Crassostrea virginica, and Atlantic croaker, 

 Micropogonias undulatus) are molluscs or bottom 

 fishes that consume benthic invertebrates or have a 

 strong association with bottom sediments. Their 

 physiological disorders , rrwrphological abnormalities, 

 and bioaccumulation of contaminants, such as heavy 

 metals, indicate episodes of environmental pollution 

 and/or stress. 



4) Ecological value - based on several attributes, 

 including trophic level, relative abundance, and 

 evidence of its importance as a key predator or prey 

 species, e.g., bay anchovy, Anchoa mitchilli. 



Table 1 . ELMR species list for the central Gulf of Mexico 



Scientific name 



Common name 



Argopecten irradians 

 Crassostrea virginica 

 Rangia cuneata 

 Mercenariaspedes 

 Lolliguncula brevis 

 Penaeus aztecus 

 Penaeus duorarum 

 Penaeus setiferus 

 Palaemonetes pugio 

 Panulirus argus 

 Menippe adina 

 Callinectes sapidus 

 Carcharhinus leucas 

 Megalops atlanticus 

 Alosa alabamae 

 Brevoortia patronus 

 Brevoortia smittiii 

 Dorosoma cepedianum 

 Anctioamitctiilli 

 Arius felis 



Cyprinodon variegatus 

 Fundulusgrandis 

 Menidia species 

 Centropomus undecimalis 

 Pomatomus saltatrix 

 Caranx crysos 

 Caranx hippos 

 Trachinotus carolinus 

 Lutjanus griseus 

 Archosargusprobatocephalus 

 Lagodon rhomboides 

 Bairdiella ctirysoura 

 Cynoscion arenarius 

 Cynoscion nebulosus 

 Leiostomus xanthurus 

 Micropogonias undulatus 

 Pogonias cromis 

 Sciaenops ocellatus 

 Mugilcephalus 

 Gobiosoma robustum 

 Scomberomorvs maculatus 

 Paralichthys albigutta 

 Paralichthys lethostigma 



bay scallop 

 American oyster 

 common rangia 

 hard clam 

 bay squid 

 brown shrimp 

 pink shrimp 

 white shrimp 

 grass shrimp* 

 spiny lobster 

 gulf stone crab 

 blue crab 

 bullshari< 

 tarpon 



Alabama shad 

 gulf menhaden 

 yellowfin menhaden 

 gizzard shad 

 bay anchovy 

 hardhead catfish 

 sheepshead minnow 

 gulf klllifish 

 Atlantic silversides 

 snook 

 bluefish 

 blue runner 

 crevalle jack 

 Florida pompano 

 gray snapper 

 sheepshead 

 pinfish 

 silver perch 

 sand seatrout 

 spotted seatrout 

 spot 



Atlantic croaker 

 black drum 

 red drum 

 striped mullet 

 code goby 

 Spanish mackerel 

 gulf flounder 

 southern flounder 



Species Life History Summaries. A concise life 

 history summary was written for each species to 

 provide an overview of how and when species use 

 estuaries and what specific habitats they use. The 

 summaries feature species-specific life history 

 characteristics that relate directly to estuarine spatial 

 and temporal distribution and abundance (e.g. , many 

 molluscs have particular salinity and substrate 

 preferences). The summaries emphasize estuarine 

 ecology, in s/fu salinity and temperature ranges vital 

 to each species, and life history information for 

 estuarine-dependent life stages. Information for the 

 species life history summaries was gathered primarily 

 from published and unpublished literature. Life history 

 summaries for the Gulf of Mexico will be available as 

 a separate publication (Pattillo et al., in prep.). 

 Examples are included in the Texas and Eastern 

 Gulf of Mexico reports (Monaco et al. 1 989; Williams 

 etal. 1990). 



Data Sheets. A data sheet was developed for each 

 species in each estuary to enable quick data 

 compilation and presentation. Figure 4 shows the 

 data sheet for bay anchovy, Anchoa mitchilli in 

 Barataria Bay. Data sheets were developed by 

 project staff and reviewed by local experts. Data 

 compiled foreach species/ life stage included: 1)the 

 salinity zone it occupies (seawater, mixing, or tidal 

 fresh); 2) its monthly distribution in those zones; and 

 3) its relative abundance in the zones. The ELMR 

 data sheets were entered into a microcomputer data 

 base management system. 



The relative abundance of a species was classified 

 using the following categories: 



• Not present: species or life stage not found, 

 questionable data as to identification of species, 

 and/or recent loss of habitat or environmental 

 degradation suggests absence. 



• No information available: no existing data 

 available, and after expert review it was 

 determined that even an educated guess would 

 not be appropriate. 



• Rare: species is present but not frequently 

 encountered. 



• Common: species is generally encountered but 

 not in large numbers; does not imply an even 

 distribution over a specific salinity zone. 



• Abundant, species is often encountered in 

 substantial numbers relative to other species. 



*daggerblade grass shrimp 



