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Habitat use by Centropomus undecimalis in a rocky area of estuarine beach in north‐east Brazil
Author(s) -
Dantas D. V.,
Barletta M.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/jfb.13001
Subject(s) - diel vertical migration , habitat , estuary , juvenile , fishery , nursery habitat , ecology , biology , debris , oceanography , geology
The influence of habitat, diel period, tidal phase and moon phase on the spatial distribution of Centropomus undecimalis was investigated at the mouth of the Timbo estuary, north‐east Brazil. Underwater visual censuses were conducted in three areas comprising a mix of mud, sand and beach rock substrata; with one of the areas having additional structural complexity in the form of unused wooden debris. The area with debris housed significantly higher densities of juvenile and adult C. undecimalis whereas sub‐adults were more abundant in an area lacking the wooden debris. Juvenile abundance was greatest during the day, whereas sub‐adult and adults were more abundant at night. There were significant interactions between habitat, diel period, tidal phase and moon phase for all ages of C. undecimalis . These results emphasize the need to account for a range of environmental factors when planning for the conservation of estuarine and coastal habitats.