Abstract

The shelf-wide distribution of Antillean fish traps has been monitored in southwest Puerto Rico since 2002 to evaluate the benthic impacts of trap fishing within coralline habitats. Of 1438 traps surveyed to date, 161 traps were further investigated to quantify catch and trap-associated damage to sessile invertebrates; of these 39% were empty at the time of inspection. These data were used to assess trap catch (abundance, species composition) within habitats subject to potential trap damage. Observed traps were predominantly arrowhead-style traps with 5-cm hexagonal vinyl-coated mesh composed either of wood (40%, n=65) or rebar frames (29%, n=46). Most traps inspected were found within colonized hard bottom habitats dominated by soft corals (63%, n=102) at intermediate depths (12-18 m). Fishes composed 78% of the total individuals caught (n=391), of which butterflyfishes, surgeonfishes, grunts, and parrotfishes were most abundant. The banded butterflyfish, Chaetodon striatus (n=34), was the most frequently encountered fish species, whereas the foureye butterflyfish, Chaetodon capistratus (n=32), was the fish observed in the highest number of traps (n=17). Snappers and groupers composed only 7% of all observed fishes. The Caribbean spiny lobster, Paniluris argus, the most frequently observed invertebrate (n=73) found within 22% of all observed traps, made up 85% of all observed invertebrates, and the highest percentage of all observed individuals (20%). The majority of individuals (81%, n=316) were observed within colonized hard bottom and reef areas of high damage potential. Although sampled less frequently, traps within more barren areas (27%, n=44) of lower damage potential (algal sand and mud habitats), consisted mostly of trunkfishes (19%, n=14) and grunts (15%, n=11). Within these habitats, P. argus was the most frequently observed species (32%, n=24), of which 58% were observed in algal sand. Due to the presence of spiny lobster within barren habitats, and the higher percentage of commercially valuable fish species observed within areas of lower damage potential, these results suggest that fishers could prosper well by fishing traps only within areas of low damage potential. However, given the potential to catch higher numbers of lobster and fishes of the snapper/grouper complex within coralline habitats, it is unlikely that such a change in practice would occur

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