Ichthyofaunal list of the continental slope of the southern Gulf of Mexico.

José Martín Ramírez,Ana Rosa Vázquez-Bader,Adolfo Gracia

doi:10.3897/zookeys.846.31944

Abstract

Four oceanographic cruises were carried out between April 2011 and May 2013 on the continental slope of the southern Gulf of Mexico (GoM) in a depth range of 290 to 1200 m on board the R/V JUSTO SIERRA. A total of 91 trawls covered a total swept area of 170.49 hectares. We recorded 177 fish species belonging to 80 families. Fifteen species extended their distribution into the south of the gulf and 37 increased their depth ranges. Five species could have commercial importance: Aphanopuscarbo Lowe, 1839; Hydrolagusmirabilis (Collett, 1904); Helicolenusdactylopterus (Delaroche, 1809); Lophiusgastrophysus Miranda Ribeiro, 1915, and Merlucciusalbidus (Mitchill, 1818). The most abundant species were Polymixialowei Günther, 1859; Parasudistruculenta (Goode & Bean, 1896); M.albidus, Chlorophthalmusagassizi Bonaparte, 1840; Dibranchusatlanticus Peters, 1876; Nezumiaaequalis (Günther, 1878); Yarrellablackfordi Goode & Bean, 1896; and Laemonemabarbatulum Goode & Bean, 1883. High values of fish species richness, diversity, and evenness were registered throughout the study area. A high percentage of the fish species (97%) collected during this project are distributed in the entire GoM. Most of the species showed a wide depth distribution; however, a vertical zonation of species can be observed.

Highlights

The Gulf of Mexico (GoM) is one of the most productive and economically important ecosystems in the world (Cato 2009, Tunnell 2009), and its large biodiversity makes it one of the most diverse seawater bodies (Felder et al 2009)
The species accumulation curve related to the number of samples did not reach a clear asymptote; data adjusted with a Clench model suggests that 91% species richness of the southern GoM continental slope was recorded (Fig. 2)
The species accumulation curve suggests that we registered most of the fish species found on soft bottoms of the continental slope of the southern GoM

Summary

Introduction

The Gulf of Mexico (GoM) is one of the most productive and economically important ecosystems in the world (Cato 2009, Tunnell 2009), and its large biodiversity makes it one of the most diverse seawater bodies (Felder et al 2009). Due to its ecological and economic importance, ichthyofauna studies initially focused on commercial species. A total of 1541 species has been reported in the GoM in the different types of habitats that exist in this large ecosystem (McEachran 2009). Few investigations about fish biodiversity have been conducted on the continental slope, and most have focused on different ecological aspects of demersal fish communities in the northern part of the GoM (Pequegnat et al 1990, Powell et al 2003). More than 126 mesopelagic fish species were found in this region by Ross et al (2010), who compared the composition of mesopelagic fishes in three different habitats located at depths between surface and 1000 m. Others studies of the deep-water fishes in the Caribbean, but concerning to deep reef fishes have been conducted by Colin (1974); Thresher and Colin (1986); Baldwin and Robertson (2014); Baldwin et al (2016) and Quattrini et al (2017)

Methods

Results

Conclusion