sea catfish and gafftopsail catfish - USGS National Wetlands ...

FWS/OBS-82/11.5TR EL-82-4October 1983Species Profiles: Life Histories and Environmental Requirementsof Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates (Gulf of Mexico)SEA CATFISHANDGAFFTOPSAIL CATFISHRobert J. MuncyandWilliam M. WingoMississippi Cooperative Fish and W i l dl ife Research Unit142 Dorman HallMississippi State UniversityMississippi State, MS 39762Project ManagerLarry ShanksProject OfficerNorman BensonNational Coastal Ecosystems TeamU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service1010 Gause BoulevardSl idel 1, LA 70458This study was conductedin cooperation withCoastal Ecology GroupU.S. Army Corps of EngineersWaterways Experiment StationPerformed forNational Coastal Ecosys tems TeamDivision of Biological ServicesFish and 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 ................................... 4FecundityandEggs .............................. 5Yo1 k-Sac Larvae ............................... 5Larvae .................................... 5JuvenilesandAdults ............................. 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, and biologists with a briefcomprehensive sketch of the bi 01 ogical characteristics and envi ronmental requi rementsof the species and 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, and 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 and financed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineersand the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.Suggestions or questions regarding this report should be directed to:Information Transfer SpecialistNational Coastal Ecosystems TeamU.S. Fish and 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 and Wildlife Service. 1983. Species profiles: life histories andenvironmental requi rements of coastal fishes and invertebrates. 1J.S. Fishand 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., and W.M. Wingo. 1983. Species profiles: life histories andenvironmental requirements of coastal fishes and invertebrates (Gulf ofMexico) -- sea catfish and gafftopsail catfish. U.S. Fish and 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, and by William Perrett, Louisiana Wildlife and FisheriesDepartment, New Orleans.

Figure 1. Sea catfish (top) and gafftopsail catfish (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 andVal enciennesGal eich thys .............. Cuvi er andVal enciennesAriopsi s fel is (L.) ......Taylor andMenezes--Arius fel is (L.) .............MillerPreferred common name ..... sea catfish(Figure 1, Top)Other common names ......... Smallmouthcatfish, silver catfish, hardhead,tourist troutScientific name ........ Bagre marinus(Mitchill)~ilurus marinus ............I'litchi11(type localit. NY).......................... OkenBagrePreferred common name ..... gafftopsai 1catfish (Figure 1, Bottom)Other common names ..Bigmouth catfish,gafftop

Class ....................Order ....................Family ........................OsteichthyesSiluriformesAriidaeGeographic range: Sea catfish.Atlantic coastal waters from CapeCod, Massachusetts, to Yucatan,Mexico. Rarely north of ChesapeakeBay (Merriman 1940).Occasional ly enters freshwater(Platania and Ross 1980). Gafftopsailcatfish. Coastal watersfrom Cape Cod, Massachusetts, toPanama, and throughout the Gulfof Mexico (Briggs 1958). Gunter(1942) reported it in freshwater.The principal estuarine andcoastal 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 andpectoral fins, adipose fins, and aforked caudal fin are marine catfishfeatures common with freshwater catfishes(Ictalurus). No barbels onnostril s, steel blue-gray dorsally,and silvery sides (Hoese and Moore1977) are distinctive marine catfishfeatures.-- 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 andpectoral fins without firstrays el onga ted separate seacatfish from gafftopsail catfishwith elongated firstrays. Body is elongated,steel -blue above and 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 and maxillary barbelsreach nearly to ventral fins.IMPORTANCEFirst rays of dorsal and 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, and white ventrally.Maximum length 571 mm (Jones etal. 1978).Sea catfish and gafftopsail catfishare not favored sport orfoodfishes ; however, their widespreaddistribution and abundance along thenearshore coast from southern Fl oridato western Texas cause them to rankhigh in trawl and saltwater anglercatches in the Gulf of Mexico. Anglersurveys along the northern gulf coastranked sea and gafftopsail catfishharvest usually 2nd or 3rd and no lowerthan 13th among allfishes. Industrialsaltwater finandcommercialcatches 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). Landings of sea catfishrepresented less than 2% of the weightin industrial bottom trawl' fi.sheriesalthough exploratory trawl surveys onindustrial trawl grounds revealed seacatfish to comprise from 2% to 36% ofthe weight of bottom fishes (Ragan eta1 . 1978; Roi thmayr 1965). Gafftopsailcatfish 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 sea and gafftopsailcatfishes harvested, removed,or destroyed during fishing operations.Commercial and sport fi shennenconsider the gafftopsail catfish andespecially the sea catfish to be125.4 rnm = 1 inch.

nuisances and dangerous. Commercialfishermen have difficulties in removingfish entangled by their spinesin nets and pump hoses (Benson 1982).The toxic substances from spine puncturesby sea catfish ranked high invirulence when compared to largersize freshwater ( Ictalurus) catfishes(Halstead et a1 . 1953; Birkhead 1972).The excessive sl imy mucus given off bygafftopsail catfish was a problem innets and to humans handling this fish(Gudger 1916). Sport fishermen of tencatch these abundant ari id catfishesand consider them a nuisance when theyare fishing for more desirable speciesin coastal areas.The oral gestation behavior ofmale sea and gafftopsail catfishcarrying fertil ized eggs, larvae, andsmall 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 catfish reach sexual maturitybefore 2 years of age (Benson 1982).The smallest mature gafftopsail catfishexamined by Merriman (1940) was agravid femal'e 265 mm standard length(SL). Lee (1937) found a 126mm SLgravid female sea catfish, 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 sea catfish 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 sea catfish in aMississippi Sound spawning area inMarch and April, but sexes were equallyrepresented in May. Motile sperm werefound in males from March until mid-July. Females contained developing ovain March, April, and May. Rapid enlargementof ova by the addition ofyo1 k occurred in early June.Sea catfish 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 catfish spawn over inshoremudflats during a shorter time span(10 days) from May to August (Jones etal. 1978). Females of sea catfishdevelop f 1 apl i ke, adipose tissue onpelvic fins (Lee 1937) and pelvic finsof females of both species are largerthan pelvic fins of males (Merriman1940). Gunter (1947) speculated thatthe highly adhesive nature of extrudedeggs from sea catfish and the highlymodified pelvic fin flaps suggestedfertilization on and transfer from thefemale's pelvic fins to the male'smouth. The eggs might be picked upfrom sandy depressions since eggs ofthese two ariid catfish are demersaland 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 gafftopsail catfish caughton the Alabama coast in April containedwe1 l-devel oped eggs (Swingle 1971).Female sea catfish from the MississippiSoutld examined by Ward (1957) contained6- to 8-mm eggs in Apri 1, 9- to 14-mmeggs in rilay, and 14- to 16-mm eggs inJune and July. Ova in females duringearly June enlarged by the addition ofyo1 k and became greenish shortly beforeovulation. Male sea catfish containedmotile sperm from March until mid-July.Males carried developing young in their

sea catfish in the 13- to 43-11 (43-TL in Julynext year.to 95 mm TLLength frequencyin Maydataof theofto 157-ft) offshore Gulf of Mexic0 gafftopsail catfish showed growth fromindustrial fishery. McClane (1965) a mode of 75 mm TL in July to 127 mstated that in November, Sea catfish TL (range: 95 to 167 mm TL) inand gafftopsail catfish migrate from September.bays and estuaries to the shallow open"ocean. They return inshore inFebruary. COMMERCI AL/SPORT FISHERYAdult sea catfish sometimesschool (Gunter 1938; Jones et al.1978) as do gafftopsail catfish(Gudger 1916). Tavol ga (1962) re1 ateddifferent sounds of sea catfish andgafftopsail catfish to their nocturnalschool ing behaviors, but founddistress sounds were similar for bothspecies. Tavol ga (1977) furtheridentified and demonstrated acousticalorientation by sea catfish.GROWTH CHARACTERISTICSGallaway and Strawn (1974)reported juvenile sea catfish 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 and Hal 1 (1963) reportedAge 0 sea catfish in southwesternFlorida grew to 118 to 133 mm TL whileAge I juveniles grew to 193 mm TL.Topp (1963) reported a 345-mm TL seacatfish recaptured 445 days aftertagging showed a 2-mm decrease inforked length (FL).Benson (1982) stated that lifeexpectancy of sea catfish was only 2years with a maximum life span ofabout 5 years. Doermann et al. (1977)found from aged pectoral spines of 177sea catfish collected near OceanSprings, Plississippi, that 17.1- to35.5-cm fish lived 3 to 8 growingseasons. Swingle (1971) reported atleast three sea catfish age classesin Alabama inshore waters in 1968-1969. Length frequency data for Age 0sea catfish revealed growth from 47 mmSea catfish commercial landingsinclude both sea catfish and gafftopsailcatfish. Gulf of Mexico commerciallandings of "sea catfish"plotted by States for 1959 through 1967indicated 2-year trends with widefluctuations (U.S. Department ofCommerce 1959-1967). Fl orida 1 anded257 metric tons (mt) of catfish in1960, dropped to 54 mt in 1962, andaveraged 105 mt over the 9 years. Seacatfish landing statistics for Louisianaaveraged 33 mt over the 9 years.Two-year peak catches did not occur inthe same years as in Florida. Seacatfish landings averaged 22 mt forMississippi and 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 sea catfish a nuisance anddiscard them. Industrial bottomfishtrawl fisheries along the northern Gulfof Mexico coastal areas from westFlorida to Ship Shoals, Louisiana,probably take the largest catches ofsea and gafftopsail catfishes, especially around the Mississippi RiverDel ta. Sampl es of commercialindustrial landings in the northcentralGulf of Mexico indicated thatsea catfish made up 1% to 3% of thecatch from 1959 to 1963 (Roithmayr1965) and 3% of the catch from 1970 to1972 (Dunham 1972). Industrial bottomfishlandings increased in Florida,Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas forthe period 1959 through 1967. Largequantities of sea catfish and gafftopsailcatfish taken in the industrial

ottom trawl fisheries of Florida,Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas(Roithmayr 1965; Dunham 1972; Ragan etal. 1978) rnay be culled prior to1 anding or during unloading.Although the sea catfish andgafftopsail catfish general ly are notregarded as favored food or s~ort fishby- the general public, ~c~lane'sStandard Fishing Encyclopedia (1965)listed sea catfish as "edible" andsaffto~sail catfish as "a qood foodf i sh. "' Many sal twater angl Cr surveys(Tabb and Manning 1961; Jackson 1972;Landry and Strawn 1973; Wade 1977)suggested anglers di scard bothspecies, especial ly sea catfish, asnuisance fish. Therefore, anglersurveys general ly underestimate abundances,catch rates, and probablyharvest of both species. A 1965sal twater angler survey (Deuel andCl ark 1968) reported catfishes rankedsecond, making up 9% of all saltwaterfishes caught from the Florida westcoast to the Mississippi River. Fromthe Mississippi River to Texas, catfishranked sixth, making up 3% ofsaltwater fish caught. Onsite harvestsurveys of anglers found sea andgafftopsail catfish ranked third andconstituted 20% of the catch insouthern Florida (Tabb and Manning1961), ranked 13th and constituted 2%of the catch in Alabama (Wade 1977),ranked third and constituted 3% of thecatch in Mississippi Sound (Jackson1972), and ranked second and constituted31% of the catch in a GalvestonBay, Texas, hot-water discharge(Landry and Strawn 1973). Juneau andPol lard (1981) reported sea catfishranked third (10%) and gafftopsailcatfish ranked ninth (1%) in a 2-yearrecreation angl ing survey in Vermil ionBay, Louisiana. Sea catfish areusually more abundant than gafftopsailcatfish along the northern Gulf ofMexico coast and both species are mostabundant off Louisiana.Analyses from a 1960 oxygendepletion die-off in southern Florida(Tabb and Manning 1961) revealed a 10to 1 ratio of sea to gafftopsail catfish.Trawl sampling revealed an 80 to1 sea catfish to gafftopsail catfishratio in Alabama coastal waterways(Swingle and Bland 1974); a 100 to 1ratio in Mississippi Sound (Franks etal. 1972); a 5 to 1, or greater, ratioin the Lake Borgne area (Rounsefell1964; Tarver and Savoie 1976); butratios .approached 2 to 1 in southwesternLouisiana inshore waters(Perret et al. 1971; Juneau 1975;Barrett et al. 1978; Perret andCail louet 1974). Abundances of seacatfish and gafftopsail catfishreportedly decreased in trawl samplesfrom 5% in Louisiana to 2% along theTexas coast (Moore et al. 1970), butBechtel and Copeland (1970) found seacatfish to be the most abundant fishduring the fall in most areas ofGalveston Bay, Texas. Landry andStrawn (1973) found sea catfish made up31% of the sport catch in GalvestonBay, and outnumbered gafftopsail catfish82 to 1. Diener (1973) found seacatfish to be the fifth most abundantfish in trawling samples in the tidalColorado River, Texas, from February toJune 1962 and 100 times more numerousthan gafftopsail catfish. Breuer(1962) reported sea catfish commonaround Port Isabel, Texas, whereasgafftopsail catfish 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 sea catfish and gafftopsailcatfish and each ranked fifth in abundance.Observers noted gafftopsailcatfish in twice as many sets, butpossible prior removal by fishermen ofgafftopsail catfish for food duringlandings probably reduced their numbersin deck counts.Exploratory trawl sampl ing andsal twater angler surveys suggest thatsea catfish and gafftopsail catfishwere abundant in estuarine and 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 sea catfish averaged 5%of the total weight of 1962-64exploratory trawl catches a1 ong theLouisiana coast and 2% of the catchalong the Texas coast. In the spring,sea catfish 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 catfishcontributed over 5% by weight in anyseason at depths greater than 14 m(46 ft). Perret et al. (1971)reported sea catfish made up 2.5% ofthe fishes in trawl catches alorlg theLoui siana coast, and outnumberedgafftopsail catfish 2 to 1. Bothspecies were most abundant aroundGrand Isle, Louisiana. Ragawet al.(1978) reported greater percentages ofsea catfish in catches on Louisianawestern shel f waters (88" to 93"longitude) at depths to 18 m (59 ft).Sea catfish abundance on the easternshelf inner zone reached 37% (firstranked) in the summer, but dropped to8% in the winter, averaging 24%over a1 1 seasons. Abundance neverreached 5% in depths 24 to 100 m (79to 328 ft). Sea catfish seasonal anddepth distribution patterns weresimilar on the western Louisiana shelfarea. Ragan et al. (1978) calculatedthe abundance of sea catfish in allzones and areas as 10% of catches.The high numbers of sea catfish in thewestern shel f and small er populationsof Atlantic croakers l i m i t industrialbottom fishing west of Ship Shoals,Louisiana. Benson (1982) stated thatcatfish spine regurgitation by petsadversely affects consumer reaction tocatfish uses in the pet food industry.Commercial fishermen found catfish tocause problems because of entanglementin nets and pump hoses (Benson 1982).ECOLOGICAL ROLESea catfish and gafftopsail catfish,as opportunistic feeders overmud and submerged sand flats (Gudger1916), maintain relatively high abundancein most' northern Gulf of Mexicoestuarine and inshore areas. Diets ofgafftopsail and sea catfish are similar(Merriman 1940). A1 gae, sea grasses,coel entrates, holothurians, gastropods,polychaetes, crustaceans (shrimp,crabs), and fishes were common items instomachs of both species. Large fishscales and human garbage in somestomachs indicated scavenging in bothspecies (Merriman 1940). Severalauthors (Gudger 1916; Gunter 1945;Darnel 1 1961; McCl ane 1965; Gal lawayand Strawn 1974) indicated blue crabswere a principal food item of sea andgafftopsail catfishes. Gal 1 away andStrawn (1974) reported that sea catfishconcentrated at a hot-water dischargeto feed on discharged impinged preyorganisms and small blue crabs when thewater temperature remained be1 ow 38°C.After finding that 50% of the seacatfish caught in a stationary wing-netin a 4-hour evening period containedjuvenile and sub-adul t brown shrimp,Harris and Rose (1968) expressed concernover the possible impact by thisfish on commercially important shrimppopulations. However, they recognizedthat- net capture of shrimp and seacatfish could a1 ter predation estimatesfrom those in open waters. Ward (1957)reported sea catfish concentrating neara shrimp cannery at Biloxi Bay, Mississippi.Juvenile sea catfish have beenreported to feed on microcrustaceanswhile still being carried in males'mouths (Merriman 1940). Darnel 1 (1961)reported that larger juvenile seacatfish stomachs contained 56% organicdetritus, 26% microinvertebrates, and16% larger invertebrates. He foundadult sea catfish eat 44% organicdetritus, 34% 1 arge invertebrates, and21% microinvertebrates. Reid et al.(1956) reported organic debris, crabs,menhaden, and worm eels in stomachs offour gafftopsail catfish 235 to 298 mm(9.2 to 11.7 inches) long from EastBay, Galveston, Texas. Merriman (1940)

speculated that fishes found in seaand gafftopsail catfish stomachs mayhave been picked up from fishennendiscards. Hoese (1966) observedlepidophogy, or scale feeding, as we1 1as sea catfish attacking fins of otherfishes.Fuel oil at concentrations of0.02 ml/l water did not affect feedingbehavior of sea catfish, but 0.08 ml/lwater caused sea catfish to regurgitateconsumed foods and lose mucuslayers in stomachs (Wang and Nicol1977). Sea catfish heart rates slowedat 0.01 ml fuel oil/l water and thelethal concentration for 50% of thefish tested for 96 hours was 0.14 mlfuel oil/l water.Sea catfish have been reported asprey for longnose gar (Darnel1 1961).Dugas (1975) captured twice as manysea catfish at night than during theday by trawl and stated that they are1 argely scavengers. Fishermen uselive sea catfish as bait for largecobia at oil rigs off the Louisianacoast.ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTSTemperatureAdul t sea catfish prefer watertemperatures' above 25°C (77°F) (Joneset al. 1978), but avoid waters over37°C (99°F) (Landry and Strawn 1973;Gallaway and Strawn 1974). Sea catfishwere collected from 38" to 39°C(100" to 102°F) effluent but some fishwere observed in apparent thermalshock (Gallaway and Strawn 1974). Seacatfish 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 sea catfishtrawl catch along the Louisiana coastwas re1 a ted to water te~nperatu resbetween 10" and 20°C (50" to 68°F).Juvenile and adult gafftopsailcatfish prefer water temperatures 25°C(77°F) and higher (Perret et al. 1971;Juneau 1975). Barrett et al. (1978)found gafftopsail catfish to be absentfrom 16-ft exploratory trawl ing samplesat temperatures below 16.6"C (62°F) andPerret et al. (1971) caught only onespecimen at a temperature below 20°C(68°F). Comparatively, a catch of2,227 gafftopsail catfish was takenfrom 20" to 34.9"C (68" to 95°F) water.Sal ini tyAdul t sea catfish 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 and 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 (Swingleand Bland 1974; Kelley 1965; Tarver andSavoie 1976; Jones et al. 1978).Perret et a1 . (1971) captured the mostsea catfish at salinities 10 ppt orhigher. Gunter (1945) col 1 ected seacatfish at salinity ranges of 2 to 36.7ppt, but the greatest abundanceoccurred above 30 ppt.Adult gafftopsail catfish havebeen recorded from freshwater, but aremore abundant in salinities of 5 to 30ppt (Perret et al. 1971; Jones et al.1978). Juvenile gafftopsail catfishhave been collected in salinities of0.2 ppt (Gunter and Hal 1 1965), 2.5 ppt(Kelley 1965), 3.3 ppt (Tarver andSavoie 1976), up to 25 ppt (Swingle andBland 1974), and 33 ppt (gulf sal ini ty)when juvenil es leave A1 abama bays

(Swingle 1971) and Texas bays (Gunter1945).Di ssol ved OxygenBenson (1982) cited Adkins andBoman (1976) as collecting sea catfishfrom closed canals with lowoxygen concentrations. Tabb andManning (1961) reported sea and gafftopsailcatfish killed by total oxygendepletion in two Florida baysfollowing Hurricane Donna in 1960.Parental care of sea and gafftopsailcatfish eggs would reduce the potentialimpacts of reduced oxygen levelsand sediments.SubstrateReid (1957), Ragan et a1 . (1978),and Shipp (1981) reported sea catfishabundance higher in areas with highorganic substrates. Darnel 1 (1961)and Reid et al. (1956) reported seacatfish and gafftopsail catfishstomachs to contain quantities oforganic detritus along with invertebratesassociated wi th organic substrate.Artificial food sources fromseafood processing plants andassociated docking facilities as we1 1as warmwater di scharges containingimpinged organisms can createlocalized sea and gafftopsail catfishconcentrations independent o fsubstrate.DepthDepth preferences of sea catfishand gafftopsail catfish appear to berelated to water temperatures andbottom 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(

catfish produce "percolator" chorusesfrom 1700 to 2250 during April throughOctober. A summer lull occurs in Julyand August when light intensity fallsbelow 1900 fc (Breder 1968). Soundorientation and communication, alongwith highly developed 01 factory senses,would be especially useful in turbidwaters .Hoese et al. (1968) reportedthat general ly high nocturnal trawlcatches of sea and gafftopsail cat-fishes dropped off in August 1964because of high turbidity and possiblechanges in fjsh sizes. Landry andStrawn's (1973) Texas creel census datashow sea catfish catch rates increasedin March 1969 even though catch ratesfor the five other major speciesdecreased because of rough, murkywaters . Gunter (1947) col 1 ectedbreeding sea catfish from rapidlyrising, turbid waters in a 0.6- to 3-rn(2- to 10-ft) deep pass in Copano Bay,Texas .

LITERATURE CITEDAdkins, G., and P. Bowman. 1976. Astudy of the fauna in dredgedcanals of coastal Louisiana. La.Wildl. Fish. Comm. Tech. Rep.18:l-72.Adkins, G., J. Tarver, P. Bowman, and6. Savoie. 1979. A study of thecommercial finfish in coastalLouisiana. La. Dep. Wildl. Fish.Seafood Div. Tech. Bull. 29. 87PPAnderson, W.W. 1965. Fishes takenduring shrimp trawling along theSouth Atlantic Coast of theUnited States, 1931-35. U.S.Fish Wildl. Serv. Spec. Sci. Rep.Fish. 570:l-18.Barrett, B.B., J.L. Merrell, T.P.Morrison, M.C. Gillespie, E.J.Ralph, and J.F. Burdon. 1978. Astudy of Louisiana's majorestuaries and adjacent offshorewaters. La. Dep. Wildl. Fish.Tech. Bull. 27. 197 pp.Bechtel, T.J., and B.J. Copeland.1970. Fish species diversityindices as indicators of pollutionin Galveston Bay, Texas.Contrib. Mar. Sci. 15: 103-132.Benson, N.G., ed. 1982. Life historyrequirements of selected finfishand shellfish in MississippiSound and adjacent areas. U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service, Officeof Biological Services, Washington,D. C. FWS/OBS-81/51. 97 pp.Birkhead, W.S. 1972. Toxicity ofstings of ariid and ictaluridcatfishes. Copeia (4) : 790-807.Breder, C.M., Jr. 1968. Seasonal anddiurnal occurrences of fish soundsin a small Florida bay. Bull. Am.Mus. Nat. Hist. 138(6) :325-378;Breuer, J.P. 1962. An ecologicalsurvey of the lower Laguna Madreof Texas, 1953-1959. Contrib.Mar. Sci . 8: 153-183.Briggs, J.C. 1958. A list of Floridafishes and their distribution.Bull. Fla. State Nus. Biol. Sci.2(8):318 pp.Christmas, J.Y., G. Gunter, and E.C.Whatley. 1960. Fishes taken inthe menhaden fishery of Alabama,Mississippi, and eastern Louisiana.U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv. Spec.Sci. Rep. Fish. 339. 10 pp.Darnel 1, R.M. 1961. Trophic spectrumof an estuarine community, basedon studies of Lake Pontchartrain,Louisiana. Ecology 42(3) :553-568.Deuel , D.G., and J.R. Clark. 1968.The 1965 salt-water angling survey.U.S. Bur. Sport Fish. Wildl.Resour. Publ. 67. 51 pp.Diener, R.A. 1973. Observations onthe hydro1 ogy and marine organismsof the tidal Colorado River andadjacent waters, Texas. February-June 1962. Contrib. Mar. Sci.17:99-110.Doermann, J.E., D. Huddleston, D.Lipsey, and S.H. Thompson. 1977.Age and rate of growth of the seacatfish, Arius felis, in Mississippicoastal waters. J. Tenn.Acad. Sci. 52(4):148 pp.

Dugas, R.J. 1975. Variation inday-night trawl catches inVermilion Bay, Louisiana. La.Wildl. Fish. Comm. Oysters, WaterBottoms, Seafood Div. Tech. Bull.14. 13 pp.Dunham, F. 1972. A study of commerciallyimportant estuarinedependentindustrial fishes. La.Wildl. Fish. Comm. Oysters, WaterBottoms, Seafood Div. Tech. Bull.4. 63 pp.Franks, J.S., J.Y. Christmas, W.L.Siler, R. Combs, R. Waller, andC. Burns. 1972. A study ofnektonic and benthic faunas ofthe shallow Gulf of Mexico offthe State of Mississippi asrelated to some physical, chemicaland geological factors. GulfCoast Res. Lab. 1972:140 pp.Gallaway, B.J., and K. Strawn. 1974.Seasonal abundance and di stributionof marine fisheries at ahot-water discharge in Gal vestonBay, Texas. Contrib. Mar. Sci.18:71-137.Gal laway, B.J., and K. Strawn. 1975.Seasonal and areal comparisons offish diversity indices at aho t-wa ter di scharge in Gal ves tonBay, Texas. Contrib. Flar. Sci.19:81-89.Gudger, E.W. 1916. The Gaff-topsail(Fel ichthys fel is) a sea catfishthat carries its eggs in itsmouth. Zoologica I1 15) :125-158.Gunter, G. 1938. Seasonal variationsin abundance of certain estuarineand marine fishes in Louisianawith particular reference to 1 ifehistories. Ecol . Monogr. 8(3):313-346.Gunter, G. 1942. A list of thefishes of the mainland of ilorthand Middle herica recorded inboth freshwater and seawater.Midl. Nat. 28(2) :305-326.Am.Gunter, G. 1945. Studies on marinefishes of Texas. Publ. Inst. Mar.Sci. Univ. Tex. l(1):l-190.Gunter, G. 1947. Observations onbreedina of the marine catfish.~aleichih s fel is (~innaeus):4 2 1 7 - 2 2 3 .Gunter, G., and G.E. Hall. 1963.Biological investigation of theSt. Lucie estuary (Florida) inconnection with Lake Okeechobeedischarges through the St. LucieCanal. Gulf Res. Rep. 1(5):189-307.Gunter, G., and G.E. Hall. 1965. Abiological investigation of theCal oosahathee estuary of Florida.Gulf Res. Rep. 2(1):1-71.Halstead, B.W., L.S. Kumimobu, and H.G.Hebard. 1953. Catfish stings andthe venom apparatus of the Mexicancatfish, Galeichthys fel is(Linneaus). Trans. Am. Microsc.SOC. 72(4) :297-314.Harris, A.H., , and C.D. Rose. 1968.Shrimp predation by the sea catfish,Galeichthys fel is. Trans.Am. Fish. Soc. 97(4):503-504.Harvey, E.J. 1972. Observations onthe distribution of the sea catfishArius felis larvae with andwithout chorion, with respect tosalinity in the Biloxi Bay-Mississippi Sound Area. Miss.Acad. Sci. 17:77.Haskell, W.A. 1961. Gulf of Mexicotrawl fishery for industrialspecies. Commer. Fish. Rev.23(2):1-6.Hellier, T.R., Jr. 1962. Fish productionand biomass studies inrelation to photosynthesis in the

Laguna Madre of Texas. Publ.Inst. Mar. Sci. Univ. Tex.8: 1-22.Hoese, H.D. 1966. Ectoparasi tism byjuvenile sea catfish, Galeichthysfel is. Copeia 4~800-8K-Hoese, H.D., and R.H. Moore. 1977.Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico,Texas, Louisiana and adjacentwaters. Texas A 81 M. UniversityPress. 140 pp.Hoese, H.D., S.J. Copeland, F.N.Moseley, and E.D. Lane. 1968.Fauna of the Aransas Pass Inlet,Texas. 111. Die1 and seasonalvariations in trawlable organismsof the adjacent area. Texas J.Sci. 20:33-60.Jackson, G.A. 1972. A sport fishingsurvey of Biloxi Bay and theadjacent Mississippi Sound. M.S.Thesis. Mississippi State University, Mississippi State.101 pp.Jones, P.W., F.D. Martin, and J.D.Hardy, Jr. 1978. Development offishes in the mid-Atlantic bight.An atlas of egg, larval, andjuvenile stages. Acipenseridaethrough Ictaluridae. U.S. Fishand Wildlife Service. Biol.Serv. Program FWS/OBS-78/12.Vol . I : 301-307.Juneau, C.L., Jr. 1975. An inventoryand study of the Vermilion Bay -Atchafal aya Bay Complex. La.Wildl. Fish. Comm. Oysters, WaterBottoms, Seafoods Div. Tech.Bull. 13. 153 pp.Juneau, C.L., Jr., and J. F. Pollard.1981. A survey of the recreationalshrimp and finfishharvests of the Vermilion Bayarea and their impact on commercialfishery resources. La. Dep.Wildl. Fish. Tech. Bull. 33.40 PP.Kelley, J.R., Jr. 1965. A taxonomicsurvey of the fishes of DeltaNational Wildlife Refuge withemphasis upon distribution andabundance. M.S. Thesis. LouisianaState University, Baton Rouge.133 pp.Landry, A.M., Jr., and K. Strawn.1973. Annual cycle of sportfishingactivity at a warmwaterdischarge into Gal veston Bay,Texas. Trans. Am. Fish. Soc.102(3) :573-577.Lee, G. 1937. Oral gestation in themarine catfish, Galeichthys fel is.Copeia:49-56.Mansueti, A.J., and J.D. Hardy, Jr.1967. Ari idae-sea catfish. Pages155-157 in E.E. Deubler, Jr., ed.~evelopmzt of fishes of theChesapeake Bay region. Part I.Nat. Res. Inst. University ofMaryland.McClane, A.J., editor. 1965.McClane's standard fishing encyclopedia and international angl ingguide. Hol t, Rinehart andWinston, New York. 1057 pp.Merriman, D. 1940. Morphological andembryo1 ogical studies on twos~ecies -of marine catfish. - - Baaremarinus and Galeichth s fel is.Zoologica 25(13+ --Moore, D., H.A. Brusher, and L. Trent.1970. Re1 ative abundance,seasonal distribution, and speciescomposition of demersal fishes offLouisiana and Texas, 1962-1964.Contrib. Mar. Sci. 15: 45-70.Perret, W.S., and C.W. Caillouet, Jr.1974. Abundance and size offishes taken by trawling in

Vennil ion Bay, Louisiana. Bull.Mar. Sci . 24(1) :52-74.Perret, W.S., R.B. Barrett, W.R.Latapie, J.F. Pollard, W.R. Mock,G.B. Adkins, W.J. Gaidry, andC. J. White. 1971. CooperativeGulf of Mexico estuarine inventoryand study, Louisiana. PhaseI. Area description by Perret,W.S. Phase 11. Biology p. 31-69.La. Wildl. Fish. Comm. 171 pp.latania, S.P., and S.W. Ross. 1980.Arius fel is (Linnaeus) hardheadcatfishpage 476 in D.S. Lee,C.R. Gilbert, C.H. Hocutt, R.E.Jenkins, D.E. McAllister, andJ.R. Stauffer, Jr., eds. Atlasof North American freshwaterfishes. N.C. State Mus. Nat.Hist., Biol. Surv. Publ. No.1980-12.Pristas, P.J., and L. Trent. 1978.Seasonal abundance, size, and sexratio of fishes caught in gillnetsin St. Andrew Bay, Florida.Bull. Mar. Sci . 28(3) :581-589.Ragan, J.G., E.J. Melancon, A.H.Harris, R.N. Falgout, J.D. Gann,and J.H. Green. 1978. Bottomfishesof the Continental Shelfoff Louisiana. Nicholls StateUniv. Prof. Pap. Ser. (Biol.) 2.34 PP.Reid, G.K. 1957. Biologic and hydrographicadjustment in a disturbedgulf coast estuary. Limnol.Oceanogr. 2(3): 198-212.Reid, G.K., A. Inglis, and H.D. Hoese.1956. Summer foods of some fishspecies in East Bay, Texas.Southwest Nat. l(3) : 100-104.Roessler, M.A. 1970. Checklist offishes in Buttonwood Canal, EvergladesNational Park,Florida, and observations on theseasonal occurrence and 1 ifehistories of selected species.Bull. Mar. Sci. Gulf Caribb.20 (4) :850-893.Roi thrnayr, C.M. 1965. Industrialbottomfish fishery of the northernGulf of Mexico, 1959'-63. U.S.Fish Wildl. Serv. Spec. Sci. Rep.Fish 518:l-18.Rounsefel 1 , G.A. 1964. Preconstructionstudy of the fisheries of theestuarine areas traversed by theMississippi River - Gulf OutletProject. U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv.Fish. Bull. 63(3) :373-393.Shipp, R.L. 1981. Summary of knowledgeof forage fish species inMobile Bay and vicinity. Pages167-176. fi H.A. Loyacano, Jr., andJ.P. Smith, eds. Symposium on thenatural resources of the MobileEstuary, Alabama. May 1979,U.S.Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile,Ala.Swingle, H.A. 1971. Biology ofAlabama estuarine areas - CooperativeGul f of Mexico estuarineinventory. A1 a. Mar. Resour.Bull. 5. 123 pp.Swingle, H.A., and D.B. Bland. 1974.A study of the fishes of thecoastal water courses of Alabama.Ala. Mar. Resour. Bull. 10:17-102.Tabb, D.C., and R.B. Manning. 1961. Achecklist of the flora and faunaof Northern Florida Bay and adjacentbrackish waters of theFlorida mainland col lected duringthe period July 1957 throughSeptember 1960. Bull. Mar. Sci.Gulf and Caribb. ll(4): 552-649.Tarver, J.W., and L.B. Savoie. 1976.An inventory and study of the LakePontchartrain - Lake Maurepasestuarine complex. Phase I1Biology. La. Wildl. Fish. Comm.Oysters, Water Bottoms, and SeafoodsDiv. Tech. Bull. 19:7-99.

Tavol gay C.I.IV. 1962. Mechanisms ofsound oroduction in the ariidcatfishes Galeichthys and Bagre.Bull. Am. Nat. Hist. 124(1):1-30.Tavol gay W. N. 1971. Acoustic orientationin the sea catfish,Gal eichthys fel is. Ann. N.Y. Acad.Sci. 188:80-97.Tavolga, W.N. 1977. Mechanisms fordirectional hearina in the seacatfish ( Arius fel7s). J. Exp.Biol. 67:97-115.Topp, R. 1963. The tagging of fishesin Florida 1962 program. Fla.Board Conserv. Mar. Lab. Prof.Pap. Ser. 5. 60 pp.United States Department of Commerce.1959-1967. Fishery statistics ofthe United States. StatisticalDigest 65.Wade, C.W. 1977. Survey of the Alabamamarine recreational fishery.Ala. Mar. Resour. Bull. 12:l-22.Wang, R.T., and J.A.C. Nicol. 1977.Effects of fuel oil on sea catfish:feeding activity and cardiacresponses. Bull. Environ. Contam.Toxic01 . 18(2) : 170-176.Ward, J.W. 1957. The reproduction andearly development of the sea catfish,Galeichth s felis, in theBi 1 o x i d P p n a y . Copeia4:295-298.Zi 1 berberg, M.H. 1966. Seasonaloccurrence of fish in a coastalmarsh of Northwest Florida. Publ.Inst. Mar. Sci. Univ. Tex. 126-134.

10272 -101REPORT DOCUMENTATION .';'EmRT NO. 1 3. Recipient's Accers~on NOPAGE . .1 FWSIOBS-82/11.5 * II I I4. Title and Subtltlc I 5. Repon DateSpecies Profiles: Life Histories and Environmental Requirements I October 19833f Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates (Gulf of Mexico) -- Sea Catfishind Gafftopsail Catfish -7. Author(s)Robert J. Muncy and William M.9. Pcrlonning Organization Name and AddressMississi~~i Cooperative Fish and Wild1 ife Research 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 and AddressNational Coastal Ecosystems Team U.S. Army Corps of EngineersFish and 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,and environmental requirements of coastal aquatic species. They are designed to assist inenvironmental impact assessment. Sea catfish and gafftopsail catfish are not-preferred sportnor commercial fish; however, their high abundance inshore along the northern Gulf of Mexicocauses them to rank 2nd or 3rd and no lower than 13th of all saltwater finfish in anglersurveys. Sea catfish 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 catfish attain sexual maturity before 2 years of age, and spawn from May to August inshallow bays. Adult males do not feed for 60 to 80 days while carrying fertilized eggs andsac-fry in their mouths. Juveniles remain in low-salinity estuaries until decreasing watertemperatures cause movements into deeper channels and offshore waters. Adult fish preferwater temperatures above 250C but remain inshore at temperatures above 10oC. Sea catfishand gafftopsail catfish have been collected from waters with salinities ranging from 0 to30 ppt, but prefer water salinities above 10 ppt. Water depth preferences of sea catfishand gafftopsail catfish appear related to water temperature, salinity, and bottom substrate.As juveniles, both species are opportunistic feeders utilizing microcrustaceans, and asadults, they feed upon detritus, microcrustaceans, and larger invertebrates. Blue crabs andshrimp are considered major food items.L7. Document Analysis a. DescriptorsEstuariesFi shesGrowthFeedingb. ldentlf@en/Open-Ended TermsSea catfish-- Arius felisGafftopsail catfishBarge 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 and Wildlife ServiceLloyd Five Hundred Building, Suite 1692500 N.E. Multnornah StreetPortland, Oregon 97232REGION 2 REGION 3Regional DirectorRegional DirectorU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceP.O. Box 1306Federal Building, Fort SnellingAlbuquerque, New Mexico 87 103 Twin Cities, Minnesota 55 1 1 1REGION 4Regional DirectorU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceRichard B. Russell Building75 Spring Street, S.W.Atlanta, Georgia 30303REGION 5 REGION 6Regional DirectorRegional DirectorU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceOne Gateway Center P.O. Box 25486Newton Corner, Massachusetts 02158 Denver Federal CenterDenver, Colorado 80225REGION 7Regional DirectorU.S. Fish and 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 lands and natural resources. This includesfostering the wisest use of our land and water resources, protecting our fish and wildlife,preserving theenvironmental and cultural values of our national parks and historical places,and providing for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation. The Department assessesour energy and mineral resources and 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 and for people who live in island territories underU.S. administration.