Marine Resources Assessment for the Marianas Operating ... - SPREP

AUGUST 2005 FINAL REPORT
NMFS 2004c). Currently, no data are available to determine if grunts of the PHCRT are approaching
an overfished situation (NMFS 2004a). Grunts have become scarce in the heavily fished waters of
Guam (Myers 1999). None of the species found in the study area are listed on the IUCN Red List of
threatened species (IUCN 2004).
Distribution—Grunts are distributed in tropical and temperate seas and in marine and brackish
waters worldwide. All eleven species have been recorded from Micronesian waters (WPRFMC 2001).
Habitat Preferences—Grunts are mostly reef dwellers which shelter in caves and shipwrecks
(Debelius 2001, 2002). These nocturnal predators school during the day under or near overhangs or
tabular corals on sandy to muddy bottoms at depths from 1 to 100 m (WPRFMC 2001). Juveniles are
commonly found in small groups on grass flats, near mangroves and in other sheltered inshore areas
(e.g., lagoons, estuaries; McKay 2001). Adults generally frequent patch reefs, lagoons, channels,
inshore and seaward reefs, and outer reef slopes (Myers 1999).
Life History—Little information is available on grunt reproduction in Indo-Pacific locations. Given
their similarity to other roving predators (e.g., groupers or snappers), they probably migrate to
spawning sites on the outer reef slope for group spawning at dusk (WPFMC 2001).
♦ Echineididae (Remoras)
Status—Three remora species are managed in Micronesia as part of PHCRT by the WPRFMC
(2001), two of which are reported as occurring in the CNMI and Guam (Amesbury and Myers 2001;
Myers and Donaldson 2003), and have EFH designated within the boundaries of the study area
(WPRFMC 2001; NMFS 2004c). Currently, no data are available to determine if remoras of the
PHCRT are approaching an overfished situation (NMFS 2004a). Remoras are not considered to be of
any commercial importance (Collette 1999). None of the species found in the study area are listed on
the IUCN Red List of threatened species (IUCN 2004).
Distribution—Remoras are circumglobal in their distribution and are found throughout Micronesia
(WPRFMC 2001).
Habitat Preferences—Remoras occur in coastal and pelagic waters and utilize a wide variety of
hosts including fishes, marine mammals, and ships/boats (Myers 1999; Debelius 2001). Species
associated with coral reef dwellers are found near reefs to 50 m (Allen et al. 2003).
Life History—Information is lacking on the spawning techniques and/or locations of remoras
(WPFMC 2001). Eggs of the sharksucker (Echeneis naucrates) and remora (Remora remora) are
pelagic and spherical (Leis and Trnski 1989).
♦ Malacanthidae (Tilefishes)
Status—Five tilefish species are managed in Micronesia as part of PHCRT by the WPRFMC (2001).
Two of these species occur in the CNMI and Guam (Amesbury and Myers 2001; Myers and
Donaldson 2003) and have EFH designated within the boundaries of the study area (WPRFMC 2001;
NMFS 2004c). Currently, no data are available to determine if tilefishes of the PHCRT are
approaching an overfished situation (NMFS 2004a). Tilefishes are very high quality food fishes with
several species being commercially important (Dooley 1999). None of the species found in the study
area are listed on the IUCN Red List of threatened species (IUCN 2004).
Distribution—This family is distributed worldwide in tropical and temperate seas and is represented
by three genera in the Indo-Pacific region (WPRFMC 2001).
Habitat Preferences—Tilefish usually occur singly or in pairs on outer slope reefs (Myers 1999).
They can be found in depths ranging from 6 to 115 m in mud, sand, rubble or talus areas of barren
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