Most of the species selected were reef dwellers and more or less
sedentary;
however, a few which prefer open sandy bottom,
as goatfish,
such
jacks and flatfish, were also taken and ashed for
counting.
The fish which best fulfilled the criteria listed above
were the damsel fish (Pomacentridae), surgeon fish (Acanthuridae),
groupers
(Serranidae) and wrasse (Labridae).
Appendix
Table 3, which summarizes the material used in the analysis for
redioactivity, shows that these four families were taken at all
stations.
Certain species such as the grouper, Epinephalus
merra, the damsel fish, Abudefduf biocellatus, the surgeon fish,
Acanthurus triostegus,
and the wrasse,
Halichoeres trimaculatus,
were taken at a majority of the stations.
A total of 237 specimens representing 58 species, 33 genera
and 22 families of fishes were counted for radioactivity on
768 plates.
The following organs of the large specimens selected were
analyzed for radioactivity:
gut (including contents).
combined for analysis:
and liver;
muscle,
skin, bone,
liver,
and
In small fish the following were
(1) muscle, skin, and bone; (2) gut
or (3) entire fish.
Omnivores and carnivores were
selected in approximately equal numbers at each station.
In order to compare the activity found in various samples
of entire fish,
the total activity per gram of an individual
fish was calculated as the sum of the activity
of
tissues, the procedure followed in 1949 (AEFCD-3446).
Sults are recorded in Table 10.
- 44 -
all
The re-
The tissues listed in this