160 
Fishery Bulletin 113(2) 
Table 1 
Species-specific percentages of total catch and discards observed during charter boat trips in the north- 
ern Gulf of Mexico during open and closed seasons for red snapper ( Lutjanus campechanus) in 2012 
and 2013. 
Catch Discards 
Common name 
Species 
Open 
Closed 
Open 
Closed 
Red snapper 
Lutjanus campechanus 
76.6 
23.3 
89.8 
63.3 
Vermilion snapper 
Rhomboplites aurorubens 
11.9 
33.7 
2.5 
2.3 
Red porgy 
Pagrus pagrus 
3.9 
15.3 
0.2 
0.0 
Gray triggerfish 
Batistes capriscus 
1.7 
7.8 
5.5 
18.6 
Tomtate 
Haemulon aurolineatum 
1.3 
5.9 
0.0 
0.0 
Greater amberjack 
Seriola dumerili 
0.7 
5.3 
0.0 
5.5 
Banded rudderfish 
Seriola zonata 
0.0 
2.0 
0.2 
5.5 
Whitebone porgy 
Calamus leucosteus 
0.1 
1.2 
0.0 
0.0 
Scamp 
Mycteroperca phenax 
0.7 
1.0 
0.6 
1.6 
Gag 
Mycteroperca microlepis 
0.5 
0.7 
0.8 
0.8 
Sharks 
Carcharhiniformes 
0.1 
0.5 
0.2 
1.2 
Other 
2.6 
3.2 
0.3 
1.0 
behavior occurred only aboard one vessel. During 
red snapper closed seasons, fishermen predomi- 
nantly used rig type II to target smaller reef fishes 
(e.g., vermilion snapper [Rhomboplites aurorubens], 
red porgy [Pagrus pagrus], or gray triggerfish [ Bali - 
stes capriscus ]). During grouper open seasons, which 
overlap with red snapper closed seasons, it was 
common for one fisherman to target groupers with 
rig type I while the remaining fishermen targeted 
smaller reef fishes with rig type II. 
The total catch on all observed charter boat trips 
was 2830 fish representing 38 species (Tables 1 and 
2). Boat-side releases prevented accurate identifica- 
tion of several sharks. However, individuals that were 
identified to species included blacknose shark ( Car - 
charhinus acronotus), sandbar shark ( Carcharhinus 
plumbeus), scalloped hammerhead ( Sphyrna lewini), 
and tiger shark ( Galeocerdo cuvier). The mean number 
of fish caught per trip was 22 % greater on trips during 
closed red snapper seasons than on trips during open 
seasons (ANOVA, Fi ; 52=2.57, P=0.115) and on aver- 
age more than twice as many species were caught on 
closed-season trips (ANOVA, Fi ; 52 = 22 . 50 , P<0.001; Fig. 
2). During open-season trips, the number of red snap- 
per caught was 2.6 times greater (ANOVA, P 1.5 =28.90, 
P<0.001) and the percentage of the total catch that was 
Table 2 
Species of reef fishes that comprised <0.1% of the catch or discards observed on charter boat trips in the northern 
Gulf of Mexico in 2012 and 2013. 
Common name 
Species 
Common name 
Species 
Almaco jack 
Seriola rivoliana 
Mahi mahi 
Coryphaena hippurus 
Great barracuda 
Sphyraena barracuda 
Manta ray 
Manta birostris 
Bank sea bass 
Centropristis ocyurus 
Red grouper 
Epinephelus morio 
Bigeye 
Priacanthus arenatus 
Red hind 
Epinephelus guttatus 
Blackfin tuna 
Thunnus atlanticus 
Sand tilefish 
Malacanthus plumieri 
Blue angelfish 
Holacanthus bermudensis 
Short bigeye 
Pristigenys alta 
Blue runner 
Caranx crysos 
Snowy grouper 
Hyporthodus niveatus 
Cobia 
Rachycentron canadum 
Spanish mackerel 
Scomberomorus maculatus 
Atlantic creolefish 
Paranthias furcifer 
Tattler 
Serranus phoebe 
Dwarf sand perch 
Diplectrum bivittatum 
Wahoo 
Acanthocybium solandri 
Little tunny 
Euthynnus alletteratus 
Yellowedge grouper 
Hyporthodus flavolimbatus 
King mackerel 
Scomberomorus cavalla 
Lane snapper 
Lutjanus synagris 
