Everglades National Park, Florida. Symp. on Florida Bay: A Subtropical Lagoon. Miami, FL. 
June, 1987. Bull. Mar. ScL 44(1):49-64. 
This report describes information on distribution, habitat, and relative abundance of 
spotted seatrout and gray snapper in Florida Bay. Larvae were sampled from 1982 to 
1984 in channels, passes and creeks bordering Florida Bay and juveniles were sampled 
from 1973 to 1976 and from 1982 to 1985 in mangrove creeks, channels, shorelines, 
banks, basins, and bays. Spotted seatrout were found to spawn predominantly in 
western Florida Bay. Spotted seatrout larvae were caught in marine salinities during 
every month but October and January with peaks in June to September. Juvenile 
spotted seatrout were collected mainly in mixed species of seagrass beds (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 
itt 2 , where the percent organic matter and density and biomass of S. filiforme were 
higher than in areas without spotted seatrout. Gray snapper spawn outside of park 
waters. They enter Florida Bay as post larvae and small juveniles, inhabiting seagrass 
beds in banks, basins and channels, and mangrove prop roots. Juvenile gray snapper 
were most abundant in Florida Bay mixed species seagrass beds of higher densities of 
Halodule and Syringodium than other areas sampled. Monthly mortality rates of juvenile 
spotted seatrout 16 - 144 mm SL (A = 34.7%) and juvenile gray snapper 72 - 116 mm 
SL (A = 39.5%) were estimated using catch curve analysis of length frequencies. 
1973 - 1980 
Getter, C. D. (1981) Ecology and survival of the key silverside, Menidia conchorum, an 
antherinid fish endemic to the Florida Keys. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Miami, Coral 
Gables, FL. 405 pp. 
The key silverside, Menidia conchorum, was studied as an indicator of adaptations to 
environmental conditions in lagoonal and ponded water habitats of Florida Bay and the 
lower Florida Keys. Evidence is presented to support the current view of ichthyologists 
that M. conchorum is a valid species. It occurs in lagoons from Grassy Key to Key West. 
This lagoonal habitat is shared by a distinct community. Such lagoons are characterized 
by rapid fluctuations and broad ranges of physico-chemical parameters. M. conchorum 
feeds on planktonic crustaceans and terrestrial insects. Maximum size for females is 
about 58 mm (SL) and 50.1 mm for males. Maturation appears to take place at about 40 
mm. The species appears to live one year or less in nature. Reproduction continues 
year-round with peaks in fertility in the spring and fall. Its population size is seasonal, 
with a low point in late summer and fall. Nearly all populations inhabit lagoons altered 
by man and the species is judged as threatened with extinction. 
1973 - 1980 
Getter, C. D. (1982) Temperature limitations to the distribution of mangrove mosquitofish 
in Florida. Fla, Sci. . 45:196-200. 
An extensive survey of southern Florida revealed a limited, coastal distribution of the 
mangrove mosquitofish ( Gambusia rhizophorae). However, discovery of the species in 
collections from Cuban freshwaters indicates that it is not salinity-limited. Laboratory 
studies determined the low-temperature tolerance of the species to be 17°C. The 
winter, low-temperature isotherm for southern Florida at this temperature intersects 
all furthest-known points north and west of the species distribution. Temperature 
limitations to distribution may be controlled by fertility which, for the mangrove, 
mosquitofish, is known to be correlated with temperature. This study was based on an 
extensive field survey conducted from 1973 to 1980. 
214 
