Timothy L. King

Occurrence of Pacific White Shrimp in Lower Laguna Madre, Texas

Current Texas law allows the culture of exotic and native penaeid shrimp in private waters under provisions of a Texas shellfish culture license. Because of superior growth and survival characteristics exhibited under pond culture conditions, the Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) has emerged as the primary penaeid shrimp commercially cultured in Texas. Recently, shrimp believed to be Pacific white shrimp were collected by commercial shrimpers in the Brownsville, Texas, ship channel. These specimens were morphologically and biochemically compared to native northern white shrimp (P....

Identification of Gulf of Mexico Sciaenids by Isoelectric Focusing

Sarcoplasmic proteins were isolated from skeletal muscle of 14 species of Gulf of Mexico sciaenids encompassing 11 genera utilizing isoelectric focusing (lEF). Individuals from the 11 genera were distinguishable. However, intrageneric comparisons (Cynoscion and Menticirrhus) were constrained by similar protein banding among congenerics and required a high resolution pH gradient (pH 4-5) to produce species-specific patterns. A graphical representation of differences in banding patterns among the 14 species was provided by densitometric tracings. Isoelectric focusing provided qualitative...