Abstract
Six scarecrow toadfish Opsanus phobetron were found in the stomachs of five juvenile lemon sharks Negaprion brevirostris, and subsequent sampling yielded 29 O. phobetron specimens from mangroves (45% of toadfish), conch shells (28%). and seagrass beds (25%) around Bimini, Bahamas during the winter. The presence of large numbers of scarecrow toadfish including mature females, when the water temperature was >22° C, suggests that this is a successful breeding tropical population and not a glacial relict.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 248-252 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Journal of Fish Biology |
Volume | 64 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 2004 |
Keywords
- Lemon shark
- Mangrove
- Opsanus phobetron
- Scarecrow toadfish
- Sexual maturity
- Temperature
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Aquatic Science