Appendix 3. Fishes of the Mississippi River Deltaic Plain that are found in marshes and 

 associated water bodies (compiled by Gosselink et al , 1979; Deegan and Thompson 1984; see 

 these documents for original sources). Scientific and common names conform to Robins et 

 al. (1980), 



Ecological 

 affinity 



Trophic 

 relations 



Local 

 distribution 



Relative and seasonal 

 abundance 



Economic 

 imoortance 



FAMILY DASYATIDAE 

 STINGRAYS 



Dasyatis sabina (Lesueur) 



Atlantic Stingray 



FAMILY LEPISOSTEIDAE 



GARS 



Lepisosteus oculatus (Winchell) 

 Spotted Gar 



lepisosteus osseus (Linnaeus) 

 Longnose Gar 



Lepisosteus spatul a Lacepede 

 All igator Gar 



FAMILY AMIIDAE 

 BOWFINS 



Atnia caW a (Linnaeus) 



Bov/f in 



FAMILY ELOPIOAE 

 TARPONS 



Elops saurus (Linnaeus) 



Ladyfish - Adults 



Ladyflsh - Young 



Carnivore; predator 

 on meiofauna 



Carnivore; predator/ 

 scavenger on fishes, 

 macroinvertebrates 



Carnivore; predator 

 on fishes, macro- 

 and micro-fauna 



Carnivore; predator/ 

 scavenger on fishes, 

 larger invertebrates 



Carnivore; predator/ 

 scavenger on fishes, 

 amphibians, macro- 

 invertebrates 



Carnivore; predator 

 on small fishes, 

 invertebrates, zoo- 

 plankton 



Same as adu1 ts 



Broadly euryhallne; to 

 freshwater; widespread 



Fresh to brackish areas, 

 principally in protected 

 areas; swamps, bayous, 

 canals 



Broadly euryhaline; wide- 

 spread , hut mainly in 

 freshwater areas, rivers, 

 canals, 1 akes 



See longnose gar entry; 

 less rheophil ic than 

 L. osseus 



Fresh to si ightly 

 brackish ared^ only; 

 mainly In quiet water, 

 swamps, canals, ditches, 

 bayous, fresh lakes 



Pelagic; mainly in high 

 salinity areas; lower 

 passes 



Pelagic; broadly 

 euryhaline; to fresh 

 areas; larvae and 

 juveniles widespread 

 in inland open-water 

 areas 



Abundant, especially in 

 open bay areas, larger 

 canal s 



Locally abundant, esoecially 

 in fresh swamps, hayous, 

 canal s 



Moderately abundant in 

 rivers, canal s, 1 akes 



Moderately abundant in 

 upper bays, canals, lakes, 

 bayous 



Locally abundant 



Locally abundant 



Moderately abundant 

 along marsh edges, April- 

 June 



None 



Limited value as 

 cofmercial fish 

 ( tranmel nets) ; 

 much less impor- 

 tant than other 

 gars 



Minor value as 

 coimerclal fish 

 (tratmel nets) 



Moderate value as 

 coiTiTiercial fish 

 (trammel nets) 

 (most important 

 of gars) 



Limited value as 

 gamefish 



None 



None 



FAMILY ANGUILLIOAE 



FRESHWATER EELS 



Angullla rostrata (Lesueur) 



Anerican Eel - Adults 



HA Carnivorous; predators 



on fishes , macro- 

 Invertebrates 



Demersal ; broadly 

 euryhaline but mainly 

 In brackish to fresh 

 areas except during 

 spawning migration; river 

 channel, upper bay, larger 

 bayous 



Sparse; very cryptic; 

 occasionally taken in trawls, 

 seines , hook and 1 ine 



Anerican Eel - Young 



FAMILY CLUPEIDAE 

 HERRINGS 



Alosa chrysochlorls (Rafinesque) 



Skipjack Herring - Adults 



Skipjack Herring - Young 



Carnivore; predator 

 on fishes, inverte- 

 brates, 

 -forage species 



-forage species 



Planktonic larvae mainly 

 offshore; demersal elvers 

 widespread in bays, 

 bayous , lakes 



Broadly euryhaline, hut 

 mainly in fresher areas; 

 river channels, upper 

 bays, fresh lakes 



Platonic larvae mainly 

 in rivers 



Sparse; ■very cryotic; 

 occasionally taken by trawls, 

 seines 



Very cyclic; year-class 

 strengths seem to fluctuate 

 radically; can be moderately 

 abundant in some years 



See above entry; in "good" 

 years larvae moderately 



abundant April - July; 

 juveniles moderately 

 abundant June - October 



Limited value as 

 baltfish (dip- 

 1 ines) , crawfish 

 traps 



None 



(Continued) 



120 



