Spatial and temporal changes in the nekton of the Terminos Lagoon, Campeche, Mexico

Abstract

This study describes the current state of the nektonic communities in Terminos Lagoon in relation to the main environmental factors, and documents variations in number of fish species, dominance and abundance, compared to studies performed in 1980. Information on several environmental factors (temperature, salinity, oxygen, pH and transparency) in the Terminos Lagoon between October 1997 and March 1999 allowed the classification of the lagoon into five zones or subsystems. The hydrological characteristics of these subsystems showed spatial differences compared with studies carried out during the 1980s. During the study period, the number of fish species was 105, compared with 154 species reported in the 1980s. Five fish assemblages were identified and appeared to be associated with the five zones or subsystems. Five fish species considered important based on their abundance in the lagoon during the 1980s declined in numbers: pig fish Orthopristis chrysoptera, Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulates, striped burrfish Chilomycterus schoepfi, spotted seatrout Cynoscion nebulosus and Gulf toadfish Opsanus beta. Six fish species, previously of minor importance, however, were very abundant: star drum Stellifer lanceolatus, Atlantic anchoveta Cetengraulis edentulus, gafftopsail catfish Bagre marinus, sand seatrout Cynoscion arenarius, striped mojarra Eugerres plumieri and ground croaker Bairdiella ronchus. Among the dominant species, the silver croaker Bairdiella chrysoura and the sea bream Archosargus rhomboidalis experienced significant changes in average abundance and distribution patterns. These changes were probably related to the impact of human activities in the Terminos Lagoon and natural variability. # 2005 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles

Abundancia y diversidad de la ictiofauna en la Reserva de la Biosfera Los Petenes, Campeche, Mexico: asociaciones con los ciclos nictimerales y las epocas climatica

“…En primer lugar, se confirmó la agrupación de especies distinguida por el análisis de clúster y se destaca que S. testudineus, A. rhomboidalis, L. rhomboides y S. hispida se asociaron a las condiciones de día para las tres temporadas climáticas, mientras que el resto de las especies se asoció a las horas de noche. Ramos-Miranda et al, 2005). Sin embargo, para la costa norte de Campeche, la información es escasa y solo se ha reportado un comportamiento ambiental clasificado en dos épocas climáticas (Secas y Lluvias) (CONANP, 2006).…”

Global climate change and local watershed management as potential drivers of salinity variation in a tropical coastal lagoon (Laguna de Terminos, Mexico)

“…In such a critical ecosystem, recent concern has arisen that an increase in salinity related to climate change might be building up, detrimentally impacting juvenile developmental stages of exploited species (Ramos Miranda et al 2005a;2005b;Sosa Lopez et al 2005;Villéger et al 2010). Those authors observed a loss in functional diversity and a biotic homogenization in the fish community of Terminos Lagoon which they linked to a salinity increase between the years 1980-1981 and 1998-1999, and interpreted as a regular shift from hypohaline to euhaline/hyperhaline status due to climate change (Ramos Miranda et al 2005a).…”

Cambios en la dieta de dos especies de mojarras (Gerreidae) en la Laguna de Términos, Campeche, México

“…Particularmente en la Laguna de Términos, en numerosos estudios se señala que la comunidad íctica está integrada por cerca de 100 especies, de las cuales 15 se consideran dominantes (Amezcua-Linares & Yáñez-Arancibia 1980, Yáñez-Arancibia & Day 1982, Ayala-Pérez et al 1993, Ramos-Miranda et al 2005. Dentro del sistema, las mojarras Diapterus rhombeus (Cuvier, 1829) y Eucinostomus gula (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824) han mostrado ser unas de las especies dominantes en número, peso y frecuencia de captura.…”