ECOLOGY AND DISTRIBUTION OF THREE SPECIES OF STARGAZERS (PISCES: URANOSCOPIDAE) IN NORTH CAROLINA

摘要

Three stargazers (family Uranoscopidae), Kathetostoma albigutta (lancer stargazer), Astroscopus guttatus (northern stargazer), and A. y-graecum (southern stargazer) occur in North Carolina. Distributions, abundances, capture depths, length-weight relationships, and ecologies are discussed for each species, based mainly on specimens captured in North Carolina. Large specimens of each Astroscopus sp. Were caught in sounds and inlets. Populations of both Atroscopus Sp. Were severely affected during winter freezes of inland shallow waters of the Cape ear River and elsewhere. Much remains to be learned regarding population Recoveries of all three species.