32. COPELAND, B.J., "Fauna of the Aransas Pass Inlet, Texas: I. Emigration 

 as Shown by Tide Trap Collections," Publications of the Institute of 

 Marine Saienae, Vol. 10, University of Texas, Austin, Tex,, 1965, pp. 9-21. 



A tide trap was used to sample the animals in the Aransas Pass Inlet, 

 Texas. The net was lowered 3 days per week at maximum flood and ebb tides 

 during the period 15 April 1963 to 15 April 1964. About 24 species of inverte- 

 brates and 55 species of fishes were collected with the tide trap during the 

 study. The total catch of all organisms was greatest in May, June, and 

 October. These large peaks were concomitant with the change in water level of 

 the bays and changes in temperatures. Most organisms were caught on ebbtides, 

 indicating a mass emigration of animals from the shallow, productive nursery 

 areas. Only anchovies were consistently caught during floodtides. Six species 

 of invertebrates and 11 species of fishes were considered to be common emigrants 

 and were caught in the tide trap in large numbers. All these organisms demonstrated 

 definite patterns in their emigration habits. 



Computations of the tide collections showed that the^net productivity of the 

 bays was 233 kilograms per acre per year. About 3.9 x 10 kilograms per year 

 of late juvenile penaeid shrimp emigrated through the Aransas Pass Inlet. 



33. COPELAND, B.J., and BECHTEL, T.J., "Some Environmental Limits of Six Gulf 

 Coast Estuarine Organisms," Contributions in Marine Science, Vol. 18, 

 University of Texas, Austin, Tex., 1974, pp. 169-204. 



Literature and data collections of six sport and commercially important 

 species occupying gulf coast estuaries were analyzed utilizing a computerized 

 sorting technique. Catch ratios, reflecting catches above a threshold value, 

 were computed and sorted into temperature, salinity, seasonal and location 

 classes, and into various interaction categories. 



Gross temperature, salinity, location and season ranges, and optima were 

 established for menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) , sand trout {Cynoscion arenarius) , 

 blue crabs (Catlinectes sapidus) , white shrimp (Penaeus setiferus), pink shrimp 

 (Penaeus duorarym), and brown shrimp {Penaeus azteaus) . Analyses of interactions 

 among the environmental variables verified several conclusions from the single 

 factor analysis, but also delineated many details of habitat, migration, and 

 estuarine utilization. 



The technique developed is considered to be capable of describing outside 

 limits and providing management criteria for estuarine programs. 



34. COPELAND, B.J., and TRUITT, M.V., "Fauna of the Aransas Pass Inlet, Texas: 

 II. Penaeid Shrimp Postlarvae," Texas Journal of Science, Vol. XVIII, No. 

 1, May 1966, pp. 65-74. 



An investigation of the movement of postlarvae penaeid shrimp from the 

 Gulf of Mexico into shallow bays was conducted for 1 year at the Aransas Pass 

 Inlet, Texas. Two periods of peak abundance were observed, with Penaeus 

 aztecus making up the spring peak and Penaeus duroramm making up the fall 

 peak. These periods of influx occurred when there was a net inflow of water 

 after previous periods of low water levels in the bays. Variations in post- 

 larvae movement were observed, with greater catches during the floodtide, at 

 night, and on the south side of the channel. The average length of postlarvae 

 varied seasonally. 



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