sea catfish and gafftopsail catfish - USGS National Wetlands ...
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FWS/OBS-82/11.5TR EL-82-4October 1983Species Profiles: Life Histories <strong>and</strong> Environmental Requirementsof Coastal Fishes <strong>and</strong> Invertebrates (Gulf of Mexico)SEA CATFISHANDGAFFTOPSAIL CATFISHRobert J. Muncy<strong>and</strong>William M. WingoMississippi Cooperative Fish <strong>and</strong> W i l dl ife Re<strong>sea</strong>rch Unit142 Dorman HallMississippi State UniversityMississippi State, MS 39762Project ManagerLarry ShanksProject OfficerNorman Benson<strong>National</strong> Coastal Ecosystems TeamU.S. Fish <strong>and</strong> Wildlife Service1010 Gause BoulevardSl idel 1, LA 70458This study was conductedin cooperation withCoastal Ecology GroupU.S. Army Corps of EngineersWaterways Experiment StationPerformed for<strong>National</strong> Coastal Ecosys tems TeamDivision of Biological ServicesFish <strong>and</strong> Wildlife ServiceU.S. Department of the InteriorWashington, DC 20240
CONVERSION FACTORSMu1 ti plyrr~illimeters (mm)centimeters (cm)meters (m)ki 1 ometers (km)square meters (m')square ki 1 ometers (km')hectares (ha)liters (1)cubic meters (m3)cubic metersmi 1 1 i grams (mg)grams (gm)ki 1 ograms (kg)metric tons (mt)metric tons (mt)kilocalories (kcal)Celsius degrees--Metric to U.S.Customaryi nc hesinchesfeetmilesTo Obtain -square feetsquare milesacresgal 1 onscubic feetacre-feetouncesouncespoundspoundsshort tonsBTUFahrenheit degreesU.S. Customary Metricinchesinchesfeet (ft)fathomsmiles (mi)nautical miles (nmi )square feet (ft2)acressquare miles (mi2)gal 1 ons (gal )cubic feet (ft 3,acre-feetounces (oz)pounds (Ib)short tons (ton)BTUFahrenheit degreesmi 11 imeterscentimetersmetersmeterskilometerskilometerssquare metershectaressquare ki 1 ometers1 i terscubic meterscubic metersgramsk i 1 ogramsmetric tonskilocaloriesCel si us degrees
CClNTE NTS..................................................................... iv................................ vCONVERSION TABLEPREFACEACKNOWLEDGMENTSNOMENCLATURE/TAXONOMY/RANGE .......................... 1MORPHOLOGY/IDENTIFICATION AIDS ......................... 2IMPORTANCE ................................... 2LIFE HISTORY .................................. 4Spawning ................................... 4Fecundity<strong>and</strong>Eggs .............................. 5Yo1 k-Sac Larvae ............................... 5Larvae .................................... 5Juveniles<strong>and</strong>Adults ............................. 6Adults .................................... 6GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS ............................. 7COMMERCIAL/SPORT FISHERY ............................ 7ECOLOGICAL ROLE ................................ 9ENVIRONMENTALREQUIREMENTS ........................... 10Temperature ................................. 10Salinity ................................... 10Dissolved Oxygen ............................... 11Substrate .................................. 11Depth .................................... 11WaterMovement ................................. 11Turbidity .................................. 11LITERATURE CITEDi i
PREFACEThis species profile is one of a series on coastal aquatic organisms,principal ly fish, of sport, commercial, or ecological importance. The profilesare designed to provide coastal managers, engineers, <strong>and</strong> biologists with a briefcomprehensive sketch of the bi 01 ogical characteristics <strong>and</strong> envi ronmental requi rementsof the species <strong>and</strong> to describe how populations of the species may beexpected to react to environmental changes caused by coastal development. Eachprofile has sections on taxonomy, 1 .i fe history, ecological role, environmentalrequi rements, <strong>and</strong> economic importance, if appl icable. A three-ring binder isused for this series so that new profiles can be added as they are prepared.This project is jointly planned <strong>and</strong> financed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers<strong>and</strong> the U.S. Fish <strong>and</strong> Wildlife Service.Suggestions or questions regarding this report should be directed to:Information Transfer Specialist<strong>National</strong> Coastal Ecosystems TeamU.S. Fish <strong>and</strong> Wildlife ServiceNASA-Sl idel 1 Computer Complex1010 Gause Boul evardSl idel 1, LA 70458U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment StationAttention: WESERPost Office Box 631Vicksburg, MS 39180This series should be referenced as follows:U.S. Fish <strong>and</strong> Wildlife Service. 1983. Species profiles: life histories <strong>and</strong>environmental requi rements of coastal fishes <strong>and</strong> invertebrates. 1J.S. Fish<strong>and</strong> W i Id1 i fe Service, givision of Biological Services, FWS/OBS-82/11.U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, TR EL-82-4.This profile should be cited as follows:Muncy, R.J., <strong>and</strong> W.M. Wingo. 1983. Species profiles: life histories <strong>and</strong>environmental requirements of coastal fishes <strong>and</strong> invertebrates (Gulf ofMexico) -- <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>. U.S. Fish <strong>and</strong> WildlifeService, Division of Biological Services, FWS/OBS-82/11.5. U.S. ArmyCorps of Engineers, TR EL-82-4. 17 pp.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTSWe are grateful for the reviews by Dave Ruple, Gulf Coast Laboratory, OceanSprings, Mississippi, <strong>and</strong> by William Perrett, Louisiana Wildlife <strong>and</strong> FisheriesDepartment, New Orleans.
Figure 1. Sea <strong>catfish</strong> (top) <strong>and</strong> <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> (bottom).SEA CATFISH AND GAFFTOPSAIL CATFISHScientific name ..........--Arius fel is(Linnaeus)Si 1 urus fel i s ............. Linnaeusmi ty Charleston, SC)Arius mil berti ...........Cuvier <strong>and</strong>Val enciennesGal eich thys .............. Cuvi er <strong>and</strong>Val enciennesAriopsi s fel is (L.) ......Taylor <strong>and</strong>Menezes--Arius fel is (L.) .............MillerPreferred common name ..... <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>(Figure 1, Top)Other common names ......... Smallmouth<strong>catfish</strong>, silver <strong>catfish</strong>, hardhead,tourist troutScientific name ........ Bagre marinus(Mitchill)~ilurus marinus ............I'litchi11(type localit. NY).......................... OkenBagrePreferred common name ..... gafftopsai 1<strong>catfish</strong> (Figure 1, Bottom)Other common names ..Bigmouth <strong>catfish</strong>,gafftop
Class ....................Order ....................Family ........................OsteichthyesSiluriformesAriidaeGeographic range: Sea <strong>catfish</strong>.Atlantic coastal waters from CapeCod, Massachusetts, to Yucatan,Mexico. Rarely north of ChesapeakeBay (Merriman 1940).Occasional ly enters freshwater(Platania <strong>and</strong> Ross 1980). Gafftopsail<strong>catfish</strong>. Coastal watersfrom Cape Cod, Massachusetts, toPanama, <strong>and</strong> throughout the Gulfof Mexico (Briggs 1958). Gunter(1942) reported it in freshwater.The principal estuarine <strong>and</strong>coastal fishery areas for bothspecies in the northern Gulf ofMexico region are noted in Figure2.MORPHOLOGY/IDENTIFICATION AIDSNaked skin, large serrated spineslocated at the front of the dorsal <strong>and</strong>pectoral fins, adipose fins, <strong>and</strong> aforked caudal fin are marine <strong>catfish</strong>features common with freshwater <strong>catfish</strong>es(Ictalurus). No barbels onnostril s, steel blue-gray dorsally,<strong>and</strong> silvery sides (Hoese <strong>and</strong> Moore1977) are distinctive marine <strong>catfish</strong>features.-- A. felis: 'D. I, 7; A. 19-20; P.1,6-10; V. 6. Two pair of shortrounded barbel s on lower chin,maxi1 lary barbels nearly aslong as the head. Dorsal <strong>and</strong>pectoral fins without firstrays el onga ted separate <strong>sea</strong><strong>catfish</strong> from <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>with elongated firstrays. Body is elongated,steel -blue above <strong>and</strong> sil verybe1 ow. Maximum 1 engthb95 mm(Perret et a1 . 1971).- B. marinus: 0.1, 7; A. 22-28;P.1, 11-14; V. 6. Two pairflattened barbels on lowerchin <strong>and</strong> maxillary barbelsreach nearly to ventral fins.IMPORTANCEFirst rays of dorsal <strong>and</strong> finshave elongated white f i 1 amen tequal to or exceeding spinallength. Anal fin with prominentV-shaped indentation onposterior margin (Merriman1940). Body robust steel-bluedorsally, <strong>and</strong> white ventrally.Maximum length 571 mm (Jones etal. 1978).Sea <strong>catfish</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>are not favored sport orfoodfishes ; however, their widespreaddistribution <strong>and</strong> abundance along thenearshore coast from southern Fl oridato western Texas cause them to rankhigh in trawl <strong>and</strong> saltwater anglercatches in the Gulf of Mexico. Anglersurveys along the northern gulf coastranked <strong>sea</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>harvest usually 2nd or 3rd <strong>and</strong> no lowerthan 13th among allfishes. Industrialsaltwater fin<strong>and</strong>commercialcatches of these two species are purposefully low because areas with highabundance are avoided unless sui tab1 ehigher valued fishes co-exist. Catfishare usually culled from trawl catchesbecause of low consumer acceptance inpet food products or as human food fish(Benson 1982). L<strong>and</strong>ings of <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>represented less than 2% of the weightin industrial bottom trawl' fi.sheriesalthough exploratory trawl surveys onindustrial trawl grounds revealed <strong>sea</strong><strong>catfish</strong> to comprise from 2% to 36% ofthe weight of bottom fishes (Ragan eta1 . 1978; Roi thmayr 1965). Gafftopsail<strong>catfish</strong> taken incidentally in menhadenpurse seine operations are marketed asfood fish in Mississippi (Franks et al.1972). Commercial fisheries catchstatistics probably far underestimatethe actual poundages of <strong>sea</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>gafftopsail</strong><strong>catfish</strong>es harvested, removed,or destroyed during fishing operations.Commercial <strong>and</strong> sport fi shennenconsider the <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> <strong>and</strong>especially the <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> to be125.4 rnm = 1 inch.
nuisances <strong>and</strong> dangerous. Commercialfishermen have difficulties in removingfish entangled by their spinesin nets <strong>and</strong> pump hoses (Benson 1982).The toxic substances from spine puncturesby <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> ranked high invirulence when compared to largersize freshwater ( Ictalurus) <strong>catfish</strong>es(Halstead et a1 . 1953; Birkhead 1972).The excessive sl imy mucus given off by<strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> was a problem innets <strong>and</strong> to humans h<strong>and</strong>ling this fish(Gudger 1916). Sport fishermen of tencatch these abundant ari id <strong>catfish</strong>es<strong>and</strong> consider them a nuisance when theyare fishing for more desirable speciesin coastal areas.The oral gestation behavior ofmale <strong>sea</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>carrying fertil ized eggs, larvae, <strong>and</strong>small juveniles in their mouths hasbeen of scientific interest (Gudger1916; Lee 1937; Merriman 1940). Also,the eggs of these two species are thelargest of all boney fishes (Merriman1940).LIFE HISTORYSpawningSea <strong>catfish</strong> reach sexual maturitybefore 2 years of age (Benson 1982).The smallest mature <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>examined by Merriman (1940) was agravid femal'e 265 mm st<strong>and</strong>ard length(SL). Lee (1937) found a 126mm SLgravid female <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>, but shestated that 150 mm SL was the minimumsize at which sexual differences werenoted in pelvic fins of males orfemales. Merriman (1940) thought thatsize of first sexual maturity forfemale <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> ranged from 120 to200 mm SL with most fish maturing atlarger sizes. He found several 190- to200-mm SL immature ma1 es; therefore,males probably mature at sizesapproaching 250 mm SL.Ward (1957) reported greaternumbers of male <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> in aMississippi Sound spawning area inMarch <strong>and</strong> April, but sexes were equallyrepresented in May. Motile sperm werefound in males from March until mid-July. Females contained developing ovain March, April, <strong>and</strong> May. Rapid enlargementof ova by the addition ofyo1 k occurred in early June.Sea <strong>catfish</strong> spawn from May toAugust in back bays sometimes asshallow as 0.6 to 1.2 m (2 to 4 ft)with salinities from 13 to 30 ppt.Gafftopsail <strong>catfish</strong> spawn over inshoremudflats during a shorter time span(10 days) from May to August (Jones etal. 1978). Females of <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>develop f 1 apl i ke, adipose tissue onpelvic fins (Lee 1937) <strong>and</strong> pelvic finsof females of both species are largerthan pelvic fins of males (Merriman1940). Gunter (1947) speculated thatthe highly adhesive nature of extrudedeggs from <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> <strong>and</strong> the highlymodified pelvic fin flaps suggestedfertilization on <strong>and</strong> transfer from thefemale's pelvic fins to the male'smouth. The eggs might be picked upfrom s<strong>and</strong>y depressions since eggs ofthese two ariid <strong>catfish</strong> are demersal<strong>and</strong> early stages (gastrula) are notreported in col lections from ma1 es'mouth (Ward 1957). Merriman (1940) didnot believe that all mature eggs from afemale were extruded at one time.Female <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> caughton the Alabama coast in April containedwe1 l-devel oped eggs (Swingle 1971).Female <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> from the MississippiSoutld examined by Ward (1957) contained6- to 8-mm eggs in Apri 1, 9- to 14-mmeggs in rilay, <strong>and</strong> 14- to 16-mm eggs inJune <strong>and</strong> July. Ova in females duringearly June enlarged by the addition ofyo1 k <strong>and</strong> became greenish shortly beforeovulation. Male <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> containedmotile sperm from March until mid-July.Males carried developing young in their
<strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> in the 13- to 43-11 (43-TL in Julynext year.to 95 mm TLLength frequencyin Maydataof theofto 157-ft) offshore Gulf of Mexic0 <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> showed growth fromindustrial fishery. McClane (1965) a mode of 75 mm TL in July to 127 mstated that in November, Sea <strong>catfish</strong> TL (range: 95 to 167 mm TL) in<strong>and</strong> <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> migrate from September.bays <strong>and</strong> estuaries to the shallow open"ocean. They return inshore inFebruary. COMMERCI AL/SPORT FISHERYAdult <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> sometimesschool (Gunter 1938; Jones et al.1978) as do <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>(Gudger 1916). Tavol ga (1962) re1 ateddifferent sounds of <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> <strong>and</strong><strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> to their nocturnalschool ing behaviors, but founddistress sounds were similar for bothspecies. Tavol ga (1977) furtheridentified <strong>and</strong> demonstrated acousticalorientation by <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>.GROWTH CHARACTERISTICSGallaway <strong>and</strong> Strawn (1974)reported juvenile <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> inGal veston Bay, Texas, grew from 40 to44 mn SL in July 1968 to 93 mn inOctober before leaving the bay for thegulf, where 1 i ttl e winter growthoccurred. The 1967 year class (Age I)reached 111 to 130 mm SL by September1968. Gunter <strong>and</strong> Hal 1 (1963) reportedAge 0 <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> in southwesternFlorida grew to 118 to 133 mm TL whileAge I juveniles grew to 193 mm TL.Topp (1963) reported a 345-mm TL <strong>sea</strong><strong>catfish</strong> recaptured 445 days aftertagging showed a 2-mm decrease inforked length (FL).Benson (1982) stated that lifeexpectancy of <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> was only 2years with a maximum life span ofabout 5 years. Doermann et al. (1977)found from aged pectoral spines of 177<strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> collected near OceanSprings, Plississippi, that 17.1- to35.5-cm fish lived 3 to 8 growing<strong>sea</strong>sons. Swingle (1971) reported atleast three <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> age classesin Alabama inshore waters in 1968-1969. Length frequency data for Age 0<strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> revealed growth from 47 mmSea <strong>catfish</strong> commercial l<strong>and</strong>ingsinclude both <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>gafftopsail</strong><strong>catfish</strong>. Gulf of Mexico commerciall<strong>and</strong>ings of "<strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>"plotted by States for 1959 through 1967indicated 2-year trends with widefluctuations (U.S. Department ofCommerce 1959-1967). Fl orida 1 <strong>and</strong>ed257 metric tons (mt) of <strong>catfish</strong> in1960, dropped to 54 mt in 1962, <strong>and</strong>averaged 105 mt over the 9 years. Sea<strong>catfish</strong> l<strong>and</strong>ing statistics for Louisianaaveraged 33 mt over the 9 years.Two-year peak catches did not occur inthe same years as in Florida. Sea<strong>catfish</strong> l<strong>and</strong>ings averaged 22 mt forMississippi <strong>and</strong> 25 mt for Texas. Theaverage value of the catch was about 6to 9 cents per pound over the 9-yearperiod. Commercial fisheries catchdata probably underestimate the truecatches since several references(Gudger 1916; Topp 1963; Roi thmayr1965; Dunham 1972; Ragan et al. 1978)indicate that commercial fishermenconsider <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> a nuisance <strong>and</strong>discard them. Industrial bottomfishtrawl fisheries along the northern Gulfof Mexico coastal areas from westFlorida to Ship Shoals, Louisiana,probably take the largest catches of<strong>sea</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>es, especially around the Mississippi RiverDel ta. Sampl es of commercialindustrial l<strong>and</strong>ings in the northcentralGulf of Mexico indicated that<strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> made up 1% to 3% of thecatch from 1959 to 1963 (Roithmayr1965) <strong>and</strong> 3% of the catch from 1970 to1972 (Dunham 1972). Industrial bottomfishl<strong>and</strong>ings increased in Florida,Mississippi, Louisiana, <strong>and</strong> Texas forthe period 1959 through 1967. Largequantities of <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>gafftopsail</strong><strong>catfish</strong> taken in the industrial
ottom trawl fisheries of Florida,Mississippi, Louisiana, <strong>and</strong> Texas(Roithmayr 1965; Dunham 1972; Ragan etal. 1978) rnay be culled prior to1 <strong>and</strong>ing or during unloading.Although the <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> <strong>and</strong><strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> general ly are notregarded as favored food or s~ort fishby- the general public, ~c~lane'sSt<strong>and</strong>ard Fishing Encyclopedia (1965)listed <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> as "edible" <strong>and</strong>saffto~sail <strong>catfish</strong> as "a qood foodf i sh. "' Many sal twater angl Cr surveys(Tabb <strong>and</strong> Manning 1961; Jackson 1972;L<strong>and</strong>ry <strong>and</strong> Strawn 1973; Wade 1977)suggested anglers di scard bothspecies, especial ly <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>, asnuisance fish. Therefore, anglersurveys general ly underestimate abundances,catch rates, <strong>and</strong> probablyharvest of both species. A 1965sal twater angler survey (Deuel <strong>and</strong>Cl ark 1968) reported <strong>catfish</strong>es rankedsecond, making up 9% of all saltwaterfishes caught from the Florida westcoast to the Mississippi River. Fromthe Mississippi River to Texas, <strong>catfish</strong>ranked sixth, making up 3% ofsaltwater fish caught. Onsite harvestsurveys of anglers found <strong>sea</strong> <strong>and</strong><strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> ranked third <strong>and</strong>constituted 20% of the catch insouthern Florida (Tabb <strong>and</strong> Manning1961), ranked 13th <strong>and</strong> constituted 2%of the catch in Alabama (Wade 1977),ranked third <strong>and</strong> constituted 3% of thecatch in Mississippi Sound (Jackson1972), <strong>and</strong> ranked second <strong>and</strong> constituted31% of the catch in a GalvestonBay, Texas, hot-water discharge(L<strong>and</strong>ry <strong>and</strong> Strawn 1973). Juneau <strong>and</strong>Pol lard (1981) reported <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>ranked third (10%) <strong>and</strong> <strong>gafftopsail</strong><strong>catfish</strong> ranked ninth (1%) in a 2-yearrecreation angl ing survey in Vermil ionBay, Louisiana. Sea <strong>catfish</strong> areusually more abundant than <strong>gafftopsail</strong><strong>catfish</strong> along the northern Gulf ofMexico coast <strong>and</strong> both species are mostabundant off Louisiana.Analyses from a 1960 oxygendepletion die-off in southern Florida(Tabb <strong>and</strong> Manning 1961) revealed a 10to 1 ratio of <strong>sea</strong> to <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>.Trawl sampling revealed an 80 to1 <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> to <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>ratio in Alabama coastal waterways(Swingle <strong>and</strong> Bl<strong>and</strong> 1974); a 100 to 1ratio in Mississippi Sound (Franks etal. 1972); a 5 to 1, or greater, ratioin the Lake Borgne area (Rounsefell1964; Tarver <strong>and</strong> Savoie 1976); butratios .approached 2 to 1 in southwesternLouisiana inshore waters(Perret et al. 1971; Juneau 1975;Barrett et al. 1978; Perret <strong>and</strong>Cail louet 1974). Abundances of <strong>sea</strong><strong>catfish</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>reportedly decreased in trawl samplesfrom 5% in Louisiana to 2% along theTexas coast (Moore et al. 1970), butBechtel <strong>and</strong> Copel<strong>and</strong> (1970) found <strong>sea</strong><strong>catfish</strong> to be the most abundant fishduring the fall in most areas ofGalveston Bay, Texas. L<strong>and</strong>ry <strong>and</strong>Strawn (1973) found <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> made up31% of the sport catch in GalvestonBay, <strong>and</strong> outnumbered <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>82 to 1. Diener (1973) found <strong>sea</strong><strong>catfish</strong> to be the fifth most abundantfish in trawling samples in the tidalColorado River, Texas, from February toJune 1962 <strong>and</strong> 100 times more numerousthan <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>. Breuer(1962) reported <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> commonaround Port Isabel, Texas, whereas<strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> were not common.Incidental catches of fishes in 89menhaden purse seine sets along theMississippi-Louisiana coast in 1958-59(Christmas et al. 1960) revealed equalnumbers of <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>gafftopsail</strong><strong>catfish</strong> <strong>and</strong> each ranked fifth in abundance.Observers noted <strong>gafftopsail</strong><strong>catfish</strong> in twice as many sets, butpossible prior removal by fishermen of<strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> for food duringl<strong>and</strong>ings probably reduced their numbersin deck counts.Exploratory trawl sampl ing <strong>and</strong>sal twater angler surveys suggest that<strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>were abundant in estuarine <strong>and</strong> nearshoreregions from Alabama to east
Texas (Hellier 1962; Moore et a1 .1970; Ragan et al. 1978; Barrett etal. 1978). Moore et al. (1970)indicated that <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> averaged 5%of the total weight of 1962-64exploratory trawl catches a1 ong theLouisiana coast <strong>and</strong> 2% of the catchalong the Texas coast. In the spring,<strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> increased to 10% of inshore(7 to 14 m or 23 to 46 ft depth)catches but decreased to a smallpercentage of winter catches. Theydid not find that either <strong>catfish</strong>contributed over 5% by weight in any<strong>sea</strong>son at depths greater than 14 m(46 ft). Perret et al. (1971)reported <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> made up 2.5% ofthe fishes in trawl catches alorlg theLoui siana coast, <strong>and</strong> outnumbered<strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> 2 to 1. Bothspecies were most abundant aroundGr<strong>and</strong> Isle, Louisiana. Ragawet al.(1978) reported greater percentages of<strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> in catches on Louisianawestern shel f waters (88" to 93"longitude) at depths to 18 m (59 ft).Sea <strong>catfish</strong> abundance on the easternshelf inner zone reached 37% (firstranked) in the summer, but dropped to8% in the winter, averaging 24%over a1 1 <strong>sea</strong>sons. Abundance neverreached 5% in depths 24 to 100 m (79to 328 ft). Sea <strong>catfish</strong> <strong>sea</strong>sonal <strong>and</strong>depth distribution patterns weresimilar on the western Louisiana shelfarea. Ragan et al. (1978) calculatedthe abundance of <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> in allzones <strong>and</strong> areas as 10% of catches.The high numbers of <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> in thewestern shel f <strong>and</strong> small er populationsof Atlantic croakers l i m i t industrialbottom fishing west of Ship Shoals,Louisiana. Benson (1982) stated that<strong>catfish</strong> spine regurgitation by petsadversely affects consumer reaction to<strong>catfish</strong> uses in the pet food industry.Commercial fishermen found <strong>catfish</strong> tocause problems because of entanglementin nets <strong>and</strong> pump hoses (Benson 1982).ECOLOGICAL ROLESea <strong>catfish</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>,as opportunistic feeders overmud <strong>and</strong> submerged s<strong>and</strong> flats (Gudger1916), maintain relatively high abundancein most' northern Gulf of Mexicoestuarine <strong>and</strong> inshore areas. Diets of<strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> are similar(Merriman 1940). A1 gae, <strong>sea</strong> grasses,coel entrates, holothurians, gastropods,polychaetes, crustaceans (shrimp,crabs), <strong>and</strong> fishes were common items instomachs of both species. Large fishscales <strong>and</strong> human garbage in somestomachs indicated scavenging in bothspecies (Merriman 1940). Severalauthors (Gudger 1916; Gunter 1945;Darnel 1 1961; McCl ane 1965; Gal laway<strong>and</strong> Strawn 1974) indicated blue crabswere a principal food item of <strong>sea</strong> <strong>and</strong><strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>es. Gal 1 away <strong>and</strong>Strawn (1974) reported that <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>concentrated at a hot-water dischargeto feed on discharged impinged preyorganisms <strong>and</strong> small blue crabs when thewater temperature remained be1 ow 38°C.After finding that 50% of the <strong>sea</strong><strong>catfish</strong> caught in a stationary wing-netin a 4-hour evening period containedjuvenile <strong>and</strong> sub-adul t brown shrimp,Harris <strong>and</strong> Rose (1968) expressed concernover the possible impact by thisfish on commercially important shrimppopulations. However, they recognizedthat- net capture of shrimp <strong>and</strong> <strong>sea</strong><strong>catfish</strong> could a1 ter predation estimatesfrom those in open waters. Ward (1957)reported <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> concentrating neara shrimp cannery at Biloxi Bay, Mississippi.Juvenile <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> have beenreported to feed on microcrustaceanswhile still being carried in males'mouths (Merriman 1940). Darnel 1 (1961)reported that larger juvenile <strong>sea</strong><strong>catfish</strong> stomachs contained 56% organicdetritus, 26% microinvertebrates, <strong>and</strong>16% larger invertebrates. He foundadult <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> eat 44% organicdetritus, 34% 1 arge invertebrates, <strong>and</strong>21% microinvertebrates. Reid et al.(1956) reported organic debris, crabs,menhaden, <strong>and</strong> worm eels in stomachs offour <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> 235 to 298 mm(9.2 to 11.7 inches) long from EastBay, Galveston, Texas. Merriman (1940)
speculated that fishes found in <strong>sea</strong><strong>and</strong> <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> stomachs mayhave been picked up from fishennendiscards. Hoese (1966) observedlepidophogy, or scale feeding, as we1 1as <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> attacking fins of otherfishes.Fuel oil at concentrations of0.02 ml/l water did not affect feedingbehavior of <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>, but 0.08 ml/lwater caused <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> to regurgitateconsumed foods <strong>and</strong> lose mucuslayers in stomachs (Wang <strong>and</strong> Nicol1977). Sea <strong>catfish</strong> heart rates slowedat 0.01 ml fuel oil/l water <strong>and</strong> thelethal concentration for 50% of thefish tested for 96 hours was 0.14 mlfuel oil/l water.Sea <strong>catfish</strong> have been reported asprey for longnose gar (Darnel1 1961).Dugas (1975) captured twice as many<strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> at night than during theday by trawl <strong>and</strong> stated that they are1 argely scavengers. Fishermen uselive <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> as bait for largecobia at oil rigs off the Louisianacoast.ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTSTemperatureAdul t <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> prefer watertemperatures' above 25°C (77°F) (Joneset al. 1978), but avoid waters over37°C (99°F) (L<strong>and</strong>ry <strong>and</strong> Strawn 1973;Gallaway <strong>and</strong> Strawn 1974). Sea <strong>catfish</strong>were collected from 38" to 39°C(100" to 102°F) effluent but some fishwere observed in apparent thermalshock (Gallaway <strong>and</strong> Strawn 1974). Sea<strong>catfish</strong> leave inshore areas for deeperchannel s (Swingle 1971) or offshoreareas when water temperatures dropbelow 5" to 6°C (41 to 43°F) (Perretet a1 . 1971; Juneau 1975). Barrett etal. (1978) found that the <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>trawl catch along the Louisiana coastwas re1 a ted to water te~nperatu resbetween 10" <strong>and</strong> 20°C (50" to 68°F).Juvenile <strong>and</strong> adult <strong>gafftopsail</strong><strong>catfish</strong> prefer water temperatures 25°C(77°F) <strong>and</strong> higher (Perret et al. 1971;Juneau 1975). Barrett et al. (1978)found <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> to be absentfrom 16-ft exploratory trawl ing samplesat temperatures below 16.6"C (62°F) <strong>and</strong>Perret et al. (1971) caught only onespecimen at a temperature below 20°C(68°F). Comparatively, a catch of2,227 <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> was takenfrom 20" to 34.9"C (68" to 95°F) water.Sal ini tyAdul t <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> have beencaptured from waters with sal ini tiesranging from 0 to 40 ppt (Jones et al.1978). Harvey (1972) reported yo1 k-saclarvae found in the mouth of males inwater salinities 8.3 to 12.8 ppt;juveniles were collected in 16.7 to28.3 ppt salinities. Gunter <strong>and</strong> Hall(1965) found juveniles in water with0.1 ppt sal i ni ty. Juveni 1 es arereported to be more numerous thanadults in low salinity waters (Swingle<strong>and</strong> Bl<strong>and</strong> 1974; Kelley 1965; Tarver <strong>and</strong>Savoie 1976; Jones et al. 1978).Perret et a1 . (1971) captured the most<strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> at salinities 10 ppt orhigher. Gunter (1945) col 1 ected <strong>sea</strong><strong>catfish</strong> at salinity ranges of 2 to 36.7ppt, but the greatest abundanceoccurred above 30 ppt.Adult <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> havebeen recorded from freshwater, but aremore abundant in salinities of 5 to 30ppt (Perret et al. 1971; Jones et al.1978). Juvenile <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>have been collected in salinities of0.2 ppt (Gunter <strong>and</strong> Hal 1 1965), 2.5 ppt(Kelley 1965), 3.3 ppt (Tarver <strong>and</strong>Savoie 1976), up to 25 ppt (Swingle <strong>and</strong>Bl<strong>and</strong> 1974), <strong>and</strong> 33 ppt (gulf sal ini ty)when juvenil es leave A1 abama bays
(Swingle 1971) <strong>and</strong> Texas bays (Gunter1945).Di ssol ved OxygenBenson (1982) cited Adkins <strong>and</strong>Boman (1976) as collecting <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>from closed canals with lowoxygen concentrations. Tabb <strong>and</strong>Manning (1961) reported <strong>sea</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>gafftopsail</strong><strong>catfish</strong> killed by total oxygendepletion in two Florida baysfollowing Hurricane Donna in 1960.Parental care of <strong>sea</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>gafftopsail</strong><strong>catfish</strong> eggs would reduce the potentialimpacts of reduced oxygen levels<strong>and</strong> sediments.SubstrateReid (1957), Ragan et a1 . (1978),<strong>and</strong> Shipp (1981) reported <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>abundance higher in areas with highorganic substrates. Darnel 1 (1961)<strong>and</strong> Reid et al. (1956) reported <strong>sea</strong><strong>catfish</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>stomachs to contain quantities oforganic detritus along with invertebratesassociated wi th organic substrate.Artificial food sources from<strong>sea</strong>food processing plants <strong>and</strong>associated docking facilities as we1 1as warmwater di scharges containingimpinged organisms can createlocalized <strong>sea</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong>concentrations independent o fsubstrate.DepthDepth preferences of <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong><strong>and</strong> <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> appear to berelated to water temperatures <strong>and</strong>bottom composition. Both speciesbegin moving offshore or into warmerwaters associated with deep channels(Swingle 1971) . as water temperaturesdrop below 10" to 15°C (50" to 59°F)in late fall only to return in sprirlgwhen temperatures rise above theselevels. Higher abundances in shallow(
<strong>catfish</strong> produce "percolator" chorusesfrom 1700 to 2250 during April throughOctober. A summer lull occurs in July<strong>and</strong> August when light intensity fallsbelow 1900 fc (Breder 1968). Soundorientation <strong>and</strong> communication, alongwith highly developed 01 factory senses,would be especially useful in turbidwaters .Hoese et al. (1968) reportedthat general ly high nocturnal trawlcatches of <strong>sea</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>gafftopsail</strong> cat-fishes dropped off in August 1964because of high turbidity <strong>and</strong> possiblechanges in fjsh sizes. L<strong>and</strong>ry <strong>and</strong>Strawn's (1973) Texas creel census datashow <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> catch rates increasedin March 1969 even though catch ratesfor the five other major speciesdecreased because of rough, murkywaters . Gunter (1947) col 1 ectedbreeding <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> from rapidlyrising, turbid waters in a 0.6- to 3-rn(2- to 10-ft) deep pass in Copano Bay,Texas .
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10272 -101REPORT DOCUMENTATION .';'EmRT NO. 1 3. Recipient's Accers~on NOPAGE . .1 FWSIOBS-82/11.5 * II I I4. Title <strong>and</strong> Subtltlc I 5. Repon DateSpecies Profiles: Life Histories <strong>and</strong> Environmental Requirements I October 19833f Coastal Fishes <strong>and</strong> Invertebrates (Gulf of Mexico) -- Sea Catfishind Gafftopsail Catfish -7. Author(s)Robert J. Muncy <strong>and</strong> William M.9. Pcrlonning Organization Name <strong>and</strong> AddressMississi~~i Cooperative Fish <strong>and</strong> Wild1 ife Re<strong>sea</strong>rch Unit142 orm mail Hall'Mississippi State UniversityMississippi State, MS 39762Wingo- I,8. Pedormtng Organizatmon Rept. NO10. Pro,ect/Task/Work Unit No.12. Swnsoring Organization Name <strong>and</strong> Address<strong>National</strong> Coastal Ecosystems Team U.S. Army Corps of EngineersFish <strong>and</strong> Wildlife ServiceWaterways Experiment StationU.S. Department of the Interior P.O. Box 631Washington, DC 20240 Vicksburg, MS 3918015. Supplementary Notes*U.S.Army Corps of Engineers report No. TR EL-82-413. Type of Repen B Period Covered14.16. Abstract (Limit: ZW words)Species profiles are literature summaries of the taxonomy, morphology, range, life history,<strong>and</strong> environmental requirements of coastal aquatic species. They are designed to assist inenvironmental impact assessment. Sea <strong>catfish</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> are not-preferred sportnor commercial fish; however, their high abundance inshore along the northern Gulf of Mexicocauses them to rank 2nd or 3rd <strong>and</strong> no lower than 13th of all saltwater finfish in anglersurveys. Sea <strong>catfish</strong> comprised less than 2% in industrial bottom trawl fisheries althoughsurveys in depths to 20 m revealed they comprised 2% to 36%, by weight, of the bottom fishes.Sea <strong>catfish</strong> attain sexual maturity before 2 years of age, <strong>and</strong> spawn from May to August inshallow bays. Adult males do not feed for 60 to 80 days while carrying fertilized eggs <strong>and</strong>sac-fry in their mouths. Juveniles remain in low-salinity estuaries until decreasing watertemperatures cause movements into deeper channels <strong>and</strong> offshore waters. Adult fish preferwater temperatures above 250C but remain inshore at temperatures above 10oC. Sea <strong>catfish</strong><strong>and</strong> <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> have been collected from waters with salinities ranging from 0 to30 ppt, but prefer water salinities above 10 ppt. Water depth preferences of <strong>sea</strong> <strong>catfish</strong><strong>and</strong> <strong>gafftopsail</strong> <strong>catfish</strong> appear related to water temperature, salinity, <strong>and</strong> bottom substrate.As juveniles, both species are opportunistic feeders utilizing microcrustaceans, <strong>and</strong> asadults, they feed upon detritus, microcrustaceans, <strong>and</strong> larger invertebrates. Blue crabs <strong>and</strong>shrimp are considered major food items.L7. Document Analysis a. DescriptorsEstuariesFi shesGrowthFeedingb. ldentlf@en/Open-Ended TermsSea <strong>catfish</strong>-- Arius felisGafftopsail <strong>catfish</strong>Barge marinusSalinity requirementsTemperature requirementsHabitat requirementsLife historyc COSATI Fleld/Group1 8. Avanlab8lrty Statement , 19 Security Class (This Report' 21 NO of pagerUnl imi ted , Unwsified 17 --20 Security Class (This Page) ' 22 PriceUnclassified?e ANSI-Z39.iEj OPTIONAL FORM 272 (4-77(Formerly NTIS-251Department of Commerce
REGION 1Regional DirectorU.S. Fish <strong>and</strong> Wildlife ServiceLloyd Five Hundred Building, Suite 1692500 N.E. Multnornah StreetPortl<strong>and</strong>, Oregon 97232REGION 2 REGION 3Regional DirectorRegional DirectorU.S. Fish <strong>and</strong> Wildlife ServiceU.S. Fish <strong>and</strong> Wildlife ServiceP.O. Box 1306Federal Building, Fort SnellingAlbuquerque, New Mexico 87 103 Twin Cities, Minnesota 55 1 1 1REGION 4Regional DirectorU.S. Fish <strong>and</strong> Wildlife ServiceRichard B. Russell Building75 Spring Street, S.W.Atlanta, Georgia 30303REGION 5 REGION 6Regional DirectorRegional DirectorU.S. Fish <strong>and</strong> Wildlife ServiceU.S. Fish <strong>and</strong> Wildlife ServiceOne Gateway Center P.O. Box 25486Newton Corner, Massachusetts 02158 Denver Federal CenterDenver, Colorado 80225REGION 7Regional DirectorU.S. Fish <strong>and</strong> Wildlife Service101 1 E. Tudor RoadAnchorage, Alaska 99503
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORU.S. FISH 1 0 WILDLIFE SERVICEAs the Nation's principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has responsibilityfor most of our ,nationally owned public l<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> natural resources. This includesfostering the wisest use of our l<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> water resources, protecting our fish <strong>and</strong> wildlife,preserving theenvironmental <strong>and</strong> cultural values of our national parks <strong>and</strong> historical places,<strong>and</strong> providing for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation. The Department assessesour energy <strong>and</strong> mineral resources <strong>and</strong> works to assure that their development is inthe best interests of all our people. The Department also has a major responsibility forAmerican Indian reservation communities <strong>and</strong> for people who live in isl<strong>and</strong> territories underU.S. administration.