[Coral-List] Sharpnose Puffer

[gochfeld at olemiss.edu]

Happy New Year Everyone!

I've noticed a moderate decline in sharpnose puffer numbers
over the past 2-3 years near Lee Stocking Island, Bahamas,
so I'll be curious to see if there is an increase later this
spring.  If anyone is there sooner than that and notices
anything, I'd love to hear about it.  

Regarding predation, I can't say who are the major predators
of Canthigasters, but I want to draw your attention to a
Reef Site in an upcoming issue of Coral Reefs that describes
predation on a sharpnose puffer by a peacock flounder.  This
is now available in Online First at
http://www.springerlink.com/content/l9612687h7451578/fulltext.html.
Perhaps this is more common than we think.

I also want to add to the growing list of boom and bust
recruitment events.  In the 80's and 90's (at least), we saw
periodic recruitment explosions of the fantail filefish,
Pervagor spilosoma, on the reefs in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu.  This
would be followed by huge mortalities, with dead fish
washing up on the beaches.

Best,
Deb Gochfeld