Larval and juvenile fishes associated with pelagic Sargassum in the north-central Gulf of Mexico

The information reported herein, which was obtained as part of a larger study, pertains to the identification and enumeration of larval and juvenile fishes associated with pelagic Sargassum in the northern Gulf of Mexico. From 2000 to 2002, over 18,000 pelagic larval and juvenile fishes were collected using bongo and neuston nets. The diversity of fishes was high, with 110 species collected representing 69 genera and 57 families. The dominant families, in order of numeric abundance of specimens, were Exocoetidae, Carangidae, Clupeidae, Gerreidae, Mugilidae, Scombridae, Balistidae, and Monacanthidae. . The family Carangidae was represented by the greatest number of species (n = 16) folJowed by Scombridae (n = 9), Exocoetidae (n = 9), and Monacanthidae (n = 8).