Large Snapper Research Articles

Experimental investigation on hydrodynamic performance of side-by-side three barges in topsides floatover installation in beam seas

The single barge floatover method faces great challenges when it comes to the gigantic topsides and the substructures lack of sufficient slots. The twin-barge floatover system with large capacities and great flexibilities for various topsides and substructures would be a promising alternative for fixed and floating platforms. This study experimentally investigates the dynamic responses of the floatover system in beam waves with the focus on one of the critical load transfer steps, namely, the topsides transfer operations onto the twin-barge from a transportation barge. Three representative intermediate stages, i.e., 0%, 50%, and 100% stages, were experimentally simulated. Results revealed that the upwind barge experienced larger motions than others, attributed to the shielding effect. Results implied that the in-between fluid resonant may have great influences on the motions. The twin-barge floatover system were subjected to six degree-of-freedom motions in beam random waves because of the unsymmetrical configurations. The impact loads on mating units demonstrated that the lateral loads were quite considerable and they should be paid much attention. The mooring force varied slightly, and the tether lines bear large snap loads at the 0% stage. The critical stage for different components were identified based on comparisons of loads at three stages.

Buckled MEMS Beams for Energy Harvesting from Low Frequency Vibrations.

Vibration energy harvesters based on the resonance of the beam structure work effectively only when the operating frequency window of the beam resonance matches with the available vibration source. None of the resonating MEMS structures can operate with low frequency, low amplitude, and unpredictable ambient vibrations since the resonant frequency goes up very high as the structure gets smaller. Bistable buckled beam energy harvester is therefore developed for lowering the operating frequency window below 100Hz for the first time at the MEMS scale. This design does not rely on the resonance of the MEMS structure but operates with the large snapping motion of the beam at very low frequencies when input energy overcomes an energy threshold. A fully functional piezoelectric MEMS energy harvester is designed, monolithically fabricated, and tested. An electromechanical lumped parameter model is developed to analyze the nonlinear dynamics and to guide the design of the nonlinear oscillator based energy harvester. Multilayer beam structure with residual stress induced buckling is achieved through the progressive residual stress control of the deposition processes along the fabrication steps. Surface profile of the released device shows bistable buckling of 200μm which matches well with the amount of buckling designed. Dynamic testing demonstrates the energy harvester operates with 50% bandwidth under 70Hz at 0.5g input, operating conditions that have not been demonstrated by MEMS vibration energy harvesters before.

Ecological assessment of the marine ecosystems of Barbuda, West Indies: Using rapid scientific assessment to inform ocean zoning and fisheries management.

To inform a community-based ocean zoning initiative, we conducted an intensive ecological assessment of the marine ecosystems of Barbuda, West Indies. We conducted 116 fish and 108 benthic surveys around the island, and measured the abundance and size structure of lobsters and conch at 52 and 35 sites, respectively. We found that both coral cover and fish biomass were similar to or lower than levels observed across the greater Caribbean; live coral cover and abundance of fishery target species, such as large snappers and groupers, was generally low. However, Barbuda lacks many of the high-relief forereef areas where similar work has been conducted in other Caribbean locations. The distribution of lobsters was patchy, making it difficult to quantify density at the island scale. However, the maximum size of lobsters was generally larger than in other locations in the Caribbean and similar to the maximum size reported 40 years ago. While the lobster population has clearly been heavily exploited, our data suggest that it is not as overexploited as in much of the rest of the Caribbean. Surveys of Barbuda’s Codrington Lagoon revealed many juvenile lobsters, but none of legal size (95 mm carapace length), suggesting that the lagoon functions primarily as nursery habitat. Conch abundance and size on Barbuda were similar to that of other Caribbean islands. Our data suggest that many of the regional threats observed on other Caribbean islands are present on Barbuda, but some resources—particularly lobster and conch—may be less overexploited than on other Caribbean islands. Local management has the potential to provide sustainability for at least some of the island’s marine resources. We show that a rapid, thorough ecological assessment can reveal clear conservation opportunities and facilitate rapid conservation action by providing the foundation for a community-driven policymaking process at the island scale.

Decadal Changes in the Abundance and Length of Snapper (Chrysophrys auratus) in Subtropical Marine Sanctuaries.

Abundance and length of the highly-targeted snapper Chysophrys auratus were compared between sites in 'no take' areas (Sanctuary Zones: SZ), partial protected areas which are fished (Habitat Protection Zones: HPZ), and areas outside (Outside) the Solitary Islands Marine Park (SIMP), Australia. Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) sampling on shallow rocky reef (15 - 25 m) was conducted annually from 2002 until 2014 in the Austral-winter, covering the decade after these marine park zones were established (2002). Additional deeper sites (25 - 40 m) were sampled in 2010-2011 to assess if findings were more-broadly applicable. Lengths were measured using stereo-BRUVs from 2011-2014. Snapper were significantly more abundant in SZ overall and in most years compared with the other two management types, which did not significantly differ. Snapper rapidly increased after 2 - 3 years protection in all management types, especially SZ. Snapper were present on more SZ deployments than HPZ and Outside after the same period. The positive SZ response in snapper abundance on shallower reef was also found at a broader spatial scale on deeper sites. Again the two fished management types did not show significant differences among each other. There was considerable variation in snapper abundance between years, with strong peaks in 2005, 2009 and 2014 especially in SZ. Abundances remained higher in SZ in the year or two following a strong peak, but decreased to similar abundances to fished areas before the next peak. Snapper length frequency distribution significantly differed between SZ and both fished management types, with more larger snapper within SZ including a higher proportion (58%) that were legal-sized (>25.7 cm FL). HPZ and Outside did not significantly differ from each other, and were dominated by individuals below legal size. Overall, SZ's have positively influenced abundance and length of snapper on these subtropical rocky reefs.

Plasticity of external setae during claw transformation in the snapping shrimp, Alpheus angulosus McClure, 2002 (Decapoda, Caridea)

The snapping shrimp,Alpheus angulosusMcClure, 2002, is a small crustacean with bilaterally asymmetric claws that serve distinct behavioural and sensory functions. If the large claw is lost, the organism switches handedness, transforming its small pincer claw into a large snapping claw while simultaneously developing a small claw on the contralateral side. To better understand the mechanisms required to adapt to this radical change in body composition, we examined developmental plasticity by tracing changes in sensory setae distribution on the claws throughout transformation. We observed only two broad types of setae, simple and plumose. Quantitative analysis across molt stages revealed significant alterations in setae composition and numbers that occurred primarily on the edge of the propodus, where the most drastic morphological changes also occur. These results suggest that previous developmental mechanisms are re-engaged to support the proliferation and differentiation of new setae during transformation.

The embryonic development of the snapping shrimp, Alpheus angulosus McClure, 2002 (Decapoda, Caridea)

Alpheus angulosus McClure, 2002 is one of several species of snapping shrimp that live along the east coast of the United States and belong to the edwardsii group of Alpheus. The genus Alpheus presents with bilateral asymmetry in their chelipeds, specifically a large snapper and a smaller pincer. This is an extreme example of the asymmetry found in many other crustaceans. A significant amount of work has been done on the adult behavior, physiology, and transformation/regeneration of the two claws, but less is known about the early development of the nervous system that underlies this asymmetry. The work reported here begins to establish an atlas of embryonic development in this species staged by using both eye index and percent development connected to yolk depletion during embryogenesis. This represents the first step toward a more comprehensive understanding of embryonic development that can be used to address future neuro-developmental questions regarding limb asymmetry and plasticity.

Spatial patterns of the structure of reef fish assemblages at a pristine atoll in the central Pacific

We conducted in situ diver surveys describing the spatial structure of reef fish assem- blages at Kingman Reef, an unexploited and remote atoll in the central North Pacific. Structural pat- terns reflect natural ecological processes that are not influenced by fishing or other anthropogenic factors. The most striking feature of this assemblage is an inverted biomass pyramid dominated by apex predators, primarily sharks and large snappers, across all depth and habitat strata examined. This pattern is most pronounced at greater depths (20 m) on the fore reef. Apex predators dominated to lesser extents in back-reef, patch-reef, and shallow fore-reef habitats. Prey assemblage size spec- tra showed fewer large prey and greater numbers of prey from small size classes at locations with greater piscivore biomass. Other patterns of prey abundance generally conformed to those previ- ously observed at more commonly encountered, human-altered reefs (e.g. highest herbivore abun- dance on back reefs and shallower depths on the fore reefs; greater planktivore prevalence deeper on the fore reef). The latter patterns, however, inadvertently miss the less obvious differences in assemblage dynamics that result from alterations in the size structures of prey fish populations where apex predators have been heavily exploited or extirpated. The present study of a fully intact coral reef suggests that (1) piscivores are common across all habitats and depths, (2) the presence of preda- tors does not lead to appreciable reductions in the biomass of other guilds, and (3) predators alter the size structure and therefore the potential productivity and energy flow of the ecosystem.

Effect of feeding regime and fish size on weight gain, feed intake and gastric evacuation in juvenile Australian snapper Pagrus auratus

We investigated the interactive effects of nine feeding regimes (1 feeding early, 1 feeding late, 2 feedings early, 2 feedings late, 4 feedings, 4 feedings early, 4 feedings late, 6 feedings or 8 feedings per day; hereafter IFE, 1FL, 2FE, 2FL, 4F, 4FE, 4FL, 6F or 8F, respectively) and two fish sizes (small ≈ 5 g or large ≈ 20 g) on the harvest weight, feed intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of juvenile Australian snapper reared under an 18 L:6D photoperiod at a temperature of 23 °C for 42 days. At the completion of the feeding study, small or large fish which had been accustomed to 1FE or 1FL were sacrificed to model gastric evacuation of a single meal. The feeding study indicated that optimum to maximum weight gain and FCR in juvenile snapper can be achieved by feeding fish to apparent satiation twice per day. This regime equated to relative feed intakes of 36 or 47 g kg BW − 1 day − 1 for large or small snapper, respectively. In addition, there were no improvements in weight gain as a consequence of feeding a similar number of feeds (i.e. once, twice or four times) earlier in the day as opposed to later in the day. Size heterogeneity in both groups of snapper measured as the coefficient of variation in harvest weight (CV hw), was not affected by feeding regime, but smaller snapper recorded slightly higher CV hw (0.14) than larger juveniles (0.11). The gastric evacuation rates (GER) of small or large snapper fed a single meal proved to be similar (relative feed content Combined = 2.733 ± 0.195 × exp (− 0.139 ± 0.013) ; R 2 = 0.72), with approximately half the meal passed within 5 h and the whole meal cleared from the stomach within 16–20 h. This information will help operators of snapper hatcheries/nurseries plan their feeding regimes and assist with benchmarking performance.

Estimating the abundance and size structure of an estuarine population of the sparid Pagrus auratus, using a towed camera during nocturnal periods of inactivity, and comparisons with conventional sampling techniques

An estimate of the absolute abundance of a population of the sparid Pagrus auratus (‘snapper’) was obtained by towing a dropped underwater video (DUV) camera close to the sea bed during darkness when this species is inactive (asleep), counting the number of fish present and estimating their sizes. This method was used in an estuary and compared with active (beam trawl, Danish seine, SCUBA visual counts) and passive (multi-panel gillnets, pots, Sabiki jigs, baited underwater video) fish sampling methods. The DUV detected a wide snapper size range (2–70 cm), which from around 5 cm and up appear to represent absolute abundance estimates. For snapper 5 cm and below, density estimates were less than those obtained by fine-mesh beam trawl, which sampled snapper down to 17 mm fork length (recent settlers from the plankton). Total DUV estimates of 0+ snapper abundance (3–9 cm) within this estuarine system were 64,000 ± 20,000 (standard error), compared to 105,000 ± 17,000 by beam trawl. For snapper 10 cm and larger (1+ and older), the DUV population estimate for the harbour was 166,000 ± 28,000. These larger snapper were not vulnerable to the beam trawl, while Danish seine sampling returned estimates of 20,000–80,000 (5000–20,000) fish, depending on the swept area assumptions used. None of the passive methods were able to provide relative or absolute estimates of the overall snapper population size, and each returned strongly skewed snapper length frequencies. The DUV was also able to collect detailed imagery of seafloor habitat features, at the spatial scales of both sampling transects, and individual sleeping fish. This combination of new technologies and specific fish behaviour (sleeping inert on the seafloor) offers a significant new sampling tool for assessing absolute fish abundance and associated population size structures. There is now a strong and ongoing focus by the marine science and management community, on seafloor habitat mapping, and associated Geographic Information System (GIS) resource inventorying. The addition of night deployed DUV sampling into such field deployments offers significant additional fish-habitat information gains to be made within these frameworks, at little additional cost.

REEF-ASSOCIATED PREDATORS INFLUENCE ADJACENT SOFT-SEDIMENT COMMUNITIES

Marine reserves provide a large-scale manipulation of predator densities, which provides a means to investigate the potential effects of predation. The effects of reef-associated predators were examined in northeastern New Zealand by comparing soft-sediment assemblages at sites having different densities of large predators. Large rock lobsters (Jasus edwardsii) were 3.8 times more abundant, and large snapper (Pagrus auratus) 12 times more abundant, on average, at reserve sites compared with non-reserve sites. The overall structure of infaunal communities differed between areas with high predator densities (reserve) and those with lower densities (fished). Sites with consistently higher densities of snapper and lobster were found to have a lower biomass of two bivalve species, and the greatest decreases were found near the reef edge (2–5 m). For several fauna a strong gradient in their density with distance from the reef was observed at both reserve and non-reserve sites. The hermit crab Pagurus novizelandiae occurred more frequently near the reef edge, while the heart urchin Echinocardium cordatum and bivalve Dosinia subrosea occurred more frequently farther away from the reef. The results suggest that certain species in this assemblage are affected differently by a combination of physical and biological forces. We conclude that, where reef predators are removed by fishing pressure, a resultant indirect effect is an increase in prey species in adjacent soft-sediment assemblages.

Rapid recolonisation of snapper Pagrus auratus: Sparidae within an offshore island marine reserve after implementation of no-take status

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 272:183-190 (2004) - doi:10.3354/meps272183 Rapid recolonisation of snapper Pagrus auratus: Sparidae within an offshore island marine reserve after implementation of no-take status Christopher M. Denny1,*, Trevor J. Willis2, Russell C. Babcock3 1Leigh Marine Laboratory, PO Box 349, Warkworth, New Zealand 2Laboratori Scienze Ambientali, Università di Bologna, Via Saint Alberto 163, 48100 Ravenna, Italy 3CSIRO Marine Research Floreat, Private Bag No. 5, Wembley, Western Australia 6913, Australia *Email: c.denny@auckland.ac.nz ABSTRACT: This study reports the response of snapper Pagrus auratus to the establishment of no-take status in a marine reserve around the Poor Knights Islands in northeastern New Zealand. The Poor Knights and 2 reference locations, Cape Brett and the Mokohinau Islands, were sampled biannually for 4 yr using baited underwater video (BUV). Following the implementation of full marine reserve status at the Poor Knights in October 1998, snapper showed significant increases in abundance and biomass relative to fished control locations. This was particularly apparent for large snapper (>270 mm), whose numbers increased rapidly to levels 7.4 times higher in the final survey compared to the initial pre-reserve survey, and total snapper biomass increased by 818%. There was no significant increase in the abundance, biomass or size of snapper at the reference locations over this time. There was a strong seasonal trend in snapper abundance, with higher numbers in autumn (March/April) compared to spring (September/October). The daily batch fecundity was 11 to 18 times higher at the Poor Knights compared to the reference locations. Once fishing ceased in previously partially protected areas, a rapid recovery of snapper ensued, suggesting that partial fishing regulations are ineffective for protecting targeted species. The speed of increase in snapper density resulted from the immigration of adult fish into the reserve, rather than from within-reserve recruitment. KEY WORDS: Baited underwater video · Poor Knights · Fishing · Partial protection · Temperate reefs · Temporal variation Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 272. Online publication date: May 19, 2004 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2004 Inter-Research.

Reefs of an uninhabited Caribbean island: fishes, benthic habitat, and opportunities to discern reef fishery impact

Navassa Island is a tiny, (5 km 2) uninhabited US protectorate located between Jamaica and Haiti. It is part of the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Refuge, under the jurisdiction of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. We conducted a quantitative assessment of Navassa's coral reef fishes and benthic habitat, in order to assist with the development of conservation plan for the island. The shallow reefs of Navassa (<23m) have high live coral cover (range 20–26.1%), high degree of architectural complexity (rugosity index range 1.4–1.9), and moderate abundance of the keystone grazing urchin, Diadema antillarum, at all sites (mean 2.9±0.9 per 30 m 2). Despite its remoteness, an unregulated, artisanal fishery (primarily using traps and hook and line) carried out by Haitians is the primary mode of human impact on Navassa reefs. Even so, reef fish communities exhibit high density (range 97–140 fish per 60 m 2) and retain representation by large snapper, grouper and herbivores, which are mostly lacking in nearby Caribbean locations with high fishing pressure. Thus, Navassa reefs appear to be trophically intact with fish populations relatively “unexploited,” presenting a conservation challenge and a research opportunity. The regulation and conservation of the fishery will be difficult, due to the international nature of the situation. However, given the apparently small impact that artisanal fisheries have yet had on its reef communities, Navassa presents a possibly unique opportunity to study the ecological functioning of a relatively trophically intact Caribbean reef, and represents a strong imperative for conservation, monitoring, and research.

Evidence for long‐term site fidelity of snapper (Pagrus auratus) within a marine reserve

Increases in the density of exploited species on unfished reefs logically implies that some individuals are at least temporarily resident, or show fidelity to a particular area. We tagged snapper (Pagrus auratus (Bloch & Schneider 1801)) in the Leigh Marine Reserve, New Zealand using visible implant fluorescent elastomer tags, recoverable by diver visual sightings without the need to recapture the fish. Batch tagging of snapper (n = 907) was done during an angling survey in June and December 1996, and individually coded tags were implanted by divers (n = 117) in January 1999. Snapper tagged during both programmes were recovered on irregular intervals from 1997 to 2000. There were 71 recoveries of batch tags within 500 m of their tagging sites, and these recoveries were still being made >3 years after tagging: Of individually coded fish, 49 (42%) were seen, sometimes repeatedly over several months, close to their respective tagging sites. These observations included snapper as small as 23 cm fork length, contradicting the commonly held impression that only large snapper take up long‐term residency on reefs. This preliminary evidence suggests that some snapper exhibit site fidelity to areas only a few hundred metres wide, and in the absence of fishing may occupy the same area for years.

Regeneration and sex-biased transformation of the sexually dimorphic pincer claw in adult snapping shrimps

Adult snapping shrimps Alpheus heterochelis have paired asymmetric claws, a large snapper which is similar in the sexes, and a much smaller pincer which is sexually dimorphic. The male pincer is slightly more hypertrophied compared to the female and therefore intermediate in size between the female pincer and the snapper. This has led to the suggestion that female pincer, male pincer and snapper represent a continuum in claw development. To test this possibility we examined regenerating snappers and found them to pass through a pincer-like stage in both sexes. In males they transiently possess the pincer-characteristic setose fringe. As well, the regenerating closer muscle shows a band of fast fibers reminiscent of the pincer closer muscle in both sexes. Since the male pincer more closely resembles the snapper in external and internal morphology than the female pincer, its transformation to a snapper may be more easily precipitated. To test this possibility we cut the snapper dactyl and this triggered transformation of the pincer to a snapper in 84% of male shrimps but only in 28% of female shrimps. During the intermolt in which the snapper dactyl is cut, axon numbers on the pincer side exceeded those on the snapper side in males but not in females. Since this shift in axon numbers favoring the pincer side occurs well before the pincer transforms to a snapper at the next molt it may signal transformation. J. Exp. Zool. 279:356–366, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Growth of juvenile snapper,Pagrus auratus

Abstract Growth rates were estimated for juvenile (0+, 1+, and 2+ age classes) New Zealand snapper using length‐frequency data, and length‐at‐age data based on otolith daily increment counts. Growth rates were also estimated for early juvenile snapper reared in Australia. Published estimates of snapper growth rates were reviewed, and the growth history of snapper up to 3 years old discussed. Growth rates were highest during spring‐autumn, and lowest during winter. This seasonal cycle was correlated with changes in water temperature. Wild and reared juvenile snapper grew linearly after metamorphosis at rates ranging from 0.35 to 1.53 mm day‐1 (typically 0.5–0.9 mm day‐1). Growth of wild juveniles slowed dramatically during the first winter, and virtually ceased in subsequent winters. Growth rates during the second and third spring‐summer growth periods were typically 0.2–0.4 mm day‐1. Within a year class, large snapper were large because they were older, rather than because they were faster growers, than s...

INFLUENCE OF SNAP BEAN PHENOLOGY ON HELIOTHIS ZEA (BODDIE) (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE) OVIPOSITION

In greenhouse preference tests Heliothis zea (Boddie) moths oviposited significantly more eggs on blooming snap bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L., than on pre-blooming plants. When moths were held in cages containing only 1 plant stage (non-preference tests) significantly more eggs were laid on blooming snap beans than on either pre- or post-bloom plants. Furthermore, this ovipositional response to blooming plants was much more striking after moths were caged for 3 nights. During nights 4–6, oviposition continued at a similar rate on blooming plants, while pre- and post-bloom plants received very few eggs. Regardless of plant stage, most eggs were laid on the top and bottom of large snap bean leaves.

Grass Carp as a Potential Control Agent for Cattails

Grass Carp as a Potential Control Agent for Cattails

Changes in myofibrillar gene expression during fiber-type transformation in the claw closer muscles of the snapping shrimp, Alpheus heterochelis

Isotopes of a number of crustacean myofibrillar proteins have been identified with sodium dodecyl sulfatepolyacrylamide electrophoresis, and their distribution in muscles of the snapping shrimp has been examined. Fast-slow differences in distribution have been observed for myosin light chains and tropomyosin. In contrast, three troponin T subunits have been resolved, each specific to one of the three muscles examined. This result suggests that expression of crustacean contractile proteins is not accomplished by a simple coexpression of a battery of slow or fast isotopes. In addition, the expression of these proteins was examined during the quasi-developmental fiber-type transition of the main claw closer muscle during the reversal of claw asymmetry in response to the loss of the large snapper appendage. The changes observed appear similar to the cross-innervation induced changes in gene expression of vertebrate muscle.

Neuromuscular relationships during claw regeneration in Californian snapping shrimp.

We have examined the innervation patterns of the two excitor axons to the closer muscle in the dimorphic (snapper and pincer) claws of Californian snapping shrimp (Alpheus californiensis). In both claws the fast-closer excitor (FCE) axon supplies all of the closer muscle fibers. The slow-closer excitor (SCE) axon, however, makes functional connections only with fibers on the dorsal and ventral margins, which are composed of slow-type fibers in the large snapper claw and of intermediate-type fibers in the smaller pincer claw. The central band of fast fibers in the pincer closer muscle is not innervated by the SCE. During claw regeneration, the closer muscle is initially composed of a population of fast fibers in the pincer and intermediate-type fibers in the snapper. The innervation patterns of the two excitatory motor axons in regenerating claws at this stage are the same as in fully developed claws. During the first intermolt period some fast-closer muscle fibers in the pincer claw differentiate into intermediate-type fibers, but the axon innervation patterns do not change. If the correlation between SCE axon innervation pattern and the regional distribution of different muscle fiber types is indicative of nerve-muscle interactions, the present data suggest that the trophic influence must proceed from nerve to muscle.

A Record of the Alligator Snapping Turtle, Macroclemys temmincki (Testudines: Chelydridae), in Kansas

Description of a record of Macroclemys temmincki in the Cottonwood River at Emporia, Kansas, is given, with comments on the occurrence of the turtle in the state. There are only two records, with accompanying preserved remains, of the occurrence of the alligator snapping turtle, Macroclemys temmincki, in Kansas, according to Collins (1974); one from the Arkansas River in Cowley County and the other from the Neosho River drainage in Lyon County. The Lyon County record has never been described; this note gives details on the specimen. On February 21, 1967, two young men, Rick Christie and J. M. McDaniel, found a large alligator snapping turtle in the Cottonwood River at Emporia. It was at the shore, just below Soden's Dam at the south end of Commercial Street. The turtle was dead and beginning to decompose. The skull and shell were salvaged and placed in the vertebrate museum at Emporia State University, cataloged as H2237. The specimen, a male, weighed 54 pounds, has a carapace length of 55.8 cm, carapace width of 44.1 cm, and plastron length of 36.0 cm. Conversations with local fishermen over the years reveal that they can distinguish between two kinds of snapping turtles they catch in the Cottonwood River. One, to which they apply the appellation mossy back, is described as a large snapping turtle with a pronounced beak and prominent carapace ridges, as distinct from other large, rather smooth-shelled snappers. Thus, the alligator snapping turtle, although not often in collections, apparently does turn up occasionally on fishing lines. Its predilection for bottoms of large, deeper water courses keeps it from discovery through conventional collecting techniques. Hall and Smith (1947) reported seven separate collections of the alligator snapping turtle from the Neosho River in Cherokee County and one from Neosho County. One specimen was taken from the Cottonwood River in