o 



"D 

 > 



c 



E 



D 



3 



> 



X> 



c 



n 

 E 



I00 n 



Gobiesox strumosus 



(Skilletfish) 



Hypsoblennius hentzi 



(Feather Blenny) 



Spring Summer Fall Winter 



120 

 100- 

 80 

 60 

 40 

 20 

 



Gobiosoma ginsburgl 



(Seaboard Goby) 



Hypleurochilus gemlnatus 



(Crested Blenny) 



Spring Summer Fall Winter 



Figure 25. Seasonal abundance of common fishes in rotenone collections at Murrells Inlet, SC. A single 

 collection was taken each season (data from Van Dolah et al. 1986). 



turnstone and the purple sandpiper use 



rocks and jetties as their primary feeding 



habitats. Other shorebirds use them only 

 on occasion, feeding on surrounding 



mudflats and seagrass beds as well 



(Peterson and Peterson 1978; Thayer et al . 

 1984). 



Aeri al -searchi ng birds include a 

 group of sea gulls (Table 3) which are 

 opportunistic consumers of "anything they 

 can get off the rocks" (C. Marsh; pers. 

 comm.). This includes molluscs, 

 crustaceans, fish, insects, carrion, and 

 refuse. The most common bird in this 

 group is the herring gull, Larus 

 arqentatus . Brown pelicans, Pel ecanus 

 occidental is and a variety of terns are 

 also frequently seen roosting on rubble 

 structures, but generally do not use them 

 as feeding sites (J. Parnell; pers. 

 comm. ) . 



The guild of floating and diving 

 water birds is composed largely of a group 



The American wigeon, Anas americana , does 

 not dive; it is a surface dabbler, feeding 

 primarily on algae and seagrasses. 



Wading birds (Table 3) are commonly 

 found only near rubble structures built in 

 estuaries away from severe wave action. 

 In these quiet, shallow waters they can be 

 seen feeding on small fishes and crabs. 



Distribution 



Most shorebirds that make use of 

 jetties breed in the Arctic during June 

 and July (Johnsgard 1981; Farrand 1983a). 



33 



