Florida pompano, continued 



Table 5.29. Relative abundance of Florida pompano 

 in 31 Gulf of Mexico estuaries (Nelson et al. 1992). 



Relative abundance: 



# Highly abundant 



® Abundant 



O Common 



V Rare 



blank Not present 



Life stage: 



A - Adults 

 S - Spawning 

 J - Juveniles 

 L - Larvae 

 E - Eggs 



Life Mode 



Pompano are a dominant species of exposed sandy 

 beach habitats. All stages are pelagic and nektonic, 

 with diurnal feeding behavior (Finucane 1969b, 

 Armitage and Alevizon 1980, Modde and Ross 1981, 

 Benson 1982). Juveniles and adults show schooling 

 behavior (Benson 1982, Christmas and Waller 1973, 

 Simmons 1957). 



Habitat 



Type : Eggs and larvae are pelagic in offshore waters. 

 Larvae have been collected in depths of 5.5 m and as 

 far as 24.2 km offshore in marine waters (Fields 1 962, 

 Finucane 1969a, Fahay 1975, Johnson 1978). The 

 optimum habitat for juveniles is shallow water, low 

 energy, marine surf zones along open beaches with 

 gradual slopes; however, they are also reported from 

 marshes and bays (Gunter 1 945, Gunter 1 958, Springer 

 and Woodburn 1960, Gunter and Hall 1965, Hoese 

 1965, Iversen and Berry 1969, Bellinger and Avault 

 1971, Swingle 1971, Dahlberg 1972, Armitage and 

 Alevizon 1980, Modde 1980, Modde and Ross 1981). 

 They are collected in salinities ranging from mesohaline 

 to euhaline, but appear to prefer polyhaline and higher 

 salinities (Gunter 1 945, Springer and Woodburn 1 960, 

 Gunter and Hall 1965, Finucane 1968, Bellinger and 

 Avault 1970, Swingle 1971, Christmas and Waller 

 1973, Johnson 1978). Adults are abundant around 

 inlets and along sandy beaches of barrier islands, and 

 around oil platforms and artificial reefs. They tend to be 

 more characteristic of marine waters in turbid rather 

 than clear areas, although they are collected occasion- 

 ally from bay waters. The recorded salinities for sites 

 where adults have been collected range from 

 mesohaline to euhaline, but captive fish have been 

 adapted to fresh water. Adults may be found in shallow 

 waters, but are also found in waters somewhat deeper 

 than juveniles with fish over 200 mm TL being collected 

 from depths of 33 to 40 m (Hildebrand 1954, Parker 

 1 965, Finucane 1 969a, Johnson 1 978, Benson 1 982). 



Substrate : The Florida pompano is typically found over 

 sandy bottoms with little or no rooted vegetation. They 

 are also reported from bottoms of broken shell debris, 

 and silt and mud (Bellinger and Avault 1971, Modde 

 1980, Modde and Ross 1981). 



Physical/Chemical Characteristics : 



Temperature - Eggs and Larvae: Eggs in laboratory 



conditions developed up to middle and late gastrula- 



tion at temperatures from 23.0 to 25.0° (Finucane 



1969b). 



Temperature - Juveniles and Adults: Juveniles have 

 been taken from 10.0° to 34.9°C and (Gunter 1945, 

 Springer and Woodburn 1 960, Gunter and Hall 1 963, 

 Gunter and Hall 1 965, Finucane 1 969a, Bellinger and 



223 



