HASTINGS ET AL.: FISH FAUNA ASSOCIATED WITH OFFSHORE PLATFORMS 



Sclaenidae: 

 Equetus lanceolalus 

 Equetus umbrosus 

 Leiostomus xanthurus 

 Sciaenops ocellata 



Mullldae 



Kyphosldae: 

 Kyphosus sectatnx 



Ephlppidae: 

 Chaetodipterus faber 



Chaetodontldae: 

 Chaetodon ocellalus 

 Holacanlhus bermudensis 



Pomacentridae: 

 Pomacentrus variabilis 



Labridae: 

 Halichoeres bivittatus 

 l-lalichoeres caudalis 

 Hemipteronotus novacula 

 Lachnolaimus maximus 



Sphyraenldae: 

 Sphyraena barracuda 

 Sptiyraena borealis 



Polynemldae: 

 Polydactylus octonemus 



Blennlldae: 

 Blennius marmoreus 

 Hypleurochilus geminatus 



Acanthuridae: 

 Acanthurus chirurgus 



Scombrldae: 

 Euthynnus alletteratus 

 Scomber japonicus 

 Scomberomorus cavalla 



Stromateidae: 

 Peprilus burti 



Scorpaenidae: 

 Scorpaena brasiliensis 



Triglldae: 

 Prionotus sp. 



Bothldae; 

 Paralichthys albigutta 

 Syacium papillosum 



Ballstldae: 

 Balistes capriscus 

 Cantherhmes pullus 

 Monacanthus hispidus 



Ostraclidae: 

 Lactophrys quadricornis 



DIodontldae: 

 Chilomycterus schoepfi 



86 taxa 

 100% 



Number of observations 



Temperature range 



com 



few 



few 



A 1 species 

 48% 



3 



17°-20°C 



few-sev 



few-sev 



81 taxa 

 94% 



13 



20°-30°C 



few 



few 



57 taxa 

 66% 



4 



15°-19°C 



sev 



few 



few 



few 



13 species 

 15% 



1 



13X 



B 

 B 

 B 

 B 

 O 



U 



L-U 



B 



L-U 



B-P 



B 

 B 

 B 



L 



L-O-U 

 U 



P 



P 



B-P 



O 



U 



o 

 u 



B 



B 



B 

 B 



L-U 



P 



L-P 



B 



B 



'Abbreviations are as follows: sev - several, com - common, abun - abundant, B - on bottom, L - lower water column, P - on pilings, 

 O - open water around platform, U - middle to upper water column under platform. 



'Epinephelus sp. - A juvenile apparently either E flavolimbatus or E. niveatus based upon color pattern (brownish with small 

 white spots on lateral surface and a dark saddle on caudal peduncle. Smith 1971). 



^Echeneis neucratoides on Caranx and Sphyraena. 



A few species recorded at the stages are typical 

 inshore fishes which are characteristic of coastal 

 or estuarine areas. Examples are Orthopristis 

 chrysoptera, Lagodon rhomboides, and Leios- 

 tomus xanthurus. These first two species were 

 important members of the fauna at Stage II, 

 while L. xanthurus was common at times but 

 usually remained over the surrounding open sand 

 bottom. 



Most of the species recorded at the stages are 

 species characteristic of rocky bottom areas 

 offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. The platforms with 

 their supporting pilings, as well as litter and 

 shell hash which has accumulated in the area 

 immediately surrounding the stages, serve as ar- 

 tificial reef habitat for such species. Some of the 

 important reef species are Gymnothorax nig- 

 romarginatus, Mystriophis intertinctus, Opsanus 



393 



