geographical differences in the feeding patterns of red rockfish (Sebastes capensis) along South American coasts

Feeding habits and feeding strategy of red rockfish (Sebastes capensis) were studied from fish captured along most of the range of this species in coastal waters of South America. Stomach contents of 613 individuals, collected during 2003, were analyzed. Fish were obtained from six locations along the Chilean (23°S to 46°S) and Argentinian (43°S) coasts. The main prey items were Mysidacea (75.06% IRI), Osteichthyes (6.29% IRI),and Rhynchocinetes typus (6.03% IRI). Predator sex and size did not significantly affect the diet, but significant differences were found between locations. Four geographical areas, discriminated by prey occurrence and frequencies, were determined: three on the Pacific coast and one on the Atlantic coast. These areas correspond roughly with biogeographic zones described for the Chilean and southern Argentinian coasts. The feeding strategy index (FSI) indicated a specialized feeding strategy for S. capensis for most of its range. However, the FSI does not include the behaviour of a predator, and the FSI must be interpreted carefully for fishes like S. capensis that are passive ambush feeders. The abundance and availability of different prey may explain both the geographic differences in dietary composition and the specialized feeding strategy of S. capensis.

Restormel Fish Counter Annual Report 1999

This is the Restormel Fish Counter, Annual Report 1999 produced by the Environment Agency South West Region on March 2000. The report presents the daily upstream counts of migratory salmonids recorded at Restormel Weir counting station (SX 107 613) River Fowey in 1999. The counter data covers the period of the commercial migratory salmonid net buy-back scheme, which was in operation between March and June 1999. The fish counter is a resistivity based system (Logie 2100 A - Aquantic limited) and operates over all three channels of the weir at Restormel. The minimum salmon count estimate was 497, and the 1999 upstream count for sea trout was 6590. The run pattern observed for salmon and sea trout in 1999 was generally consistent with that of previous years. Flows on average were half those of 1998 during September, October, and November.

Restormel Annual Report 2001

This is the Restormel Fish Counter, Annual Report 2001 produced by the Environment Agency South West Region on March 2002. The report presents the daily upstream counts of migratory salmonids on the River Fowey at Restormel Weir fish counting station (SX 107 613) in 2001. The counter data covers the period of the commercial salmonid net buy back scheme and the national spring salmon byelaws. These reduce the commercial netting season for salmon and sea trout to between 16 June and 31 August. The fish counter at Restormel is installed on a crump sectioned weir on the River Fowey. The fish counter is a resistivity based system and operates over all three channels of the weir. 2001 was a good year for large sea trout. The number of returning large sea trout was above average in April, May, June and July and equal to or higher than the previous recorded maximum in those months. The main run of small sea trout occurred at a similar time to previous years with the highest numbers of fish entering the Fowey during June and July.

Restormel Fish Counter Annual Report 2002

This is the Restormel Fish Counter, Annual Report 2002 produced by the Environment Agency South West Region on March 2003. The report presents the daily upstream counts of migratory salmonids recorded on the River Fowey at Restormel Weir fish counting station (SX 107 613) in 2002. Data contained within this report covers the period of the commercial migratory salmonid net buy-back scheme and the National Spring Salmon Bylaws. The fish counter at Restormel is a resistivity based system (Logie 2100A - Aquantic limited) and is installed on the weir at Restormel approximately 2 km upstream of the tidal limit. The run pattern observed for salmon and sea trout in 2002 was generally consistent with that of previous years. The upstream salmon / large sea trout count for 2002 was 1804.

Restormel Fish Counter Annual Report 2003

This is the Restormel Fish Counter, Annual Report 2003 produced by the Environment Agency South West Region on March 2004. The report presents the daily upstream counts of migratory salmonids recorded on the River Fowey at Restormel weir fish counting station (SX 107 613) in 2003. Data contained within this report covers the period of the commercial migratory salmonid net buy-back scheme and the National Spring Salmon Bylaws. The run pattern observed for salmon and sea trout in 2003 was generally consistent with that of previous years. The upstream salmon / large sea trout count for 2003 was 1777, 2% lower than that recorded in 2002. The overall increase in the salmon and sea trout counts, together with the consistency of the numbers over recent years suggests that measures designed to protect salmonid stocks were working.

Restormel Fish Counter Annual Report 2005

This is the Restormel Fish Counter, Annual Report 2005 produced by the Environment Agency South West Region on March 2006. The report presents the upstream counts of migratory salmonids recorded on the River Fowey at Restormel weir fish counting station (SX 107 613) over the period March 2005 to February 2006 inclusive. Data contained within this report covers the period of the commercial migratory salmonid net buy-back scheme and the National Spring Salmon Byelaws (from 2 March to 15 June Inclusive). The minimum upstream salmon estimate for 2005 was 1046, this is the second highest count recorded over the past 11 years. The total sea trout count (10448) was 8% higher than 2004 (9608). This overall increase in the salmon and sea trout counts, together with the consistency of the numbers of fish returning over recent years suggests that measures designed to protect salmonid stocks in the River Fowey are working.

Restormel Fish Counter Annual Report 2006

This is the Restormel Fish Counter, Annual Report 2006 produced by the Environment Agency South West Region on March 2007. The report presents the upstream counts of migratory salmonids recorded on the River Fowey at Restormel weir fish counting station (SX 107 613) over the period March 2006 to February 2007 inclusive. Data contained within this report covers the period of the commercial migratory salmonid net buy-back scheme and the National Spring Salmon Byelaws (2 March- 15 June inclusive). The minimum upstream salmon estimate for 2005 (1046), over the period July 2005 to February 2006, was 20% lower than that recorded over the same period in 2004 (1301). However, this is the second highest count recorded over the past 11 years. The total sea trout count (10448) was 8% higher than 2004 (9608). The number of salmon and large sea trout was lower than average in 2005. However, the overall numbers of adult salmon and sea trout returning have been increasing year on year since 1997. This overall increase in the salmon and sea trout counts, together with the consistency of the numbers of fish returning over recent years suggests that measures designed to protect salmonid stocks in the River Fowey are working.

Restormel Fish Counter Annual Report 2007

This is the Restormel Fish Counter, Annual Report 2007 produced by the Environment Agency South West Region on March 2008. The report presents the upstream counts of migratory salmonids recorded on the River Fowey at Restormel Weir fish counting station (SX 107 613) over the period March 2007 to February 2008 inclusive. Data contained within this report covers the period of the commercial migratory salmonid net buy-back scheme and the National Spring Salmon Byelaws (2 March- 15 June). The minimum upstream salmon estimate for 2007, over the period July 2007 to February 2008, was 796, which is the fifth highest recorded count over the past 13 years. The number of returning salmon in 2007 suggests a downward trend in numbers since 2004. The 2007 large sea trout count is similar to 2006. Overall, the number of fish returning is still low in comparison with the 10-year average. There was a noticeable decrease in the number of small sea trout returning compared to 2006 and the 10-year average. The Fish counter at Restormel suffered several faults.

Restormel Fish Counter Annual Report 2008

This is the Restormel Fish Counter, Annual Report 2008 produced by the Environment Agency South West Region on April 2009. The report presents the upstream counts of migratory salmonids recorded on the River Fowey at Restormel Weir fish counting station (SX 107 613) over the period March 2008 to February 2009 inclusive. Data contained within this report covers the period of the commercial migratory salmonid net buy-back scheme and the National Spring Salmon Byelaws. The minimum upstream salmon estimate for 2008, over the period July 2008 to February 2009, was 938 and is the third highest recorded count over the past 14 years. The 2008 large sea trout count (482) shows a marked improvement in the number of returning fish when compared to 2007 (241). There was a significant decrease in the number of small sea trout returning in 2008 when compared to 2007 and the 10-year average.

Restormel Fish Counter Annual Report 2008

This is the Restormel Fish Counter, Annual Report 2008 produced by the Environment Agency South West Region on April 2009. The report presents the upstream counts of migratory salmonids recorded on the River Fowey at Restormel Weir fish counting station (SX 107 613) over the period March 2008 to February 2009 inclusive. Data contained within this report covers the period of the commercial migratory salmonid net buy-back scheme and the National Spring Salmon Byelaws. The minimum upstream salmon estimate for 2008, over the period July 2008 to February 2009, was 938, which is the third highest recorded count over the past 14 years. The 2008 large sea trout count (482) shows a marked improvement in the number of returning fish when compared to 2007 (241). There was a significant decrease in the number of small sea trout returning in 2008 when compared to 2007 and the 10-year average. The fish counter suffered several faults equated to 12.5 days during this period.

Restormel Fish Counter Annual Report 2010

This is the Restormel Fish Counter, Annual Report 2010 produced by the Environment Agency South West Region on June 2011. The report presents the upstream counts of migratory salmonids recorded on the River Fowey at Restormel Weir fish counting station (SX 107 613) over the period March 2010 to February 2011 inclusive. Data contained within this report covers the period of the commercial migratory salmonid net buy-back scheme and the National Spring Salmon Byelaws. The minimum upstream salmon estimate for 2010, over the period July 2010 to February 2010, was 1220. The fish counter at Restormel suffered from only one major period of unscheduled downtime during 2010/2011. This was due to a counter fault over the period 21 to 30 August 2010 and equated to 10 days of downtime.

Restormel Fish Counter Annual Report 2011

This is the Restormel Fish Counter, Annual Report 2011 produced by the Environment Agency, Environmental Monitoring Team on May 2012. The report presents the upstream counts of migratory salmonids recorded on the River Fowey at Restormel Weir fish counting station (SX 107 613) over the period March 2011 to February 2012 inclusive. The minimum upstream salmon estimate for 2011, over the period July 2011 to February 2012, was 675. The minimum upstream sea trout estimate for 2011 was 10,022, which is the fifth highest count recorded in the last 17 years. The fish counter at Restormel had six periods of downtime due to counter faults which equated to 19 days of downtime overall. Fish counts were estimated for downtime caused by counter faults but not for weir cleaning due to the small numbers of fish involved.