APPENDIX C Flower Garden

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APPENDIXC FlowerGarden BanksNationalMarine Sanctuary Shallowwater habitatmural SpeciesGuide Thespeciesdescribedinthispackageareallrepresentedonthe muralyouarecreating,andliveattheflowergardenbanks.

1 APPENDIXC FlowerGarden BanksNationalMarine Sanctuary Shallowwater habitatmural SpeciesGuide Thespeciesdescribedinthispackageareallrepresentedonthe muralyouarecreating,andliveattheflowergardenbanks.you canlearnabouttheseanimals,howtheymove,whattheyeat,and muchmore! 1. GreatBarracuda(Sphyraena barracuda). Great barracudas range from meters long and can weigh over 44 kilograms. They are commonly found in the Gulf of Mexico and tropical and sub-tropical waters worldwide. Great barracudas inhabit near shore areas, reef systems, mangroves and sand flats from the surface of deep open waters down to depths of 100 meters. Their mouths help with respiration and contain fang-like teeth they use to capture food. Their diet is composed of small to medium sized fish such as jacks, small tunas, mullets, herrings and anchovies. Barracudas are known to be solitary animals; however, they have been seen in both small and large schools that can number over 100 individuals. Although they are known to approach divers, great barracudas have never been recorded attacking divers unprovoked. Large schools of barracuda aggregate under vessels that tie up to the moorings at the sanctuary. They are also seen on the reef at cleaning stations. When they are being cleaned they often turn a very dark color. Photo credit: FGBNMS/Hickerson

2. ScallopedHammerheadShark(Sphyrnalewini).Scalloped hammerheadsharksarecharacterizedbytheirmoderatelyhighfirstdorsal finandlowseconddorsalandpelvicfin.

2 2. ScallopedHammerheadShark(Sphyrnalewini).Scalloped hammerheadsharksarecharacterizedbytheirmoderatelyhighfirstdorsal finandlowseconddorsalandpelvicfin.theyusuallyrangefrom2 3meters inlengthbutcansometimesreach4meters.scallopedhammerheadsare coastal pelagicandsemi oceanicsharksandcanbefoundindeepwaters approximately275metersindepth.theyoftenapproachinshoreareas,bays, andestuaries.adultsareoftenfoundaloneorinpairsbutalsohavebeen observedinschools.youngindividualstravelinlargeschools.hammerheads feedonbonyfishes,cephalopods(squid,octopus),shrimps,crabs,rays,and othersmallsharks.althoughtheyareconsidereddangeroustohumans,they tendtobecomeshyandrefrainfromaggressivebehaviorwhendiversare around.largeschoolsofhammerheadsaggregateatthesanctuaryduring thewintermonths.itiscurrentlyunknownwhytheyaggregateduringthe winterseasonhere,andwheretheygoduringtherestoftheyear.sanctuary diverstypicallyseethemintheupperportionsofthewatercolumn,but occasionallyatreefdepth. Photo credit: Gary Merritt

3. SpottedDrum(Equetus punctatus) Spotted drum are characterized by black and white colored bars with an elongated front dorsal fin and several white spots and dashes on the dark background of their

3 3. SpottedDrum(Equetus punctatus) Spotted drum are characterized by black and white colored bars with an elongated front dorsal fin and several white spots and dashes on the dark background of their second dorsal and tail fin. Their average length is between 15 and 28 centimeters. Spotted drum can be found in tropical waters such as the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, usually near cave entrances, ledges and coral reefs. They are solitary animals that are often seen during the day at depths between 4 and 30 meters. They are considered to be nocturnal feeders with their diet consisting of crabs, shrimps and polychaetes. This species isn t timid and is easily approachable by scuba divers. Photocredit:FGBNMS/Hickerson

4. andtheycanweighupto their maindietofplankton.thisspeciesislocatedallaroundtheworldintemperate, tropicalandsub Mexico.Mantarayscanbefoundinhabitatsranging watersaswellasaroundreefs.

4 4. andtheycanweighupto their maindietofplankton.thisspeciesislocatedallaroundtheworldintemperate, tropicalandsub Mexico.Mantarayscanbefoundinhabitatsranging watersaswellasaroundreefs.theyhavebeenobservedingroupsofupto200 individualswhenhugeconcentrationsofzooplanktonarefoundinspecificareas. Atlanticmantaraysspendalotoftimenearthesurf splashing.theycanbeseencruisingthroughthesanctuarywaters,orbarrel rolling atthe under withinthesanctuary team acousticpingers.acousticreceiversplacedatseveralbanksinsideandoutsideof thesanctuaryhaverevealedthatindividualanimalsmovebetweenmultiple banks.thereissomeevidencethatthereareatleastthreedifferentspeciesof mantarays largestspeciesinthefamilyofrays.their wing spancanreachupto MantaRay mouthsaidtheminfilteringthroughthewatercolumntocapturetheir andthewildlifeconservationsocietyhavetaggedseveralmantaswith side FG whichisafeedingtechnique.mantaraysareseenthroughouttheyear BNMS.Individualmanta oftheanimals.atleast75 althoughnotverified,thefgbnmsmantasappeartobeasmaller tropicalwatersandis (Mantabirostris youcanseethecatalogoftheindividualmantaraysat: ov/science/mantacatalog.html. 1360kilograms.Thelargeextensionsonthesidesof ) scanbeidentifiedbyspotpatternsonthe Atlanticmantaraysareknowntobethe individualmantarayshavebeenidentified Mantabirostris. commonlylocatedthrou aceoftenjumpingand fromnearshoretopelagic TheFGBNMSresearch ghoutthegulfof 9meters, speciesthanthespeciesidentifiedas Photocredit:FGBNMS/Schmahl

5. Horse eyejack(caranx latus). Horse-eye jacks are usually found around reefs, sandy beaches and muddy bottoms in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.

5 5. Horse eyejack(caranx latus). Horse-eye jacks are usually found around reefs, sandy beaches and muddy bottoms in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. Jacks feed on small fishes and invertebrates such as shrimps and crabs. They swim at depths between meters but are usually found at a depth of around 20 meters. Horse-eye jacks can be found alone or in pelagic schools. Pelagic school groups are able to swim into brackish waters and swim up rivers. Pelagic schools are also known to be attracted to bubbles produced by scuba divers. Solitary individuals are more cautious and tend to slowly swim away from divers. These jacks, as well as crevalle jacks, are sometimes seen in large schools at the sanctuary. Photocredit:FGBNMS/Schmahl

6 6. MardiGrasWrasse(Halichoeresburekae).TheMardiGraswrasse wasdescribedasanewspeciesbysanctuaryresearchersandpartnersin 2007.ThisnewspeciesofwrassewasgiventhecommonnameMardiGras wrassebysanctuarystaffduetothebrightpurple,yellow,andgreen colorationoftheadultmale.thescientificspeciesnamehonorssanctuary photographers,frankandjoyceburek,whofirstphotographedthemalefish. Likeotherwrasses,juvenileandfemaleMardiGraswrasseareacompletely differentcolorfromtheadultmale.malesassociatedwith harems of females.theyhavebeenobservedatallthebankswithinthesanctuary,and havealsobeenreportedintheveracruzregionofmexico.thebestplaces tospottheserarefishareonthepinnaclesofstetsonbankschoolingwith blueheadwrasse(thalassomabifasciatum). Photocredit:FGBNMS/Schmahl

7 7. Redlipblenny(Ophioblenniusatlanticus).Redlipblennies,withtheir characteristicredlips,arecommonlyfoundinshallowwatersbetween0and 8metersthroughouttheCaribbean,howevertheyalsodowellonthedeep reefsofthesanctuary.blenniesareoftenseenincoralreefzonesnearflat areaswherethereisatleastoneholetheycanuseforshelter.blenniesarea diurnalspeciesthatfeedonreefalgaeandarewellknownfordefendingtheir territory.atnight,theystayintheirshelterstohidefrompredatorssuchas groupersandtrumpetfish.theyareoftenseenperchedontoporlargecoral bouldersatthesanctuary. Photocredit:FGBNMS/Schmahl

8. Queenangelfish(Holacanthusciliaris).TheQueenangelfishcanbe foundinthewesternatlanticandcaribbeaninshallowanddeepwatersup to70meters.

8 8. Queenangelfish(Holacanthusciliaris).TheQueenangelfishcanbe foundinthewesternatlanticandcaribbeaninshallowanddeepwatersup to70meters.thesefishhaveacharacteristicspotontheirforeheadthat resemblesacrown.thisspeciesisusuallysolitaryduringitsjuvenilestage butcanbefoundinpairsasanadult.queenangelfishareveryterritorialbut oftenswitchbetweencuriousandshybehavior.theirdietconsistsofa varietyofmarineinvertebratesincludingsponges,algae,corals,jellyfishand tunicates. Photocredit:FGBNMS/Schmahl

9. BoulderBrainCoral(Colpophyllianatans).Boulderbraincorals growinroundeddomesorplates.thesecoralshavedistinctbrownridges andgreenortanvalleyswithgroovesontop.

9 9. BoulderBrainCoral(Colpophyllianatans).Boulderbraincorals growinroundeddomesorplates.thesecoralshavedistinctbrownridges andgreenortanvalleyswithgroovesontop.theirpolyps,usuallylocatedon theridges,extendtheirtentaclesoutatnighttofeed.thiscoralcanbefound inthecaribbeanandthegulfofmexicoatdepthsof12 50meters.Theyare commonlylocatedonreeftopsandslopes.bothspeciesaremassspawners, andparticipateinthemassspawningeventinaugustorseptember.the symmetricalbraincoral,diploriastrigosa,isalsoaverycommonbraincoral inthesanctuary.theboulderbraincoralhaswidergroovesandridgesthan thesymmetricalbraincoral.bothspeciesaremonoecious,whichmeansa singlecolonyreleasesbothfemaleandmalegametesduringthemass spawningevent.inthispicturebothspeciesareshown canyouguess whichiswhich? Photocredit:FGBNMS/Joyce&FrankBurek

10. GreatStarCoral(Montastraeacavernosa).Starcoralsarestony coralscommonlyfoundinreefenvironmentsatdepthsfrom12 90metersin thecaribbeanandthegulfofmexico.

10 10. GreatStarCoral(Montastraeacavernosa).Starcoralsarestony coralscommonlyfoundinreefenvironmentsatdepthsfrom12 90metersin thecaribbeanandthegulfofmexico.theyformmassiveboulders,domesor plates/sheets,dependinguponthedepth.boulderscanbeover1.5metersin diameterandareusuallyfoundinshallowandmoderatedepths.plate formationsarefoundindeeperwatersasthecoloniesspreadoutto maximizesurfaceareatocapturelightforphotosynthesisbythesymbiotic algaelivinginthetissuesofthecoral.theyhavelarge,thumb sizedpolyps thatfullyextendtheirtentaclesduringthenighttofeedandretractduring theday.thisspeciesisalsoabroadcastspawnerandparticipatesinthemass spawningeventinaugustorseptember.thisspeciesisdioecious,which meansexesareseparate themalecoloniesreleasewhatlookslikepuffsof smoke,andthefemalecoloniesreleasestreamsorbeadsofeggs. Photocredit:FGBNMS/Hickerson

11. MarbledGrouper(Dermatolepisinermis).Marbledgroupercanbe foundinthegulfofmexico,caribbean,andwesternatlantic(usuallyfrom FloridatoBrazil),butareconsideredrarethroughoutitsrange.

11 11. MarbledGrouper(Dermatolepisinermis).Marbledgroupercanbe foundinthegulfofmexico,caribbean,andwesternatlantic(usuallyfrom FloridatoBrazil),butareconsideredrarethroughoutitsrange.Theyusually inhabitdeepcoralreefsandcavesofdepthsupto230m.thereefsandbanks ofthenorthwesterngulfofmexicoareconsideredahotspotforthisspecies. MarbledGroupersareeasilyidentifiablebytheirwhiteblotchesondark brownskinthatbecomeslighterbrowntogreenishbrownwhentheyreach adulthood.theyarethoughttoliveformanyyearsandareslowtoreach sexualmaturity.itisalsobelievedtheygatherinseasonallypredictable aggregationsformassspawning,makingitextremelyvulnerabletoover fishing,althoughnospawningsitesaredefinitivelyknown.likeallgroupers, marbledgroupershavealargemouththatcanhelpthemconsumefishand crustaceans.ingeneral,verylittleisknownaboutthebiologyofthisspecies. Theyarecuriousandoftenswimuptodiversandremotelyoperatedvehicles inthesanctuary. Photocredit:Joyce&FrankBurek

12. SmoothTrunkfish(Rhinesomustriqueter).Smoothtrunkfishcan befoundnearthereefsinsubtropicalwatersofthegulfofmexicoand Caribbean.

Normally,smoothtrunkfisharesolitaryanimals,buthavebeenobserved swimminginsmallgroups.theirdietconsistsofworms,tunicates,small crustaceansandsmallmollusks.

12 12. SmoothTrunkfish(Rhinesomustriqueter).Smoothtrunkfishcan befoundnearthereefsinsubtropicalwatersofthegulfofmexicoand Caribbean.Theirangularbodyshape,whichlookslikeatriangleifviewed fromthefront,isoneofthemaincharacteristicsofthesefish.theycanswim downtoadepthof50metersnearcoralreefsandoversandybottoms. Normally,smoothtrunkfisharesolitaryanimals,buthavebeenobserved swimminginsmallgroups.theirdietconsistsofworms,tunicates,small crustaceansandsmallmollusks.theyaresometimesseenblowingjetsof waterintothesoftsedimenttostirupameal.smoothtrunkfisharetypically adeepchocolatebrownwithwhitespots,howeveragoldenformisspecialto theflowergardenbanks,andhasonlybeenreportedinoneotherlocation thebayofhonduras. Photocredit: FGBNMS/Schmahl Photocredit: Joyce&FrankBurek

Long SpineSeaUrchin 13. ( Diademaantillarum).Althoughthe appearanceoftheseurchinsisdelicate,theycaneasilyprotectthemselves fromotherspeciesbypointing theirspinestowardstheirpredators.

13 Long SpineSeaUrchin 13. ( Diademaantillarum).Althoughthe appearanceoftheseurchinsisdelicate,theycaneasilyprotectthemselves fromotherspeciesbypointing theirspinestowardstheirpredators.long spineseaurchinscanbefoundinthewesternatlanticand Caribbeanatan averagedepthbetween1 10meters.Theseseaurchinsareconsidereda nocturnalspeciesandareusuallyinactiveduringtheday.theirdietisbased onalgaeandseagrasses. Theyaretypicallyblack,howevermanywhite formscanbeseen atthesanctuary.intheearly1980 stherewasa Caribbeanwidedie offthespeciescausedbyanunknown pathogenwhich decimatedthepopulationsregionwide.stetsonbankhasmaintaineda reasonablepopulation,howeverdensitylevelsplummetedattheeastand WestFlowerGardenBanks.InreefsthroughouttheCaribbeanthisdie off triggeredincreasedcoverageofalgaeastheurchinswereimportantalgae grazersonthereef.thealgaecompeteswiththecoralsforspace,sowithout theurchinstokeepthealgaeincheck,corals arenowunderconditionsof increasedcompetitionforspace. Photocredit:FGBNMS/Hickerson

14. BandedCoralShrimp(Stenopushispidus).Redbandedcoral shrimpareeasilydistinguishablebytheredandwhitecoloredbandsontheir bodiesandclaws.

14 14. BandedCoralShrimp(Stenopushispidus).Redbandedcoral shrimpareeasilydistinguishablebytheredandwhitecoloredbandsontheir bodiesandclaws.theseshrimparecommonlyknownascleanershrimpdue totheirtendencytocongregateatcleaningstationsinthesanctuarywhere theyadvertisetheircleaningservicebywavingtheirbrightwhiteantennae. Fishinneedofcleaningthenapproachtheshrimp,andevenwaitinlineif necessary.atcleaningtime,thefishopentheirmouthsandflaretheirgillsto allowtheshrimptocleanparasitesofftheirteethallwhilehavingno intentionofeatingthem.theseshrimpmayalsoremovedamagedscaleson theoutsideofthefish.thissymbioticrelationshipwherebothspeciesbenefit iscalledmutualism.thefishgetridofnastyparasites,andtheshrimpgeta meal. Photocredit:FGBNMS/Hickerson

15. BarrelSponge(Xestospongia muta). These large sponges grow in solitary or multi-chambered barrels that can be up 2 meters wide. They have a red-orange coloration with a hard and jagged surface.

15 15. BarrelSponge(Xestospongia muta). These large sponges grow in solitary or multi-chambered barrels that can be up 2 meters wide. They have a red-orange coloration with a hard and jagged surface. They have a life span of 100 years and are most commonly found on steep slopes between 15 and 40 meters in depth as well as coral reefs at various depths. They are usually found in the Bahamas, the Caribbean and along the coast of Florida, as well as the Gulf of Mexico. Their diet consists of organic particles filtered from the surrounding water. Barrel sponges on average grow half an inch per year, and, like corals, are subject to bleaching and subsequent mortality. These sponges are dioecious, and have been documented mass spawning at various times of the year, including around the same time as the mass coral spawning event. The males release dense and large amounts of smoky sperm which makes them look like smoking cauldrons, and the females release eggs in masses that make them look like snow blowers. The gametes are denser than the water and stay close to the substrate. Photocredit:FGBNMS/Hickerson

16. LoggerheadSeaTurtle (Carettacaretta).Loggerheadsea turtlesareair breathingreptilesthatareusuallyfoundinthetemperateand tropicalwatersoftheatlantic,pacific&indianoceans.

16 16. LoggerheadSeaTurtle (Carettacaretta).Loggerheadsea turtlesareair breathingreptilesthatareusuallyfoundinthetemperateand tropicalwatersoftheatlantic,pacific&indianoceans.theyareconsidered tobethemostabundantspeciesofseaturtleintheunitedstates. Loggerheadsweighapproximately130kilogramsandtheircarapacecanbe upto1meterlong.seaturtlescanbefoundatshallowanddeepwaters,near shoreand nestingonbeaches.thisseaturtleisconsideredomnivorous, feedingmainlyonbottom dwellinginvertebrates.duringmigrationtheyeat jellyfish,squidandflyingfish.loggerheadsareconsidered anendangered speciesandhavebeenthesubjectofmany differentconservationprograms aroundtheworld.loggerheadsarethemostcommonspeciesfoundin sanctuarywaters.theywerethesubjectofsatelliteandradiotrackinginthe 1990 s.thisprojectdeterminedthatthesanctuaryishometolargesub adultloggerheadsthatexhibittightcoreandhomeranges.theturtles caughtandtaggedattheeastflowergardenbankstayedatthatbankand didn thavearangeencompassingbothbanks. Itisthoughtthattheyfeed duringthedayoffthereef,andcomeontothereefandsleepunderledgesat night.theysurfaceaboutonceanhourtobreathe. Photocredit:NOAA/TomMoore

17 17. ChristmasTreeWorm(Spirobranchusgiganteus).Christmas treewormscanbefoundoncoralreefsintropicalwaters.theyhavea tubularsegmentedbodythatisembeddedintothecoralcolonyandtheir gillsextendedoutfromthecavity.thegillscanbeavarietyofcolors e.g. white,black,yellow,orange,pink andarecharacteristicallyshapedlike Christmastrees.Thesewormsfeedonplanktonbytrappingitontheir spiral orientedtentacles.theyareoneofthemostcommonfeaturesseenby scubadivers,butareverylight sensitiveandwillwithdrawintotheirtubes whenshadowsorslightdisturbancesoccurinsurroundingwaters.they havebeendocumentedspawningduringthemasscoralspawningeventin AugustorSeptember.Themalesreleaseredsmoke likegametes,andthe femalesreleasingstreamsoftinyredeggs. Photocredit:FGBNMS/Schmahl

SeaLily 18..Sealilies,alsoknownascrinoids,liveinbothshallowanddeeptheshallowportionsofthesanctuaryreefs,butaresometimesfoundinhigh waterareasoftheocean.

18 SeaLily 18..Sealilies,alsoknownascrinoids,liveinbothshallowanddeeptheshallowportionsofthesanctuaryreefs,butaresometimesfoundinhigh waterareasoftheocean.sealiliesusetheirarmstocombthewaterforfood particles,andmoveaboutthereefusingtheirroot likeappendagestofinda goodplacetofeed.inthispicture,thesealily hasclimbedontoabottlebrush coral,atypeofblackcoral,tofeed.sealilies arecloselyrelatedtoseastars andusuallyhavearmsinmultiplesoffive.sealiliesareconsideredliving fossils.theirancestorscanbeseeninfossilrecordsfrom theordovician Period,approximately millionyearsago! Crinoidsareabsentfrom densitiesinthedeepcoralhabitats. Photocredit:FGBNMS/NURC UNCW

19. SpottedEagleRay(Aetobatusnarinari).Theserayscanbefoundin tropicalandcoastalwatersworldwide,usuallyswimmingacrosstheoceanic basins.spottedeaglerayscangrowupto3.5meterswideand9meterslong.

19 19. SpottedEagleRay(Aetobatusnarinari).Theserayscanbefoundin tropicalandcoastalwatersworldwide,usuallyswimmingacrosstheoceanic basins.spottedeaglerayscangrowupto3.5meterswideand9meterslong. Theirhabitatvariesbetweenthecoralreefsandsandflatstheygrazein, lookingformollusksandcrustaceans.theyhavebeenobservedjumpingout ofthewateralongthesurfaceforshortdistances.thisrayisconsidereda nearthreatenedspeciesduetofisheriesdepletion.theyaresometimesseen schoolinginlargenumbersatthesanctuaryduringthewintermonths,but individualsorpairsarealsoseenduringthesummermonths. Photocredit:FGBNMS/Hickerson

ruby brittlestarsspawnduringthesamemasscoralspawningeventinaugustor September.Themalebrittlestarsaggregateinpilesofadozenormoreon topofcoralheadsforasynchronizedreleaseofredsmokysperm.

20 20. RubyBrittleStar(Ophiodermarubicundum).Brittlestars,relatives ofseastars,havelong,thin,serpentinearmsattachedtoacentraldisc.these flexiblearmsallowbrittlestarstomovemuchmorequicklythantheir cousins,buttheyarealsomorebrittle(hencetheirname)andcanoftenbe seenmissingalimb,orintheprocessofregeneratinganewarm.ruby brittlestarsspawnduringthesamemasscoralspawningeventinaugustor September.Themalebrittlestarsaggregateinpilesofadozenormoreon topofcoralheadsforasynchronizedreleaseofredsmokysperm.atabout thesametime,individualfemalebrittlestarsclimbtothetopsofthecoral heads,standontheverytipsoftheirarms,andreleasestreamsofbrightred eggs.they vealsobeenobservedfeedingoncoralgametesduringthemass coralspawningevent. Photocredit:FGBNMS/Schmahl

Following Information Compliments of Avadon Divers, Placencia Belize

Following Information Compliments of Avadon Divers, Placencia Belize The Blue Hole & Lighthouse Reef Trips to this atoll are done only when there are good surface conditions as it is a 3-hour boat ride