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Knowledge of marine
biodiversity in
the deep region of
the Colombian Caribbean
2021
Contribution of the oil and gas sector
Cover image: Enypniastes eximia. Image taken with underwater drift ca-
mera. Observation Depth: 2,042 – 2,375 m. Purple Angel Block. CSA Ocean
Science Inc.©
Endpaper images: Aquabiósfera SAS©
Coordinating Editor: Claudia Sánchez-Ramírez, Aquabiósfera SAS
Spatial imaging (GIS): Diego Fernando Sánchez Vargas, José Luis Espriella,
Stephane Rifaterra, Aquabiósfera SAS©
Design, layout and illustration: Harold Monroy Gómez - Impresores
Unión Gráfica SAS; Claudia Sánchez-Ramírez, Héctor Fabio Sáenz Betan-
court, Luis Salcedo© - Aquabiósfera SAS.
Original Photos: Aquabiósfera SAS©, Fundación Omacha©, CSA Ocean
Science Inc.©, Erika Ortíz©, Carolina Becerra©, Lylie Duque©, Ana Sie-
rra©, Margarita Moreno©, Felipe Ballesteros©, Laura Pinillos©, Alexandra
Gärdner©, Francisco Reyes©, Carolina González©, Camila Durán©, Natalia
Jiménez©.
Printing: Impresores Unión Gráfica SAS. uniongrafica@yahoo.com
Translators: Constanza Tabares García, Christian Santiago Arango Salazar,
Adriana Lucía Díaz Valencia, Santiago Uscátegui.
Be quoted as:
Complete document:
Sánchez-Ramírez, C. (ed). 2021. Knowledge of marine biodiversity in the
deep region of the Colombian Caribbean: Contribution of the oil and gas
sector. Anadarko Colombia Company Sucursal Colombia, Ecopetrol S.A.,
Aquabiósfera SAS, Bogotá. 390 p.
Sections of document:
Author(s). 2021. (Chapter Name). p. XX-XX. In: Sánchez-Ramírez, C. (ed).
Knowledge of marine biodiversity in the deep region of the Colombian Ca-
ribbean: Contribution of the oil and gas sector. Anadarko Colombia Com-
pany Sucursal Colombia, Ecopetrol S.A., Aquabiósfera SAS Bogotá, 390 p.
All rights reserved. Property rights of this publication belong to Anadarko Co-
lombia Company Sucursal Colombia and Ecopetrol S.A.; moral rights to authors.
This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written
authorization for research or study purposes only, not for sale or other use re-
lated to commercial purposes. Any use of this publication shall cite the source.
This publication is the result of integrating information obtained over a se-
ven-year period by several researchers, companies and institutions for envi-
ronmental characterizations and monitoring developed within the framework
of o-shore hydrocarbon exploration projects, mainly for Anadarko Colombia
Company, Sucursal Colombia, included in geographical databases submitted
to the National Environmental Licensing Authority - ANLA. Although docu-
ments submitted to the Authority supporting such information are taken as
reference, a re-analysis of said information was carried out resulting in new
interpretations by the authors. Any non-original ideas are cited accordingly
within the text.
Although every eort was made to ensure that information included in this
publication was complete and accurate, it is only intended to contribute to the
knowledge of the area by giving an overview, therefore, Anadarko Colombia
Company Sucursal Colombia, Ecopetrol S.A. and the authors will not be liable
for any damages that may arise from its use. The use of the information herein
is the reader’s sole responsibility.
Some photos have only institutional or corporate credits because it was not pos-
sible to identify their specific author. Information related to COL 3 and SIN OFF
7 Blocks was included in the analyses in this document prior authorization by
the operator of those blocks. The information analyzed for COL4 Block included
in this publication, corresponds to public information within the framework of
Resolution DIMAR 120 of February 16, 2016, which authorizes the 3D Seismic
Acquisition in Colombia 4 Block in the Colombian Caribbean Sea.
Information in this publication is the author’s sole responsibility and neither
binds nor reflects the position or opinions of Anadarko Colombia Company
Sucursal Colombia, Ecopetrol S.A., Occidental Petroleum Corporation, Repsol
Exploración Colombia S.A., Shell Colombia S.A, Aquabiósfera S.A.S. and other
individuals, companies and institutions that have collaborated in various ways
with this publication.
These disclaimers shall be construed in accordance with national rules gover-
ning copyright issues.
ISBN: 978-958-52392-6-5
his book was issued thanks to the cooperation of the following
companies in charge of developing o- shore exploration acti-
vities in the Colombian Caribbean:
Anadarko Colombia Company Sucursal Colombia
Empresa Colombiana de Petróleos S.A. - Ecopetrol S.A.
Repsol Exploración Colombia S.A.
Shell Colombia S.A.
The following institutions, corporations and companies par-
ticipated in the offshore exploration projects providing the
research platforms, equipment and personnel for sample-ta-
king and analysis and storage of information in databases
that were the input to be integrated in the development of
this document (in alphabetical order).
CGG S.A.
CSA Ocean Sciences Inc
Dolphin Drilling AS
EPI Group Ltd
Fundación Omacha
Fugro
Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras
“José Benito Vives de Andréis” Invemar
SeaBird Exploration PLC
Serport S.A.
Subsea 7 S.A. (i-Tech Services division)
TDI Brooks International, Inc.
Aquabiósfera SAS
Special recognition and gratitude to the professionals in
Anadarko Colombia Company Colombia Branch and Occi-
dental Petroleum Corporation for their valuable contribution
in the structuring, design, and support in the eorts related to
this publication.
Thematic specialists, participated in the content revision ensu-
ring the scientific rigor seriousness and quality of the informa-
tion submitted were also involved. Our most sincere apprecia-
tion to all of them: Carolina Segura (geographic context), Efraín
Rodríguez Rubio (oceanography), Lina García (water), Laure
Fontaine (sediment), Paulo Tigreros (plankton), Oscar David
Solano (macrofauna and meiofauna), Diego Gil and Jorge León
(environmental monitoring).
Acknowledgements
T
Calle 77a No.11-32, Bogotá
www.oxy.com
Cr. 13 No. 36 - 24, Bogotá, Colombia.
www.ecopetrol.com.co
Calle 115 No. 50-13,
La Alhambra, Bogotá.
Carrera 4A # 6-58,
El Rodadero, Santa Marta
C20Z 111 Pueblo Viejo, Providencia
www.aquabiosfera.com
Pelagic and demersal
fish identified in the
deep region of the
Colombian Caribbean
Ramón Alejandro Plazas Gómez1
Héctor Fabio Sáenz Betancourt2
Claudia Sánchez-Ramírez3
Vladimir Puentes Granada4
1 Marine Biologist. Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), ramon.plazas@leibniz-zmt.de
2 Marine Biologist, Aquabiósfera SAS, h.saenz@aquabiosfera.com
3 Biologist, MS Marine Biology, PhD Marine Sciences, Aquabiósfera SAS, c.sanchez@aquabiosfera.com
4 Biologist (emphasis in Marine Biology) M.Sc.,
Ph. D. in Fisheries Science. Fundación Amano, zanclus0715 @ gmail.com
Abstract
ekton, defined as a group of organisms capable of moving inde-
pendently towards tides and marine currents in the water col-
umn, is distributed in dierent depth ranges along the entire Co-
lombian Caribbean Sea. Pelagic and demersal fish assemblages
from the Colombian Caribbean oshore region were character-
ized through horizontal surface (0-200 m) and mid-water (200-
1,000 m) longline. On the seabed, sampling with trains of fishing
traps were carried out. In addition, this community organisms
were identified through direct observation from over nine hours
of videos obtained with ROV and 25 transects of nearly three
hours each, with drift cameras over the seabed. A total of 257
fishing sets were made between 2014 and 2016, out of which
194 were made with horizontal longlines and 63 with train of
fishing traps. 422 individuals of 49 species were caught with
horizontal (surface and mid-water) longlines which weighed
5,779.4 kg. Out of these, 335 individuals of 41 species (5,164.7 kg)
were caught in the southern Caribbean where the most abun-
dant species was Alepisaurus ferox, followed by Centrophorus
squamosusand Thunnus obesus. In the northern Caribbean,
87 individuals of 23 species (614.7 kg) were caught, where the
most representative species were in descending order C. squa-
mosus, Coryphaena hippurus and A. ferox. The assemblage
structure caught with horizontal longline was significantly dif-
ferent between the surface and mid-water layers. Species that
contributed the most to this dissimilarity were C. squamosus
and A. ferox. The catch average in the dierent longline sets and
climatic seasons was similar in the northern and southern Ca-
ribbean, with no statistically significant variations. The largest
N
Species of the family Halosauridae (Notacanthiformes). Obseration with underwater
drift camera, Fuerte Norte, Block depth: 2.351 m. Image: CSA Ocean Science Inc.©
Observation with underwater drift camera, Fuerte Sur Block.
Depth: 836 m. Image: CSA Ocean Science Inc.©
197
Communities associated to the surface and water column
in the deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
5Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
catches took place where exploratory drilling platforms were
located, which could act as temporary fish aggregating de-
vices. Extreme data in other longline sets could be the result
of chance or proximity to the coastal area. The composition
of fishing traps catches, which corresponded to 211 individ-
uals of four species and one genus that provided 27.8 kg was
linked to the station depth, where species were dierent in
each depth range. Myxine robinsorum species was the most
abundant and with the widest range of regional and depth
distribution of demersal fish caught. The presence of 14 spe-
cies and 15 morphotypes, located between 424 m and 2,564
m deep, was recorded from images of the drift camera and
video with ROV, two of them are new records for the Colom-
bian Caribbean Sea.
Abstract
El necton, definido como un grupo de organismos capaz de
desplazarse independientemente a las mareas y corrientes
marinas en la columna de agua, se encuentra distribuido
en distintos rangos de profundidad a lo largo de todo el mar
Caribe colombiano. Los ensamblajes de peces pelágicos y
demersales de la región costa afuera del Caribe colombiano
se caracterizaron a través de muestreos con palangre hori-
zontal en superficie (0-200 m) y media agua (200-1.000 m).
En el fondo marino, se realizaron muestreos con trenes de
nasas. Adicionalmente, se identificaron organismos de esta
comunidad a través de observación directa a partir de más
de nueve horas de videos obtenidos con ROV y 25 transec-
tos, de aproximadamente tres horas cada uno, con cámara
de arrastre sobre el fondo marino. Se realizaron 257 lances
de pesca entre 2014 y 2016, de los cuales, 194 lances fueron
con palangre horizontal y 63 con tren de nasas. Se captura-
ron 422 individuos de 49 especies con palangre horizontal
(superficie y media agua) que pesaron 5.779,4 kg. De estos,
335 individuos de 41 especies (5.164,7 kg) se capturaron en
el Caribe sur, en donde la especie más abundante fue Alepi-
saurus ferox, seguida por Centrophorus squamosus y Thun-
nus obesus. En el Caribe norte se capturaron 87 individuos de
23 especies (614,7 kg), en donde las especies más representati-
vas fueron en orden descendente C. squamosus, Coryphaena
hippurus y A. ferox. La estructura del ensamblaje capturado
con palangre horizontal fue significativamente distinta entre
los estratos de superficie y media agua. Las especies que más
contribuyeron a esta disimilaridad fueron C. squamosus y A.
ferox. El promedio de captura en los diferentes lances y épo-
Keywords: Nekton, horizontal fishing longline, train of fishing traps, pelagic fish, demersal fish.
cas climáticas fue similar en el Caribe norte y sur, sin eviden-
ciar variaciones estadísticamente significativas. Las mayores
capturas se dieron donde hubo presencia de plataformas de
perforación exploratoria, que pudieron actuar como dispo-
sitivos agregadores de peces temporales. Datos extremos en
otros lances pudieron ser producto del azar o de la cercanía
a la zona costera. La composición de la captura con nasas,
que correspondió a 211 individuos de cuatro especies y un
género que aportaron 27,8 kg, estuvo ligada a la profundidad
de la estación, en donde las especies fueron distintas en cada
rango de profundidad. La especie Myxine robinsorum fue la
más abundante y con mayor rango de distribución regional y
de profundidad de los peces demersales capturados. A partir
de las imágenes de cámara de arrastre y video con ROV se
registró la presencia de 14 especies y 15 morfotipos, localiza-
dos entre 424 m y 2.564 m de profundidad, dos de ellos son
nuevos registros para el mar Caribe colombiano.
Introduction
The oshore oil activity has allowed ex-
ploration of remote and hard-to-access
sectors. Oil and gas exploration blocks
are extensive in area and depths, which
can reach more than 4,000 m. Not rela-
tively much information is known about
the fauna living there. Nekton, defined as
a group of organisms able to move inde-
pendently towards the tides and marine
currents in the water column, is one of
the most ubiquitous and diverse in oce-
anic ecosystems. Fishes are the most
common nekton vertebrates and play a
fundamental role in the various habitats
they live, among others, they participate
in the nutrient cycle and regulate trophic
webs (Villéger et al., 2017). In addition,
fish are an important source of protein
by being consumed at least once a week
in more than 50% of the Colombian fami-
lies (ANDI, 2019).
Dierent Nekton studies related to hy-
drocarbon exploration blocks have been
developed in the Colombian Caribbean.
In the southern Colombian Caribbean,
monitoring was carried out at the Ara-
zá well (Solano et al., 2008), while to the
north, in La Guajira, monitoring activi-
ties were developed at Chuchupa B (IN-
VEMAR, 2007), Uchuva I wells (Cortés et
al., 2011), as well as characterization of
GuaO 3 Block (INVEMAR, 2014).
Among other studies, characterization
of the area of influence of the seismic
activity at GuaO 1 Block (Cortés et al.,
2014) is included. In deep areas, INVE-
MAR developed a study where cha-
racterization of fish collected from the
continental margin of the Colombian
Caribbean at depths that ranged be-
tween 20 and 800 m deep was carried
out, based on oceanographic cruises
conducted in 1998, 2000 and 2008 (Po-
lanco et al., 2010). Additionally, within
the framework of the agreement be-
tween ANH and INVEMAR, this institute
has carried out strategic environmental
characterizations of exploration blocks
Palabras clave: Necton, palangre horizontal, trenes de nasas, peces pelágicos, peces
demersales.
199198
Communities associated to the surface and water column
in the deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
Communities associated to the surface and water column
in the deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
5
5
Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
reaching depths from the continental
shelf (less than 200 m) to more than
4,000 m. This information includes data
related to fish groups caught and identi-
fications made based on acoustic densi-
ty. This information is focused on large
pelagic fish as a fishing resource (ANH-
INVEMAR, 2020).
The intent of this study is to develop an
integrated analysis of fish information
collected from the dierent exploration
blocks and exploratory drilling areas
in the deep region of the Colombian
Caribbean. In this context, the aim is to
answer the following questions: What is
the composition of pelagic and demer-
sal species collected in the deep region
of the Colombian Caribbean? How does
this biological community structure
(composition, abundance, number of
species) vary with depth? Is there an as-
sociation between the structure of fish
stocks assemblages and climatic tem-
poral variation typical of the Colombian
Caribbean?.
This analysis and its results seek to
broaden the understanding on fish
stocks assemblages in general for the
oshore region, gain new knowledge on
biodiversity as well as on natural distri-
bution patterns of these species in both
shallow and deep waters of the Colom-
bian Caribbean.
Methods
Chapter 3 in this book describes in detail
the sampling design, and explains the
various databases collected from the
baseline generation or monitoring crui-
ses, carried out in the deep region of the
Colombian Caribbean during dierent
years and climatic seasons.
For the nekton component (fish), be-
tween 2014 and 2016, fishing activities
were performed with a total of 257 sets
at sampling points distributed over ten
hydrocarbon exploration blocks, located
at the continental slope and the abyssal
zone of the Colombian Caribbean, at
depths between 667 and 4,059 m (ex-
cept for a station located at 125 m deep).
Samplings were carried out during five
dierent months that were classified in
two climatic seasons: wet (September,
October and November) and dry (De-
cember and April). Two fishing gears,
the horizontal longline (194 sets) and the
fishing trap train (63 hauls) were used.
The horizontal longline was used to ob-
tain samples in the water column from
the epipelagic (between 0 and 200 m)
and mesopelagic (between 200 m and
500 m) zones. For their part, fishing traps
were used to catch benthic organisms
(inhabiting on the seabed) and demersal
(inhabiting close to the seabed) at dep-
ths varying from 125 m to 2,400 m.
Longlines are a passive fishing gear con-
sisting of a line with baited hooks to at-
tract and catch the fish. The advantage of
this fishing gear is that it has great spatial
coverage, it is possible to mix hook sizes
in order to reduce selectivity and can be
located at hard-to access sites for other
type of fishing gears such as gillnets or
trawls (Hovgêrd & Lassen, 2008). A lon-
gline set was made per station with the
surface longline, and one set per station
with the mid-water longline. The design
of fishing gears used as well as other re-
cording methods are described below.
Horizontal longline
The horizontal surface longline consis-
ted of a 3.5mm diameter monofilament
mainline and 3,000 m long, over which
fishing lines or branch lines with circular
baited hooks MUSTAD 14/0 type with a
minimum width of 3.5 cm and a maxi-
mum of 5.8 cm, were suspended to at-
tract and catch the fish. As an eort unit,
a total of 300 hooks per set were used,
separated from each other every 10 m.
For signaling purposes on the surface, a
marker buoy was located at both ends
with a 127 cm (50 inches) circumferen-
ce, attached to a 138.1 cm (15 inches) dia-
meter rigid working buoy on which the
mainline was clamped and at the other
end, a location and longline securing ra-
dio beacon was placed.
Intermediate rigid buoys with 30.5 cm
(12 inches) diameter were placed on
the longline, separated from each other
every 100 m, which allowed the suspen-
sion of the art by buoy lines (8mm dia-
meter polypropylene rope) that held the
mainline from 40 m deep, forming sinu-
ses up to 80 m deep between one buoy
and the other (Figure 1).
As to the bait, sardine fish Opisthonema
oglinum (Atlantic thread herring) or
squid was mostly used. The initial-final
draft points were recorded with a GPS
to accurately locate the maneuvers star-
ting point.
For studying the nektonic community
in mesopelagic habitats, the horizontal
midwater longline was used as an art
or sampling tool, which kept a structure
similar to that of the surface (Figure 1);
however, the mainline was suspended by
three buoy lines with 250 m long polypro-
pylene ropes and rigid suspension buoys
on the surface. The branch line structure
was the same as the one described for
the horizontal surface longline, except for
the hook, since C11 'and J5' hooks were
used midwater, which are smaller than
those used on the surface. Additionally,
for this mid-water longline, a bait and LED
lights were used as chemical and light
attractions.
201200
Communities associated to the surface and water column
in the deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
Communities associated to the surface and water column
in the deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
5
5
Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
100 m
3.000 m
10 m
40 m Dropline (Buoy line)
(polypropelene twisted
rope ø ¼”)
Rigid buoy(ø 12”)
Mainline
(monofilament nylon ø
3,5 mm)
Signaling buoy +
blinking led light
Main buoy(ø 15”)
Radio
beacon
Branch line
(Gangions)
(4 m).
10 Branch lines (gangions)
50 m
40 m
Seabed
The fishing gear operability was at 250
m deep, enabling sampling to be carried
out at a stratum dierent from the sur-
face longline, being placed at the ther-
mocline depth, which divides two water
masses with dierent temperature cha-
racteristics and salinity and, therefore,
the nektonic community structure found
there may vary (Eslava et al., 2003).
Surface and mid water longlines were
set for a period of six hours from the
first buoy cast into the water. These casts
were made taking into account oceano-
graphic conditions in situ such as winds
and current direction, ensuring fishing
activities in the surroundings of the
stations established. Each longline was
set once per station, except for those
stations at Fuerte Norte and Fuerte Sur
Blocks, where they were casted three ti-
mes since there were monitoring tasks
in the area. Longline sampling related
phases are illustrated in Figure 2.
Figure 1. Specifications of the horizontal surface and midwater longline used in nektonic community sampling.
The dierence between longlines corresponds to the length of the buoy lines that
allow reaching the target depth. Illustration: Héctor F. Sáenz©, Aquabiósfera
Figure 2. Longline fishing maneuver. A. Baiting; B. Preparedness of longline box with baited branch lines;
C. setting up buoys and leads; D. marker buoy cast; E. collection and recovery of branch lines; F. Securing buoy on deck.
Images: Aquabiósfera©.
A
C
E
B
D
F
203202
Communities associated to the surface and water column
in the deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
Communities associated to the surface and water column
in the deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
5
5
Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
The fishing traps consisted of a folding
frame or structure with cast iron rods
lined on its base, with a 1.3 cm (½
inch) diameter plastic net and with a
confined net on the sides for twisted
nylon fishing with a 2.54 cm (1 inch)
diameter net light. On one of the sides, a
cone-shaped opening folded upwards
was found to reduce the probability of
organisms return after entering. Two
lead weights of two pounds each were
included to provide more stability
during lowering. At each sampling
station, train of ten fishing traps train
was placed that remained at the
bottom for 24 hours. This art structure
and operability details are described
in the Megafauna Chapter in this book.
Train of fishing traps
Underwater drift Camera and Remote Operated
Vehicle (ROV)
Field work
Details of survey sites and methods
with drift camera and ROV are found in
Chapter 6, megafauna component in this
book.
During seabed verification activities
based on transects with drift camera
in the areas of interest, and videos ob-
tained with remotely operated vehicles
(ROV) in exploratory drilling areas be-
fore and after (or during, depending on
the well) exploratory drilling activities,
it was possible to observe fish and other
organisms in their environment. Twen-
ty-five transects were carried out at sites
of interest for nearly three hours each,
with drift cameras taking images every
20 seconds trying to follow the transect
line and cover the planned area.
In the case of ROV, videos were recor-
ded in transects that reached up to 80
m from the well site towards North, Sou-
th, East West. Of the 48 resulting videos,
with a total duration of 9 h 9 min 26 sec,
frozen images were taken to identify the
organisms.
A total of 97 stations were sampled, 55
in the southern sector and 42 in the nor-
thern sector (Figure 3) with two longli-
ne sets per station for a total of 194 sets.
Not all of them were sampled with both
fishing gears (longline and fishing traps).
Fishing traps were used at 52 stations,
41 at the south and 63 hauls in total. Fi-
shing gears used, as well as, the number
of fishing trips and eort are specified in
Table 1.
Table 1. Summary of fish sampling stations in the Colombian Caribbean.
Sector Project Art Stratum Eort Fishing trips
South
FN
Horizontal longline Surface 1 cast of 6
hours 12
Horizontal longline Midwater 1 cast of 6
hours 12
Fishing trap train Seabed 1 cast of 24
hours 12
PA
Horizontal longline Surface 1 cast of 6
hours 12
Horizontal longline Midwater 1 cast of 6
hours 12
Fishing trap train Seabed 1 cast of 24
hours 12
FS
Horizontal longline Surface 1 cast of 6
hours 12
Horizontal longline Midwater 1 cast of 6
hours 12
Fishing trap train Seabed 1 cast of 24
hours 12
SSO
Horizontal longline Surface 1 cast of 3
hours 6
Horizontal longline Midwater 1 cast of 3
hours 6
Fishing trap train Seabed 1 cast of 24
hours 6
COL 5
Horizontal longline Surface 1 cast of 6
hours 13
Horizontal longline Midwater 1 cast of 6
hours 13
Fishing trap train Seabed 1 cast of 24
hours 13
North
COL 1
Horizontal longline Surface 1 cast of 6
hours 8
Horizontal longline Midwater 1 cast of 6
hours 8
COL 2
Horizontal longline Surface 1 cast of 6
hours 9
Horizontal longline Midwater 1 cast of 6
hours 9
COL 3
Horizontal longline Surface 1 cast of 6
hours 9
Horizontal longline Midwater 1 cast of 6
hours 9
Fishing trap train Seabed 1 cast of 24
hours 8
COL 6
Horizontal longline Surface 1 cast of 6
hours 8
Horizontal longline Midwater 1 cast of 6
hours 8
COL 7
Horizontal longline Surface 1 cast of 6
hours 8
Horizontal longline Midwater 1 cast of 6
hours 8
FN: Fuerte Norte; FS: Fuerte Sur; PA: Purple Angel; SSO: Sin O 7. The surface longline was set at a water column depth
between 40 to 80 m; the midwater longline was set between 250 and 500 m deep; fishing traps were placed on the seabed,
therefore, its depth depended on the station.
.
205204
Communities associated to the surface and water column
in the deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
Communities associated to the surface and water column
in the deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
5
5
Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
A laboratory activity was previously ca-
rried out on board, so that the sampling
material would not lose its qualities and
composition during its processing time,
taking measurements of each specimen
in fresh condition (Figure 4). Only if
strictly necessary, samples were preser-
ved for laboratory analysis and inclusion
in the biological collection (e.g. collection
of the Museum of Natural Marine History
of INVEMAR).
Each individual was taxonomically con-
firmed in the field up to the lowest level
possible. Some species were confirmed
in the laboratory with the help of a ste-
reoscope for counting gill rakers, scales
and other structures which, due to their
size, could not be processed in the field.
Laboratory analysis Information analysis
Information on species caught was
stored in a database to subsequently
prepare a catch table that included the
scientific name, abundance, biomass,
its threat category in accordance with
the International Union for Conservation
of Nature (IUCN, 2020), the red book of
marine fish of Colombia (Chasqui et al.,
2017) and Resolution 1912 of 2017 issued
by the Ministry of the Environment and
Sustainable Development (MADS, 2017).
Specialist literature for each of species
identified was reviewed. The species
listing followed the phylogenetic arran-
gement of Eschmeyer et al. (2020) up to
the species level. In order to characteri-
ze the studied assemblage, abundance
was determined, which is given by the
number of total individuals, biomass,
represented as the wet weight (kg) per
species for each cast, and richness as
the number of species per cast.
Data related to composition and abun-
dance of pelagic fish were analyzed from
dierent methodological factors such as
stratum depth, spatial variability such
as the catch sector (north-south) and
temporal such as the climatic season
(dry, wet) and sampling day (daytime,
nighttime). For their part, demersal fish
were described in terms of total abun-
dance and fish catch depth. Free softwa-
re was used for graphics and statistical
computing R, compiled in the RStudio®
environment of open code to run scan
data, statistical tests and graphics pro-
duction (RStudio Team, 2020). Statisti-
Figure 3. Area of study with sampling stations as per sector and fishing gear. Only those stations where fish were caught are shown.
Figure 4. Measurement of morphometric variables in the phase previous to laboratory on the vessel.
A. Catch and taxonomic identification; B. weight measurement; C. height measurement; D. sex identification
(reproductive structure of female shark). Images: Aquabiósfera ©.
A
C
B
D
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Communities associated to the surface and water column
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Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
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Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
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cal analyses were performed to observe
the nature of the data, among them, the
normality test of Shapiro Wilks (Royston,
1982). In order to determine if the data
variability was significant, and since the
data did not comply with the parame-
tric test assumptions, it was decided to
use non-parametric alternatives such as
the Kruskal-Wallis test (Hollander et al.,
2013) and the Dunn's multiple compari-
sons post hoc analysis (Dunn, 1961), toge-
ther with Bonferroni’s correction method
to avoid alpha value inflation.
Additionally, a canonical analysis of main
coordinates (Anderson & Willis, 2003)
was carried out to evaluate dierences in
composition and abundance of catches
in the dierent layers, days, and times
sampled.
For testing the significance of variations
between factors, a permutation analysis
for main coordinates (Legendre et al.,
2011) was made. Finally, to observe each
species contribution to dierences obser-
ved, a percentage similarity test SIMPER
(Clarke, 1993) was carried out.
n total, 422 individuals corresponding to
49 species were caught with horizontal
longline at sampled depths (surface and
midwater, Annex 1). Out of these, 335 in-
dividuals of 41 species were caught in
the southern sector and 87 individuals
of 23 species in the northern sector. The
most abundant species in the southern
sector was Alepisaurus ferox, with a to-
tal of 45 individuals collected, followed
by Centrophorus Squamosus (40 indi-
viduals) and Thunnus obesus (28 indi-
viduals). For its part , C. squamosus (ele-
ven individuals), Coryphaena hippurus
(eight individuals) and A. ferox (eight
individuals) dominated the northern
sector (Figure 5).
Of the species caught, eleven were found
in a vulnerable state, seven in the near
threatened category and twenty-two in
the least concern according to the threa-
tened species red list of IUCN (2020).
The rest of the species does not show
a category defined by this entity or its
data were insucient to determine it. For
its part, the Colombian marine fish red
book (Chasqui et al., 2017) and Resolu-
tion 1912 (MADS, 2017) do not report any
of those species recorded in this study as
endangered species; six species, among
which is Gynglimostoma cirratum that
on the list by the IUCN is listed as Near
Threatened (NT), are in vulnerable sta-
te (VU). Likewise, the red book shows
Sphyraena barracuda in the near threa-
tened (NT) category, while this is in the
least concern (LC) category according to
IUCN (Annex 1).
The largest species catch in the southern
sector may be linked to two factors. First,
that a greater number of fishing trips
were executed in this sector, which
translates into a greater sampling eort
and, therefore, a greater probability of
Results and Discussion
I
Pelagic fish
catching new species. Second, stations
in the southern sector are relatively
closer to the continental shelf and the
coast, which is an area of greater pro-
ductivity compared to the open ocean,
this due to the amount of nutrients by
continental waters and the presence of
coastal ecosystems such as coral reefs,
mangroves and sea grasses, which play
an important role in reproduction and
trophic network of large pelagics (Levin
& Sibuet, 2012).
On the other hand, in the superficial
stratum (0-200 m), 228 individuals of
34 species were caught. Dominant spe-
cies were Carcharhinus falciformis (25
individuals), Alepisaurus ferox (twenty
individuals), Thunnus albacares (20
individuals), Carcharhinus obscurus
(19 individuals), Thunnus atlanticus (19
individuals) and Coryphaena hippurus
(17 individuals). In the midwater stratum
(200 m - 1,000 m), a total of 194 indivi-
duals of 31 species were caught. At this
depth, the abundance was dominated
mainly by Centrophorus squamosus
(40 individuals), Alepisaurus ferox (30
individuals) and Thunnus obesus (27 in-
dividuals). Images of the most abundant
organisms are shown in Figure 6.
In terms of biomass, a total of 5,779.4 kg
was caught, out of which, 5,164.7 kg were
obtained in the southern sector and
614.7 kg in the northern sector. Species
with the largest biomass in the southern
sector was Prionace glauca with 2,070.6
kg, followed by Thunnus obesus (666.0
kg) and Thunnus albacares (621.9 kg).
Meanwhile in the Northern sector, spe-
cies Thunnus albacares (154.3 kg), Xi-
phias gladius (75.9 kg) and Carchar-
hinus longimanus (51.0 kg) were the most
Figure 5. Abundance in number of individuals collected with horizontal longline in the southern
and northern sectors of the Colombian Caribbean as per depth stratum.
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Communities associated to the surface and water column
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Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
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Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
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representative ones (Figure 7). These
large size species and which provided
more than 60% of the biomass caught,
are typical of oceanic environments and
include species of economic importance
and monitored by the International Com-
mission for the Conservation of Atlantic
Tuna ICCAT (Singh-Renton, 2010).
On the surface, the total biomass caught
for the entire area of study was 3,749.1
kg, out of which more than a half was
the contribution of two species, Prionace
glauca (1,603.6 kg) and Thunnus alba-
cares (613.1 kg). At midwater, the catch
was less, with 2,030.3 kg. In this case, T.
obesus (661.2 kg) and P. glauca (466.5
kg) were the dominant species. When
analyzing as per sector, it could be ob-
served that the species with the highest
biomass contribution, P. glauca, was
caught only at the southern stations. In
the northern sector, the most abundant
species was T. albacares. Images of the
most abundant species in terms of bio-
mass are shown in Figure 8.
According to the above, 17 species were
found in both depth layers, 17 were ex-
clusive to the surface sampling and 14
to the midwater sampling. Results ob-
tained are in line with the distribution
ranges reported in the literature and fi-
shery censuses for the dierent species.
For example, the marlin or blue marlin
(Makaira nigricans) is a species that
is distributed mainly in the epipelagic
zone above 100 m deep (Goodyear et
al., 2008), likewise, skipjack tuna (Kat-
suwonus pelamis) is a species remai-
ning almost the entire time on shallow
waters, above 50 m deep (Schaefer &
Fuller, 2007).
Figure 6. Species collected in samplings with horizontal longline. A. Carcharhinus falciformis; B. Alepisaurus ferox;
C. Thunnus albacares; D. Thunnus atlanticus; E. Carcharhinus. obscurus; F. Thunnus obesus. Images: Aquabiósfera©.
A
C
E
B
D
F
Figure 7. Biomass organisms obtained with horizontal longline
Figure 8. Images of species with the highest biomass caught with horizontal longline. A. Prionace glauca;
B. Thunnus albacares; C. Thunnus obesus; D. Xiphias gladius. Images: Aquabiosfera©.
A
C
B
D
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Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
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In addition, the canonical analysis of
main coordinates, which compared
composition and abundance of the as-
semblage at stations with depths grea-
ter than 500 m, enabled to observe di-
erences in the catch by depth stratum
(Figure 9), factor which was significant
in both sectors sampled (Table 2). The
day factor was equally significant in the
northern sector; however, this could
be the consequence of reduced casts
conducted during the night shift on the
surface area for that sector, which could
be representing dierences in the mid
water stratum composition in the die-
rent days.
Table 2. Free permutations test for canonical analysis of main coordinates.
Number of permutations = 999. * Significant variation p <0.05; gl: degrees of freedom.
North gl Sum of squares F Pr (>F)
Layer 1 2.0100 4.7701 0.001*
Day time (Shift) 1 1.1756 2.7898 0.001*
Climatic Season 1 0.5672 1.3460 0.177
Residual 45 18.9622
Sur gl Sum of squares F Pr (>F)
Layer 1 25.661 5.9712 0.001*
Day time (Shift) 1 0.5172 1.2035 0.232
Climatic Season 1 0.5585 1.2995 0.190
Residual 66 28.3634
On the other hand, the low percentage
obtained on the canonical axes (less
than 16%) reveals that the explanation in
this diagram does not allow to identify
all factors that could aect the catches,
reason why temporal, environmental or
chance factors could have influenced
the assemblage composition.
The similarity analysis revealed that
species contributing to the dierentia-
tion observed in the northern sector
were mainly, Centrophorus squamosus
(13%), Alepisaurus ferox (11%) and Scom-
brolabrax heterolepis (10%); in the sou-
thern sector, the dierentiating species
were C. squamosus (13%), A. Ferox (12
and Carcharhinus falciformis (10%). It
is important to highlight that eight out
of 20 species in the northern sector and
eleven out of 41 species in the southern
sector contributed to more than 70% of
the dissimilarity between depth layers.
This indicates that dierences are main-
ly marked by organisms loyal to their
depth layer and that most species obtai-
ned have a wide range of vertical distri-
bution (Annex 3).
Vertical distributions of these large pe-
lagics are the result, mainly, of their
eating habits. In this case, the Goldfish
(Coryphaena hippurus) is a species that
feeds on a broad spectrum of organisms
such as medium fish (flying fish), large
fish juveniles (tuna and billfish) and mo-
llusks (squid), their food range enables
them to be not only in large areas, but
also to extend their range in the water
column. In fact, stomach contents in this
deep-sea fish species have been repor-
ted such as lantern fish (Myctophidae),
and deep squid (Spirula spirula) which
confirms their presence in wide depth
ranges (Oxenford & Hunte, 1999), even
below 200 m (Merten et al., 2014). In con-
trast, species such as black gulper shark
(Centrophorus squamosus), are more
loyal to its mesophytic habitat than is
below 200 m deep and has been repor-
ted in depths up to 4,000 m (Bañón et
al., 2006). This species, which was the
one with the greatest contribution in
composition dierences as per stratum,
was also the most abundant at midwater.
Furthermore, it was reported in the nor-
thern sector of the Colombian Caribbean
in 2018(Parrado-Cortés & Rengifo, 2018),
thus confirming its ubiquity throughout
the area of study.
Variation of catch as per sector,
day time and depth stratum
Abundance average per station was hi-
gher in the southern sector during the
day for both depth layers, being of 3.72 ±
5.60 individuals on the surface and 3.35
± 4.69 individuals at midwater (Figure
10). On the other hand, the lowest values
are observed at night in the northern
sector, being them of 0.72 ± 0.74 indivi-
duals at midwater and of 0.67 ± 1.00 indi-
viduals on the surface; however, Dunn's
analysis for multiple comparisons with
the Bonferroni method, showed that the-
se dierences are not statistically signi-
ficant in terms of sector and time of the
day (Table 3).
Taractichthys longipinnis
collected with midwater longline at the
Purple Angel Block. Image: Aquabiósfera©.
Figure 9. Main coordinate canonical analysis (CAP for its initials in Spanish) of the capture structure for the two sectors
sampled in the dierent layers, climatic seasons and sampling days. Each point labels indicate daytime (D) and nighttime
(N). Each point or triangle indicates a cast.
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Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
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Table 3. Probabilities (p) obtained in Dunn's paired analysis for multiple
comparisons of abundance and biomass in the dierent sampling groups.
The Bonferroni correction was applied to reduce inflation in the
alpha value. N: North; S: South; Da: Day; Ni: Night.
Note: Ho is rejected when p ≤ α/2. α = 0.05.
Surface Midwater
Abundance N-Da N-Ni S-Da N-Da N-Ni S-Da
N-Ni 0.846 N-Ni 0.598
S-Da 0.156 0.646 S-Da 1,000 0.646
S-Ni 1.000 0.136 1,000 S-Ni 1,000 0.136 1,000
Biomass N-Da N-Ni S-Da N-Da N-Ni S-Da
N-Ni 0.643 N-Ni 1,000
S-Da 0.383 0.076 S-Da 1,000 1,000
S-Ni 1.000 0.923 0.582 S-Ni 0.548 0.269 1,000
Although the abundance differences
were not significant, the extreme data
observed mainly in the southern sector,
could be an indication of a higher density
of fish in said sector. Makris et al. (2009)
suggest that fish stock formation is rela-
ted to its density in the extensive oceanic
environment, where there can be a tran-
sition from a messy system (fish diluted
in a high volume of water), to a highly
synchronized one (fish stock formation).
In this way, catching several individuals
in the same longline set could represent
a higher fish concentration in a specific
area. In this respect, the highest number
of extreme data observed in the southern
sector could indicate the presence of fish
aggregations, such as billfish (Alepisaurus
ferox) and tuna (Thunnu spp.), aggrega-
tions that, although they may be the result
of chance, they could also be linked to the
stations distance to the coast.
In terms of biomass, the highest average
by station was obtained during daytime
daytime at the southern sector, with ave-
rages of 55.1 ± 106.7 kg in the mid-water
stratum and 48.3 ± 62.4 kg on the surface.
For its part, the northern sector at night
showed the lowest biomass values with
5.0 ± 9.8 kg on the surface and 1.3 ± 3.9
kg in mid-water (Figure 11). The Dunn
analysis for multiple comparisons with
Bonferroni's correction revealed that the-
se dierences are not significant between
sector and time of the day (Table 3).
Catch variation as per
climatic season
Abundance average was higher in the
southern sector in the wet season for
both layers, with average values of 3.33
average ± 4.81 individuals at mid-water
and 3.00 ± 4.88 individuals on the surfa-
ce. Similarly, the southern sector in the
dry season on the surface obtained 3.00
± 1.66 individuals per station. For its part,
in the midwater stratum, the northern
sector obtained the lowest values in both
climatic seasons, with 0.85 ± 0.86 indivi-
duals in the wet season and 0.44 ± 0.73 in-
dividuals during the dry season (Figure
12). The Kruskal-Wallis analysis showed
that dierences between sector-climatic
season groups were significant on the
surface (p = 0.010), but not in the midwa-
ter (p = 0.190). Subsequently, Dunn’s post-
hoc analysis for multiple comparisons
revealed that the dierences occur only
between the north-wet and south-dry
groups on the surface (p = 0.004; Ta ble
4). These results show that catches do not
depend on the climatic season and die-
rences observed could be the result of
other factors such as the sampling sector.
Thunnus sp.
observed in horizontal longline sampling at the
Purple Angel Block. Image: Aquabiósfera©.
Figure 10. Box-and-whisker plot of abundance in terms of individuals collected with horizontal longlines at dierent
times of the day and depth layers for the southern and northern sectors of the Colombian Caribbean.
Outliers (points), percentiles (boxes), and median (horizontal line) are displayed.
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Communities associated to the surface and water column
in the deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
5
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Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
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Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
The biomass behaved in a similar way
to the abundance; averages as per sta-
tion in the southern sector, wet season,
obtained higher values of biomass with
43.9 ± 93.8 kg in midwater and 42.6 ±
66.1 kg on the surface. In contrast, the
lowest biomass values were obtained in
the midwater stratum in the dry season,
both in the southern sector with 4.3 ±
5.4 kg, and in the northern sector where
only 0.8 ± 1.1 kg per station were caught.
(Figure 13). As with abundance, Dunn's
test showed that those dierences found
were only significant between the nor-
th-wet and south-dry groups (p = 0.002;
Table 4).
Table 4. Probabilities (p) obtained in the Dunn's paired analysis for multiple
comparisons of abundance and biomass in the dierent sampling groups.
Bonferroni’s correction was applied to reduce inflation from the alpha value.
N: North; S: South; W: Wet; D: Dry. Note: Ho is rejected when p≤ α/two. α = 0.05*.
Surface Midwater
Abundance N-Ll N-D S-W N-Ll N-D S-W
N-D 0.564 N-D 0.770
S-W 0.854 1,000 S-W 0.559 0.140
S-D 0.004* 1,000 0.034 S-D 1,000 0.326 1,000
Biomass N-Ll N-D S-W N-Ll N-D S-W
N-D 0.312 N-D 0.565
S-W 0.561 0.925 S-W 0.693 0.109
S-D 0,002* 1,000 0,310 S-D 1,000 0,464 1,000
Figure 11. Box-and-whisker plot of the biomass of individuals collected with horizontal longlines in dierent
times of the day and depth layers for the southern and northern sectors of the Colombian Caribbean.
Outliers (points), percentiles (boxes), and median (horizontal line) are displayed.
Figure 12. Box-and-whisker plot of abundance in terms of individuals collected with horizontal longlines in the
dierent climatic seasons and depth layers for the southern and northern sectors of the Colombian
Caribbean. Outliers (points), percentiles (boxes), and median (horizontal line) are displayed.
Figure 13. Box and whisker plot of biomass of individuals collected with horizontal longline in the dierent
climatic seasons and depth layers for the southern and northern sectors of the Colombian Caribbean.
Outliers (points), percentiles (boxes), and median (horizontal line) are shown.
217216
Communities associated to the surface and water column
in the deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
Communities associated to the surface and water column
in the deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
5
5
Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
In general, detecting temporal sampling
variations either by climatic season or
by time of the day, it is dicult when
analyzing organisms at the assemblage
level. Species caught are diverse and
dier in their biology and feeding
strategies. Species such as bigeye
tuna (Thunnus obesus) have depth
distributions and particular vertical
movements with respect to other
tuna; they are associated to uniform
temperature layers at night, nearly 200
m deep, and can lower up to 500 m
at dawn; they even follow the vertical
migration of various nektonic organisms
such as squid, which serve them as food
(Brill et al., 2005).
In contrast, other species do not seem
to have these behaviors, as in the case
of billfish and other tuna that prefer sur-
face waters and temperatures greater
than 20 °C (Eslava et al., 2003). Moreo-
ver, averages obtained both in abundan-
ce and in biomass had a high variation,
above average. Most of the stations sam-
pled obtained values close to or equal
to zero, which is evident at the median
position in the box and whisker plots
(Figure 12 and Figure 13).
Spatial variation of catches
Spatially, catches were similar in most
stations (north and south), between zero
and ten individuals. Only a few extreme
data were observed on abundance and
biomass captured at those stations whe-
re sampling were carried out at dierent
times (e.g. 127, 297, 280, 131, 155, 133)*, for
drilling monitoring of exploratory wells
Kronos-1 and Calasú-1 (Figure 14). The
temporal presence of drilling platforms
may have increased fish density in the
sector since they can act as fish aggre-
gator devices, in which it is common
to observe grouping of species such as
Thunnus albacares, Thunnus obesus
and Katsuwonus pelamis and of die-
rent shark species, which were abun-
dant at the stations mentioned (Josse &
Bertrand, 2000).
In conclusion, abundance and biomass
distribution of fish caught with horizontal
longline in the area of study do not show
any spatial or temporal pattern, despi-
te that higher values of catches at some
stations in the southern sector were ob-
served. These extreme values appear
to have occurred either by chance or by
the temporary presence of exploratory
drilling platforms in the sampling sector.
Demersal fish
Organisms collected with
fishing traps train
A total of 211 individuals and a biomass
of 27.8 kg were caught with fishing trap
trains were caught in the 63 hauls made
at 52 stations. Only nine of the stations
showed fish catches. Pristipomoides
aquilonarisit was the most abundant
both in number of individuals (169 in-
dividuals) and in biomass (15.2 kg), fo-
llowed by Myxine robinsorum (21 indi-
viduals and 9.9 kg) and Gymnothorax
ocellatus (19 individuals and 2.3 kg). Of
the Synaphobranchus oregoni and Poro-
gaduss species, only one specimen was
collected in each case (Figure 15).
All individuals of Pristipomoides Aquilo-
naris were collected in one single station
(208) in the southern sector of the sam-
pling area. This was the only station with
a depth less than 500 m (125 m). This spe-
cies, together with Gymnothorax ocella-
tus, that was the other exclusive species at
this station, are associated to reefs or roc-
ky bottoms of the continental shelf, which
vertical distribution varies between 1
m and 160 m (Cervigón, 1993, Lieske &
Myers, 2001), not showing its presence
in the deep region where the other sam-
pling stations are located (Figure 16).
Figure 14. Total abundance of individuals as per station and depth stratum in the northern and southern sectors of the Colombian
* Location of these sampling stations can be found in Annex 1 of Chapter 2 of this book.
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Communities associated to the surface and water column
in the deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
5
5
Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
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Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
A
C
B
D
54,8%
35,5%
8,1%
1,5% 0,1%
Relative biomass
Pristipomoides aquilonaris Myxine robinsorum Gymnothorax ocellatus Synaphobranchus oregoni Poroga dus sp.
95,7%
4,1%0,2%
80,1%
10,0 %
9,0%
0,5% 0 ,5%
Relative abundance (individuals)
91,3%
4,3%
4,3%
In contrast, species caught at greater
depths (> 500 m) were dierent. The
presence of the species Myxine robin-
sorum was observed at seven stations,
being it the most ubiquitous organism
to be found in deep waters. This obser-
vation matches its vertical distribution
range which is defined between 783 m
and 1,768 m (Wisner & McMillan, 1995).
In the same way, species Synaphobran-
chus oregoni and Porogadus sp. were
caught within depth ranges reported in
the literature (Figure 17), being them of
512 - 1,900 m and 1,500 - 3,510 m, res-
pectively (Nielsen et al., 1999; Sulak &
Shcherbachev, 1997).
Organisms observed from underwater
drift camera and ROV
Since it was not a systematic analysis ai-
med at establishing structural patterns
of the fish assemblage observed through
this mean, only species identified from
these non-invasive methods are shown
in this section. In total, 14 species, 13
morphotypes at the genus level, and
two morphotypes at the family level dis-
tributed in 15 orders (Annex 2) were
identified, which were located at depths
between 424 m and 2,564 m of the water
column (Polanco & Acero, 2019). Of the
species recorded, two of them are new
records for the Colombian Caribbean
Sea: Somniosus cf. microcephalus and
Acanthonus armatus (Acero et al., 2018,
Polanco et al., 2019). Figure 18 shows
some of the species and morphotypes
observed.
169
19
1
9
12
1
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
125
1200 - 1500
1500 - 2400
Abundance (No. Individuals)
Depth (m)
Porogadus sp. Myxine robinsorum Synaphobranchus oregoni
Gymnothorax ocellatus Pristipomoides aq uilonaris
Figure 15. Relative abundance and biomass of the total species collected with fishing trap trains, including species obtained
at the station located on the continental shelf (at 125 m deep) (A. and B.) and in all eight sets in which catch was obtained at
depths greater than 500 m (C. Y D.) in the Colombian Caribbean.
Figure 16. Abundance of demersal organisms as per station collected with fishing trap trains in the Colombian Caribbean.
Figure 17. Abundance of demersal organisms as per depth stratum
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Communities associated to the surface and water column
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Communities associated to the surface and water column
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5
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Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
he pelagic zone of the Colombian Cari-
bbean is inhabited by large pelagic fish
typical of oceanic environments of the
Western Atlantic and correspond to those
that are susceptible to fishing with hori-
zontal longline, which is characterized by
the presence of tuna, sharks and billfish.
No spatial or temporal pattern was evi-
dent in the abundance distribution, even
though a greater number of species and
individuals were caught in the southern
sector with horizontal longline. These
results may be related to the highest
sampling eort in that sector, which pro-
vided a greater richness of species.
Extreme biomass values are possibly a
matter of chance, taking into considera-
tion the large dierence in organism sizes
and their capacity to contribute to bio-
mass. Likewise, the presence of explora-
tory drilling platforms at the time of sam-
pling could have an eect on the catch,
as they acted as fish aggregating devices.
Organisms were caught in depth ranges
previously reported for the Colombian
Caribbean and other sectors in the tro-
pics. The presence of species such as
Centrophorus squamosus which first
report was in the northern sector of the
Colombian Caribbean, is confirmed.
The composition of the catch with fi-
shing traps was linked to the station
depth, where species were dierent at
each depth range. Species Myxine ro-
binsorum was the most abundant orga-
nism and with the greatest range of de-
mersal fish caught in waters exceeding
500 m deep.
This study composition and abundance
data may serve as the baseline for future
scientific studies and selection of sam-
pling areas. Nonetheless, due to the large
extension of the area of study and the
distribution and mobility range of these
organisms, fish assemblages reported in
this book are not good indicators of likely
environmental impacts associated to oil
and gas exploration activities.
The analysis of this study related samples
allows to contribute to the knowledge
of fish assemblage of the coastal region
oshore the Colombian Caribbean at the
spatial level and at dierent depth layers;
however, this knowledge is still limited,
since observation and catches of nekto-
nic organisms such as fish, depends on
their mobility, distribution and on selec-
tivity and operability of the fishing gear
used for their study. Technical, logistical
and environmental challenges to obtain
information in border areas such as the
area studied, highlight the value that the
information collected for this study has
and results in a base for those interested
in conducting research studies leading
to understanding these communities’
structure and function.
.
Conclusions
T
Figure 18. Specimens observed
through the underwater drift camera
over the seabed (depth observation).
A. Lophiodes beroe (721 m),
B. Cyttopsis rosea (563 m),
C. Chaunax suttkusi (427-722),
D. Neoscopelus microchir (560-841 m),
E. Urophycis cf. cirrata (428-635);
F. Neobythites marginatus (526-561 m),
G. Dicrolene sp. (1.223 m),
H. Acanthonus armatus (2.235-2.564 m)
(new report),
I. Synaphobranchidae sp2 (2.262 m),
J. Bathysaurus mollis (2.258-2.371).
Images: CSA Ocean Science Inc.©.
Source: Polanco & Acero (2019).
A
D
G
J
B
E
H
C
F
I
223222
Communities associated to the surface and water column
in the deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
Communities associated to the surface and water column
in the deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
5
5
Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
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Communities associated to the surface and water column
in the deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
Communities associated to the surface and water column
in the deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
5
5
Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
Observation with underwater drift camera, Fuerte Sur Block.
Depth: 836 m. Image: CSA Ocean Science Inc.©
Annex 1. Listing of fish species collected in oceanic waters of the Colombian Caribbean with their abundance (individuals), biomass (kg) and threat
category established in the red list of IUCN (2020), the red book of marine fish of Colombia (2017) and Resolution 1912 (2017) of MADS.
Order Family Species Sector1Stratum2Abundance
(Individuals)
Biomass
(kg) IUCN Red
Book
Resolution
1912
Scombriformes Scombridae Acanthocybium solandri South Surface 6 78.40 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Scombriformes Scombridae Acanthocybium solandri South Midwater 1 20.4 8 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Scombriformes Scombridae Acanthocybium solandri North Surface 3 38.76 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Scombriformes Scombridae Acanthocybium solandri North Midwater 1 7.6 5 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Aulopiformes Alepisauridae Alepisaurus ferox South Surface 15 35.55 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Aulopiformes Alepisauridae Alepisaurus ferox South Midwater 30 87. 78 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Aulopiformes Alepisauridae Alepisaurus ferox North Surface 5 9.06 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Aulopiformes Alepisauridae Alepisaurus ferox North Midwater 3 6.05 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Scombriformes Bramidae Brama brama South Midwater 2 4.38 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Scombriformes Bramidae Brama brama North Midwater 1 1.76 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Carangiformes Carangidae Caranx hippos South Midwater 1 6.14 Least Concern (LC) VU VU
Carcharhiniformes Carcharhinidae Carcharhinus brachyurus South Surface 6 29.10 Vulnerable (VU) NE NE
Carcharhiniformes Carcharhinidae Carcharhinus falciformis South Surface 23 138.69 Vulnerable (VU) VU VU
Carcharhiniformes Carcharhinidae Carcharhinus falciformis South Midwater 3 19.47 Vulnerable (VU) NE NE
Carcharhiniformes Carcharhinidae Carcharhinus falciformis North Surface 2 13.47 Vulnerable (VU) NE NE
Carcharhiniformes Carcharhinidae Carcharhinus leucas South Surface 1 128.71 Near Threatened (NT) NE NE
Carcharhiniformes Carcharhinidae Carcharhinus leucas South Midwater 1 6.48 Near Threatened (NT) NE NE
Carcharhiniformes Carcharhinidae Carcharhinus longimanus South Surface 3 25.53 Vulnerable (VU) VU VU
Carcharhiniformes Carcharhinidae Carcharhinus longimanus North Surface 3 51.00 Vulnerable (VU) NE NE
Carcharhiniformes Carcharhinidae Carcharhinus obscurus South Surface 19 85.53 Vulnerable (VU) DD NE
Carcharhiniformes Carcharhinidae Carcharhinus obscurus South Midwater 3 23.50 Vulnerable (VU) DD NE
Carcharhiniformes Carcharhinidae Carcharhinus sp. North Surface 3 11.50 Not Evaluated (NE) NE NE
Carcharhiniformes Carcharhinidae Carcharhinus sp. North Midwater 1 2.72 Not Evaluated (NE) NE NE
Squaliformes Centrophoridae Centrophorus sp. South Midwater 1 4.20 Vulnerable (VU) NE NE
Squaliformes Centrophoridae Centrophorus squamosus South Midwater 40 67. 76 Vulnerable (VU) NE NE
Squaliformes Centrophoridae Centrophorus squamosus North Midwater 11 14 .74 Vulnerable (VU) NE NE
Scombriformes Chiasmodontidae Chiasmodon sp. North Midwater 1 0.02 Not Evaluated (NE) NE NE
Carangiformes Coryphaenidae Coryphaena hippurus South Surface 10 70.58 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Carangiformes Coryphaenidae Coryphaena hippurus South Midwater 3 17. 5 6 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Carangiformes Coryphaenidae Coryphaena hippurus North Surface 7 44.12 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Carangiformes Coryphaenidae Coryphaena hippurus North Midwater 1 5.00 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Carangiformes Echeneidae Echeneis naucrates South Surface 4 3.30 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Carangiformes Echeneidae Echeneis neucratoides South Surface 3 0.05 Data Deficient (DD) NE NE
Carcharhiniformes Carcharhinidae Galeocerdo cuvier South Surface 1 102.15 Near Threatened (NT) NT NE
Scombriformes Gempylidae Gempylus serpens South Surface 4 1.01 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Scombriformes Gempylidae Gempylus serpens South Midwater 1 NA Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Scombriformes Gempylidae Gempylus serpens North Surface 1 1.04 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Orectolobiformes Ginglymostomatidae Ginglymostoma cirratum South Midwater 1 56.15 Near Threatened (NT) VU VU
Anguilliformes Muraenidae Gymnothorax ocellatus South Seabed 19 2.26 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Myliobatiformes Dasyatidae Hypanus guttatus South Midwater 1 4.20 Data Deficient (DD) NE NE
Carangiformes Istiophoridae Istiophorus platypterus South Surface 12 231.85 Not Evaluated (NE) NE NE
Lamniformes Lamnidae ISouthus oxyrhinchus North Midwater 1 30.00 Near Threatened (NT) DD NE
Carangiformes Istiophoridae Kajikia albida North Surface 3 48.38 Vulnerable (VU) NE NE
Scombriformes Scombridae Katsuwonus pelamis North Surface 7 12.38 Least Concern (LC) DD NE
Tetraodontiformes Tetraodontidae Lagocephalus lagocephalus South Surface 2 2.68 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Scombriformes Gempylidae Lepidocybium flavobruneum South Surface 2 19.98 Not Evaluated (NE) NE NE
Scombriformes Gempylidae Lepidocybium flavobruneum South Midwater 6 36.43 Not Evaluated (NE) NE NE
Acanthuriformes Lobotidae Lobotes Southinamensis South Midwater 1 2.34 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Perciformes Lutjanidae Lutjanus campechanus South Surface 1 41.00 Vulnerable (VU) NE NE
Perciformes Lutjanidae Lutjanus campechanus South Midwater 5 35.67 Vulnerable (VU) NE NE
Perciformes Lutjanidae Lutjanus cyanopterus South Surface 2 22.86 Vulnerable (VU) NE NE
Perciformes Lutjanidae Lutjanus cyanopterus South Midwater 1 7.84 Vulnerable (VU) NE NE
Carangiformes Istiophoridae Makaira nigricans South Surface 1 64.20 Vulnerable (VU) VU VU
Myxiniformes Myxinidae Myxine robinsorum South Seabed 44 9.57 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Myxiniformes Myxinidae Myxine robinsorum North Seabed 2 0.32 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Lamniformes Odontaspidae Odontaspidae sp. 1 South Midwater 1 3.66 Not Evaluated (NE) NE NE
Ophidiiformes Ophidiidae Porogadus sp. South Seabed 1 0.02 Not Evaluated (NE) NE NE
Carcharhiniformes Carcharhinidae Prionace glauca South Surface 13 1603.62 Near Threatened (NT) NT NE
Carcharhiniformes Carcharhinidae Prionace glauca South Midwater 2 466.50 Near Threatened (NT) NT NE
Perciformes Lutjanidae Pristipomoides aquilonaris South Seabed 169 15.25 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Myliobatiformes Dasyatidae Pteroplatytrygon violacea North Surface 6 22.56 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Carangiformes Rachycentridae Rachycentron canadum South Midwater 1 2.26 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Carangiformes Echeneidae Remora osteochir South Surface 2 0.02 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Carcharhiniformes Carcharhinidae Rhizoprionodon porosus South Surface 2 4.10 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Scombriformes Gempylidae Ruvettus pretiosus South Surface 2 0.88 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Scombriformes Scombrolabracidae Scombrolabrax heterolepis South Midwater 1 0.22 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Scombriformes Scombrolabracidae Scombrolabrax heterolepis North Midwater 6 1.20 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Carangiformes Carangidae Seriola rivoliana North Surface 1 0.84 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Carangiformes Sphyraenidae Sphyraena barracuda North Surface 2 4.37 Least Concern (LC) NT NE
Stomiiformes Sternoptychidae Sternoptyx sp. South Midwater 2 NA Not Evaluated (NE) NE NE
Anguilliformes Synaphobranchidae Synaphobranchus oregoni South Seabed 1 0.4 2 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Scombriformes Bramidae Taractes rubescens South Midwater 2 16.00 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Scombriformes Bramidae Taractichthys longipinnis South Midwater 7 50.27 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Scombriformes Bramidae Taractichthys longipinnis North Midwater 1 1.90 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Carangiformes Istiophoridae Tetrapturus pfluegeri South Surface 1 10.10 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Carangiformes Istiophoridae Tetrapturus pfluegeri North Surface 1 19.00 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Scombriformes Scombridae Thunnus alalunga South Surface 1 16.30 Near Threatened (NT) DD NE
Scombriformes Scombridae Thunnus alalunga South Midwater 369.58 Near Threatened (NT) DD NE
Scombriformes Scombridae Thunnus albacares South Surface 16 467.32 Near Threatened (NT) NT NE
Scombriformes Scombridae Thunnus albacares South Midwater 6 154.60 Near Threatened (NT) NT NE
Scombriformes Scombridae Thunnus albacares North Surface 4 145.79 Near Threatened (NT) NT NE
Scombriformes Scombridae Thunnus albacares North Midwater 1 8.50 Near Threatened (NT) NT NE
Scombriformes Scombridae Thunnus atlanticus South Surface 14 50.56 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Scombriformes Scombridae Thunnus atlanticus South Midwater 5 19. 52 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Scombriformes Scombridae Thunnus atlanticus North Surface 5 12.05 Least Concern (LC) NE NE
Scombriformes Scombridae Thunnus obesus South Surface 1 23.67 Vulnerable (VU) NE NE
Scombriformes Scombridae Thunnus obesus South Midwater 27 641.72 Vulnerable (VU) VU VU
Scombriformes Scombridae Thunnus obesus North Surface 1 5.52 Vulnerable (VU) NE NE
Scombriformes Scombridae Thunnus obesus North Midwater 1 19.50 Vulnerable (VU) NE NE
Carangiformes Xiphiidae Xiphias gladius South Surface 7 51.56 Least Concern (LC) DD NE
Carangiformes Xiphiidae Xiphias gladius South Midwater 3 30.72 Least Concern (LC) DD NE
Carangiformes Xiphiidae Xiphias gladius North Midwater 4 75.85 Least Concern (LC) DD NE
¹The southern sector corresponds to information from Fuerte Sur (Kronos-1 well monitoring), Purple Angel, COL 5, Fuerte Norte (Calasú-1 well monitoring) and Sin O 7 Blocks.
Information from the COL 1, COL 2, COL 3, COL 6 and COL 7 Blocks.
² Stratum corresponds to the collection of specimens with longlines (surface, midwater) and with fishing trap trains (seabed).
Pelagic and demersal
fish identified in the
deep region of the
Colombian Caribbean
38
Communities associated to the surface and water column
in the deep region of the Colombian Caribbean
5Pelagic and demersal fish identified in the
deep region of the Colombian Caribbean Sea
