FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 74, NO. 2 



Figure 4. — Haemulon aurolineatum and Orthopristis chrysoptera near the bottom at Stage II off Panama City, Fla. 



behavior was also noted by Starck and Davis 

 (1966). 



Starck and Davis (1966) emphasized the impor- 

 tance of nocturnal foraging migrations and 

 plankton feeding to the coral reef trophic struc- 

 ture. Similar feeding patterns may contribute to 

 the economy of artificial reef structures such as 

 these offshore platforms, where abundant species 

 of the families Clupeidae, Carangidae, Lut- 

 janidae, and Pomadasyidae feed at night in adja- 

 cent areas, but return to the reef by day, and thus 

 contribute to the biomass of the community. 



In conclusion, the platform pilings and cross- 

 members, with their encrusting organisms and 

 associated motile invertebrate fauna, provide 

 food and shelter for numerous fish species. In ad- 

 dition, several diurnally schooling species are 

 abundant beneath the platforms during the day, 

 where they are afforded some protection from 

 predation, but disperse into surrounding open 

 areas at night to feed. Large numbers of piscivor- 

 ous species also are attracted to the platform 



habitat to feed on the numerous smaller fishes 

 associated with the structure. As the water tem- 

 perature drops, many species migrate away from 

 the platforms during the colder months. Repopu- 

 lation occurs in the spring and summer. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 



We thank several persons who aided us during 

 the course of this study. Many individuals as- 

 sociated with the SITS program were helpful, but 

 only a few can be mentioned here. Thomas S. 

 Hopkins, Chief Scientist of the SITS II program, 

 and Wilbur Eaton, SITS II diving supervisor, 

 were especially helpftil. Christopher L. Combs, 

 Sylvia A. Earle, Susan Karl, and Anthony J. 

 Lewellyn participated in some of the SITS II 

 dives. Glendle W. Noble, Naval Coastal Systems 

 Laboratory, kindly made arrangements for us to 

 accompany him on numerous trips to the stages 

 during 1971. Thanks are also extended to Eugene 

 L. Nakamura, of the Gulf Coastal Fisheries Cen- 



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