[Coral-List] Unusual Fish Mortality Curacao

[Judith Lang]

Hi Mark,
Ken Marks, who really knows his fishes and copy edits for the Humann  
books, responded as:
My original inclination was something like a Myrophis Worm Eel but  
looking at comparisons of online Worm Eel images I am more apt to  
agree with a juvenile moray (given the smaller eyes on the individual  
in picture 7). No guess as to which species of moray as none of the  
adult color patterns seems to be present.

Did you ever get a consensus identification on the sea hare photo that  
you posted last week?

Judy Lang
AGRRA Science Coordinator

On Aug 19, 2009, at 2:33 PM, Mark J A Vermeij wrote:

> Dear All
>
> Yesterday local fishermen called in an usual die-off of big eye  
> scads that they kept in a net for future harvesting. Suddenly nearly  
> 60% of their fish died and the rotting fish caused the bay in which  
> they were caught to go anoxic. As a result, numerous other organisms  
> washed ashore due to the depleted oxygen levels in the bay. Several  
> organisms were collected (including numerous extremely small  
> juvenile fish, snapping and mantis shrimps and some unknown  
> organisms). Pictures of these collected organisms can be found at:
>
> http://picasaweb.google.com/MarkJAVermeij/FishMassMortalityCanoa18Aug2009?feat=directlink
>
> Two things: (1) Is there anybody out there that could use these  
> samples for biogeographic comparisons, genetics etc and (2) does  
> anybody know the fish shown in pictures 6 and 7? Nobody here as ever  
> seen them and right now they're assumed to be juvenile moray eels.  
> When alive, they quickly hide below the sand and show the same  
> "gaping" behavior as adult moray eels.
>
> If these samples are at all useful or if anyone recognizes these  
> "moray like" fish, please let me know.
>
> Thanks in advance from Curacao
>
> Mark
> __________________________________
> Dr. M.J.A. Vermeij
> Science Director
> Carmabi Foundation
> Piscaderabaai z/n
> Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles
> Phone: +5999-5103067 (NEW NUMBER)
> Email: m.vermeij at carmabi.org
> Skype: markvermeij
> Web: www.carmabi.org
>
>
>
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