This dataset includes an inventory of Gulf of Mexico oceanic fauna data including species, weight, and measurements collected from R/V Point Sur (Cruise DP05) from 2017-05-01 to 2017-05-11. The main gear type used was a 10-m2 Multiple Opening Closing Net and Environmental Sensing System (MOCNESS). The MOCNESS was fitted with 6 nets which were opened according to the following depth scheme: net 0 from the surface to 1500m, net 1 from 1500-1200m, net 2 from 200-1000m, net 3 from 1000-600m, net 4 from 600-200m, and net 5 from 200m to the surface. Two trawls were conducted at each station sampled to capture diel vertical migration information; one during daylight hours between 9am-2:30pm CDT, and the other at 9pm-2:30am CDT. A table of the taxonomic hierarchy used in the nekton database is included with references to those scientific names recently updated which are not yet reflected by the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (www.itis.gov). The MOCNESS sensor data and ship data collected during cruise DP05 are available in GRIIDC datasets R4.x257.226:0009 and R4.x257.226:0014 respectively.