Habitat and Shelter
The Florida mangrove system is an important habitat for many species. It provides nursery grounds for young fish, crustaceans and mollusks. Many fish feed in the mangrove forests, including snook (Centropomus undecimalis), Gray or Mangrove snapper (Lutjanus griseus), Schoolmaster snapper (Lutjanus apodus), tarpon, jack, sheepshead, red drum, Hardhead Silverside (Atherinomorus stipes), juvenile Blue Angelfish (Holocanthus bermudensis), juvenile Porkfish (Anisotremus virginicus), Lined Seahorse (Hippocampus erectus), Great Barracuda (Sphryaena barracuda), Scrawled Cowfish (Lactophrys quadricornis) and Permit (Trachinotus falcatus), as well as shrimp and clams. An estimated 75% of the game fish and 90% of the commercial fish species in south Florida depend on the mangrove system.
The branches of mangroves serve as roosts and rookeries for coastal and wading birds, such as the brown pelican (Oelicanus occidentalis), roseate spoonbill (Ajajia ajaia), Frigatebird (Fregata magnificans), Double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus), Great White Heron and Wurdemann's Heron, color phases of the Great Blue Heron (Adrea herodias), Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), Snowy Egret (Egretta thula), Green Heron (Butorides striatus), Reddish Egret (Dichromanassa rufescens) and Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca). Other animals that shelter in the mangroves are the American Coot (Fulica americana), American Crocodile, Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus), Mangrove Snake (Nerodia clarkii compressicauda) and the Atlantic Saltmarsh Snake (Nerodia clarkii taeniata ).
Above the water mangroves also shelter and support snails, crabs, spiders, bromeliads of the genus Tillandsia, including Spanish moss, and Reindeer lichen. Below the water's surface, often encrusted on the mangrove roots, are sponges, anemones, corals, oysters, tunicates, mussels, starfish, crabs, Florida Spiny Lobster (Panulirus argus) and seagrasses.
Read more about this topic: Florida Mangroves
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