Historical evidence of abrupt coastal climatic change in Southern California, 1790-1880

Historical sources of the late-18th and 19th centuries were searched for information on coastal weather conditions in Southern California. Relatively calm winters until 1828 were followed by unusually stormy winters from about 1829 to 1839. Later periods were again predominantly calm, with notable exceptions related to the ENSO events of 1845 and 1878. Following decreases through the stormy 1830s, sizes of kelp forests appear to have rebounded in the 1840s. ENSO occurrences and eruption of the volcano Cosiguina in 1835 are likely causes for changing wind patterns. Our results link the unique AD 1840 Macoma leptonoidea pelecypod shell layer in laminated Santa Barbara Basin sediment ("Macoma event") to abruptly changing oceanographic and weather patterns.

Development of kelp rockfish, Sebastes atrovirens (Jordan and Gilbert 1880), and brown rockfish, S. auriculatus (Girard 1854), from birth to pelagic juvenile stage, with notes on early larval development of black-and-yellow rockfish, S. chrysomelas (Jordan and Gilbert 1880), reared in the laboratory (Pisces: Sebastidae).

Larval kelp (Sebastes atrovirens), brown (S. auriculatus), and blackand-yellow (S. chrysomelas) rockfish were reared from known adults, to preflexion stage, nine days after birth for S. chrysomelas, to late postflexion stage for S. atrovirens, and to pelagic juvenile stage for S. auriculatus. Larval S. atrovirens and S. chrysomelas were about 4.6 mm body length (BL) and S. auriculatus about 5.2 mm BL at birth. Both S. atrovirens and S. auriculatus underwent notochord flexion at about 6–9 mm BL. Sebastes atrovirens transform to the pelagic juvenile stage at about 14–16 mm BL and S. auriculatus transformed at ca. 25 mm BL. Early larvae of all three species were characterized by melanistic pigment dorsally on the head, on the gut, on most of the ventral margin of the tail, and in a long series on the dorsal margin of the tail. Larval S. atrovirens and S. auriculatus developed a posterior bar on the tail during the flexion or postflexion stage. In S. atrovirens xanthic pigment resembled the melanistic pattern throughout larval development. Larval S. auriculatus lacked xanthophores except on the head until late preflexion stage, when a pattern much like the melanophore pattern gradually developed. Larval S. chrysomelas had extensive xanthic pigmentation dorsally, but none ventrally, in preflexion stage. All members of the Sebastes subgenus Pteropodus (S. atrovirens, S. auriculatus, S. carnatus, S. caurinus, S. chrysomelas, S. dalli, S. maliger, S. nebulosus, S. rastrelliger) are morphologically similar and all share the basic melanistic pigment pattern described here. Although the three species reared in this study can be distinguished on the basis of xanthic pigmentation, it seems unlikely that it will be possible to reliably identify field-collected larvae to species using traditional morphological and melanistic pigmentation characters. (PDF file contains 36 pages.)

All their eggs in one basket: a rocky reef nursery for the longnose skate (Raja rhina Jordan & Gilbert, 1880) in the southern California Bight

Skates (family Rajidae) are oviparous and lay tough, thick-walled eggs. At least some skate species lay their eggs in spatially restricted nursery grounds where embryos develop and hatch (Hitz, 1964; Hoff, 2007). After hatching, neonates may quickly leave the nursery grounds (Hoff, 2007). Egg densities in these small areas may be quite high. As an example, in the eastern Bering Sea, a site <2 km2 harbored eggs of Alaska skate (Bathyraja parmifera) exceeding 500,000/km2. All skate nursery grounds have been identified over soft sea floors (Lucifora and García, 2004; Hoff, 2007).

The Ragfish, Icosteus aenigmaticus Lockington, 1880: A Synthesis of Historical and Recent Records From the North Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea

Knowledge of the distribution and biology of the ragfish, Icosteus aenigmaticus, an aberrant deepwater perciform of the North Pacific Ocean, has increased slowly since the first description of the species in the 1880’s which was based on specimens retrieved from a fish monger’s table in San Francisco, Calif. As a historically rare, and subjectively unattractive appearing noncommercial species, ichthyologists have only studied ragfish from specimens caught and donated by fishermen or by the general public. Since 1958, I have accumulated catch records of >825 ragfish. Specimens were primarily from commercial fishermen and research personnel trawling for bottom and demersal species on the continental shelves of the eastern North Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, and the western Pacific Ocean, as well as from gillnet fisheries for Pacific salmon, Oncorhynchus spp., in the north central Pacific Ocean. Available records came from four separate sources: 1) historical data based primarily on published and unpublished literature (1876–1990), 2) ragfish delivered fresh to Humboldt State University or records available from the California Department of Fish and Game of ragfish caught in northern California and southern Oregon bottom trawl fisheries (1950–99), 3) incidental catches of ragfish observed and recorded by scientific observers of the commercial fisheries of the eastern Pacific Ocean and catches in National Marine Fisheries Service trawl surveys studying these fisheries from 1976 to 1999, and 4) Japanese government research on nearshore fisheries of the northwestern Pacific Ocean (1950–99). Limited data on individual ragfish allowed mainly qualitative analysis, although some quantitative analysis could be made with ragfish data from northern California and southern Oregon. This paper includes a history of taxonomic and common names of the ragfish, types of fishing gear and other techniques recovering ragfish, a chronology of range extensions into the North Pacific and Bering Sea, reproductive biology of ragfish caught by trawl fisheries off northern California and southern Oregon, and topics dealing with early, juvenile, and adult life history, including age and growth, food habits, and ecology. Recommendations for future study are proposed, especially on the life history of juvenile ragfish (5–30 cm FL) which remains enigmatic.

A new species of western Atlantic lizardfish (Teleostei: Synodontidae: Synodus) and resurrection of Synodus bondi Fowler, 1939, as a valid species from the Caribbean with redescriptions of S. bondi, S. foetens (Linnaeus, 1766), and S. intermedius (Agassiz, 1829)

Western Atlantic synodontid species were studied as part of an ongoing effort to reanalyze Caribbean shorefish diversity. A neighbor-joining tree constructed from cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) data revealed 2 highly divergent genetic lineages within both Synodus intermedius (Agassiz, 1829) (Sand Diver) and S. foetens (Linnaeus, 1766) (Inshore Lizardfish). A new species, Synodus macrostigmus, is described for one of the S. intermedius lineages. Synodus macrostigmus and S. intermedius differ in number of lateral-line scales, caudal pigmentation, size of the scapular blotch, and shape of the anterior-nostril flap. Synodus macrostigmus and S. intermedius have overlapping geographic and depth distributions, but S. macrostigmus generally inhabits deeper water (>28 m) than does S. intermedius and is known only from coastal waters of the southeastern United States and the Gulf of Mexico, in contrast to those areas and the Caribbean for S. intermedius. Synodus bondi Fowler, 1939, is resurrected from the synonymy of S. foetens for one of the S. foetens genetic lineages. The 2 species differ in length and shape of the snout, number of anal-fin rays, and shape of the anterior-nostril flap. Synodus bondi and S. foetens co-occur in the central Caribbean, but S. bondi otherwise has a more southerly distribution than does S. foetens. Redescriptions are provided for S. intermedius, S. foetens, and S. bondi. Neotypes are designated for S. intermedius and S. foetens. A revised key to Synodus species in the western Atlantic is presented.

Population dynamics of the ribbon fish, Lepturacanthus savala (Cuvier 1829) from the north-eastern part of the Bay of Bengal

Population parameters of Lepturacanthus savala from the trawl catches in the north-eastern part of the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh were investigated based on length frequency data, using complete ELEFAN computer program. The asymptotic length (Lα) and growth constant (K) were estimated to be 106.50 cm (total length) and 0.80/year respectively. Based on these growth parameters, the total mortality (Z) was estimated to be 1.89. The estimated values for natural mortality (M) and fishing mortality (F) were 1.08 and 0.81 respectively. The estimated value for the exploitation rate (E) using the length converted catch curve was 0.43. The recruitment pattern showed two peaks per year. The estimated sizes of L. savala at 25, 50 and 75% probabilities of capture were 57.49, 60.39 and 63.28 cm respectively. The estimated length weight relationship for combined sex was W=0.00093 TL(super)2.97

Growth parameters of Lepturacanthus savala (Cuvier, 1829) from Mumbai waters

Lepturacanthus savala (Cuvier, 1829) constitutes a minor fishery contributing 23.3% to the total ribbonfish catch in Maharashtra. Based on the length data obtained from shrimp trawlers and the traditionally operated bag nets, age and growth of the species have been investigated from Mumbai waters. Growth was studied by various computer-based methods incorporated in FiSAT Programme. The growth parameters L∞ and K (on annual basis) by Gulland-Holt plot were 683.3 mm and 0.87, respectively. As the seasonal temperature variations in coastal waters of Mumbai are not pronounced, the seasonally oscillating growth patterns by ELEFAN and Appledoorn's method were not considered. Following the von Bertalanffy growth model, the fish attains 399.8, 567.2 and 637.4 mm at the end of 1, 2 and 3 years, respectively, and the lifespan of the fish is about 3.3 years.

Reproduction, age and growth of the kelee shad, Hilsa kelee (Cuvier, 1829) (pisces: fam. Clupeidae) with informations on its fishery in Maputo Bay, Mozambique

Age, growth and reproduction of H. kelee were studied, and a brief description of its fishery in Maputo Bay (Mozambique) is given. Most material was collected from gill net fisheries during 1977-1980, but some was taken from shrimp trawlers operating in the same area during 1980-1981. Main spawning takes place during October-January with a peak in December. There is also some evidence that spawning takes place during June-July. The size at first maturity was approximately equals 14-15 cm. Ageing was carried out using primary growth rings in the otoliths and length-frequency analysis of fish caught by shrimp trawlers. Von Bertalanffy's growth equation parameters were determined. Males and females grew in similar fashion. There are seasonal trends in the catch composition of the gill net fishery, showing high values during April to September and low during October to December.