Talking Fish with Jon Moore

Hi Folks,

My name is Jon Moore and I am a professor of biology at Florida Atlantic University’s Wilkes Honors College. I serve as a fish biologist for the DEEPEND project and during this cruise Dr. Tracey Sutton and I have been identifying all the fishes we are collecting in each net.

The DEEPEND project and its predecessor (ONSAP) have been monitoring the impact of the BP oil spill since it occurred in 2010. Over the years we have collected specimens of around 900 species of fishes. 

Some of the species are represented by just postlarval and juvenile individuals. Some of these are juveniles of reef fishes that have been moved offshore by currents, such as this

little squirrelfish (Sargocentron sp.)

Or this young peppermint bass (Liopropomma sp.)

This juvenile deepwater flounder (Poecilopsetta sp.) has had the eyes migrate to one side of the head, but still has the more transparent body of a planktonic juvenile.

But there can also be deep-sea fishes found in the zooplankton, such as this juvenile Darwin’s roughy (Gephyroberyx darwini)

Or this young Fangtooth (Anoplogaster cornuta), before it grows the fangs.

And an older fangtooth with the fully grown fangs.

Despite our catching close to 900 fish species, we also have a few mystery fishes that we think might be new, undescribed species. This slickhead (Alepocephalidae) is one that might very well be a new species. 

And we collected a tubeshoulder (Platytroctidae) on this cruise that has fin ray counts that don’t match any species known from the Atlantic.

So, while we continue to monitor the impacts of the BP oil spill, we also get to explore the deep-sea fauna in the northern Gulf and bring to light lots of new findings in deep-sea fish biology in the western Atlantic.