1973 - 1976 
Schmidt, T. W. (1989) Food habits, length-weight relationships and condition factor of 
young great barracuda, Syphraena barracuda (Walbaum), from Florida Bay, Everglades 
National Park, Florida. Symp. on Florida Bay: A Subtropical Lagoon. Miami, FL. June, 1987. 
Bull. Mar. Sci.. 44(i ):i 63-70. 
The food habits of the great barracuda, Syphyraena barracuda, were investigated by 
examining the stomach contents of fish between 36 and 441 mm TL from the shallow 
grassbeds of Florida Bay. Juvenile barracuda less than 333 mm fed on small epibenthic 
fish. Goldspotted killifish, Floridichthys carpio, and rainwater killifish, Lucania parva, 
were the most common dietary items of juvenile S. barracuda. Food habits of juveniles 
were relatively constant with season and location within the estuary. Larger food 
organisms were consumed by adult barracuda. The calculated length - weight 
relationship for 97 barracuda (33 142 mm TL) was log 10 W = -5.0148 + 2.8663 log 10 L, 
and the mean condition factor was 0.497. This study was based on 106 specimens 
collected during ichthyofaunal surveys from 1973 to 1976. 
1973 - 1976, 1982 - 1985 
Rutherford, E. S., T. W. Schmidt, and J. T. Tilmant (1986) Early life history of spotted 
seatrout, red drum, gray snapper, and snook in Everglades National Park, Florida. Rep. 
86/07. South Florida Research Center, Everglades National Park, Homestead, FL. 99 pp. 
We present results of recent studies on distribution, habitat, and relative abundance of 
larvae and juveniles of the four most popular gamefish species in Everglades National 
Park, (spotted seatrout, red drum, gray snapper, snook). The National Park Service 
and NOAA/NMFS personnel sampled larvae from 1982 to 1985 in passes and creeks 
bordering the park and sampled juveniles from 1973 to 1976 and from 1982 to 1985 in 
mangrove creeks, channels, shorelines, banks, basins, and bays. We collected larvae of 
spotted seatrout and red drum and juveniles of four species. Spotted seatrout were 
found to spawn in park waters, predominantly in western Florida Bay. We caught 
spotted seatrout larvae in mesohaline and marine salinities during every month but 
January with peaks in June to September. Catches (larvae 100 nr 3 ) varied by station 
and year but approximated those taken 20 yrs ago. We collected juvenile spotted 
seatrout in euryhaline seagrass beds of mixed species composition ( Thalassia 
testudinum, Halodule wrightii, and Syringodium filiforme). Juveniles were most 
abundant in western Florida Bay mixed species seagrass beds of 1,000-4,000 shoots 
m* 2 , where the percent organic matter and density and biomass of S. filiforme were 
higher than in areas without spotted seatrout. Red drum and gray snapper were found to 
spawn outside of park waters. Red drum entered the park from September to January 
as larvae and inhabited shallow brackish waters near mangrove shorelines and in 
creeks. Larval drum catches were lower than those taken 20 yrs ago. Gray snapper 
entered park waters as post larvae and small juveniles, inhabiting euryhaline seagrass 
beds in banks, basins and channels, and mangrove roots. Juvenile gray snapper were 
most abundant in Florida Bay mixed seagrass beds with 1,000 - 4,000 shoots m' 2 of 
higher densities and biomass Halodule wrightii and Syringodium filiforme than other 
areas sampled. Adult spawning areas and habitat of young snook remain unknown as few 
young-of-year were collected. Juvenile snook 1 - 2 yrs old were present in euryhaline 
mangrove shorelines and creeks. We estimated monthly mortality rates of juvenile 
spotted seatrout 16 - 144 SL (A = 34.7%) and juvenile gray snapper 72 - 116 mm SL 
(A = 39.5%) using catch curve analysis. 
1973 - 1976, 1982 - 1985 
Rutherford, E. S., T. W. Schmidt, and J. T. Tilmant (1989) Early life history of spotted 
seatrout ( Cynoscion nebulosus) and gray snapper ( Lutjanus griseus) in Florida Bay, 
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