Observations of Deep-Reef Ichthyofauna from the Bahama and Cayman Islands, with Notes on Relative Abundance and Depth Distribution

Abstract

Observations of fish species inhabiting vertical wall habitats were conducted in the Bahama and Cayman islands. Twenty-three species from 12 families were recorded from various sites during the study. Number of species and abundance of individuals decreased with depth on the escarpments observed. Gramma melacara was the only species found throughout the depth ranges on all escarpments observed. Information about these habitats is sparse and more investigations are warranted. INTRODUCTION In situ observations of deep-reef fishes have been sparse, most often conducted from submersibles, as in Colin (1974, 1976) and Starck and Colin (1978). Observations of fish species inhabiting vertical wall habitats were conducted at three sites along the northernmost section of the Tongue of the Ocean in the Bahama Islands from September 22, 1980, through October 2, 1980, and on one site in the Cayman Islands, British West Indies, from November 21, 1980, through November 28,1980 (Table 1). TABLE 1. Location, date, and depth of each wall dive conducted.