Barletta, M. and Saint-Paul, Ulrich (2010) Distribution pattern of fish in a mangrove estuary. In: Mangrove dynamics and management in North Brazil. Ecological Studies 211. , ed. by Saint-Paul, Ulrich and Schneider, Horacio. Ecological Studies, 211 . Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 171-188. ISBN 978-3-642-13456-2

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

The present study describes the seasonal changes of the fish species composition in three areas of the main channel of the Caeté River estuary, Brazil. The fish faunas of each habitat differed in density, biomass and species composition. Mean fish density and biomass for the Caeté River estuary channel was 0.25 individuals m−2 and 0.9 g m2, respectively. Analysis of catch data showed that the number and biomass of species, total density and total biomass differed significantly between areas and seasons. In the Caeté estuary, seasonal salinity fluctuations appeared to be the main factor that structured the fish assemblage in the entire estuarine system. At least 85% of the species captured by the artisanal and subsistence fisheries in the Bragantine region required estuarine conditions to complete their life cycle.

The mangrove forest along the northern Brazilian coast is not flooded during low tide. Nevertheless, many fish species remain in the mangrove forest during this time where a total density of 2.8 ind. m−2 and a total biomass of 17.4 g m−2 were recorded. Myrophis punctatus is the most important species in number (1.7 ind. m−2) and weight (12.7 g m−2). The densities and biomass for the three dominant species (M. punctatus, Poecilia spp. and Gobionellus smaragdus) differ significantly temporally. At high tide, in the mangrove tidal creeks, the species number varies significantly among creeks, and total fish biomass differs significantly among seasons.

Document Type:	Book chapter
Programme Area:	PA Not Applicable
Research affiliation:	Ecology
Open Access Journal?:	No
ISSN:	0070-8356
Date Deposited:	14 Oct 2025 16:13
Last Modified:	14 Oct 2025 16:13
URI:	https://cris.leibniz-zmt.de/id/eprint/955

Actions (login required)

View Item