Structure and functioning of Mediterranean lagoon fish assemblages: A key for the identification of water body types

Franco, Anita; Franzoi, Piero; Torricelli, Patrizia

doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2008.05.011

Cited by 58 publications

(63 citation statements)

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“…Franco et al (2008) showed that fi sh assemblages from 19 northern Mediterranean lagoons Table 1 for species labels were dominated in general by marine species and detritivorous and omnivorous fi sh. However such difference in ecological guild may result from the relatively harsher and variable conditions in northern lagoons excluding many marine fi sh, especially marine stenohaline species, from permanent residency in these systems as suggested by McLusky and Elliott (2004) for estuarine species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Franco et al (2008) Table 1 for species labels were dominated in general by marine species and detritivorous and omnivorous fi sh. However such difference in ecological guild may result from the relatively harsher and variable conditions in northern lagoons excluding many marine fi sh, especially marine stenohaline species, from permanent residency in these systems as suggested by McLusky and Elliott (2004) for estuarine species.The connection with the sea (mouth confi guration: width and area) was showed to be an important factor related to the number of fi sh species in a lagoon (Perez-Ruzafa et al 2007, Franco et al 2008. The short distance from the marine inlets may explain the higher abundance and total number of species recorded in group 1, being consistent with the observation that the short distance from the marine inlets tends to increase the fi sh biodiversity and abundance (Gordo and Cabral 2001, Malavasi et al.…”

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Fish assemblages of a shallow Mediterranean lagoon (Nador, Morocco): An analysis based on species and functional guilds

Jaafour¹

2015

Acta Ichthyol. Piscat.

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R. 2015. Fish assemblages of a shallow Mediterranean lagoon (Nador, Morocco): An analysis based on species and functional guilds. Acta Ichthyol. Piscat. 45 (2): 115-124.Background. Due to their location between the continent and the sea and their shallow depths, lagoons play an important ecological role in coastal ecosystems by providing a selection of habitat types for many species, functioning as nursery areas and feeding grounds for marine opportunistic fi shes. The fi sh fauna of the Nador Lagoon (NE Morocco), as in the majority of southern Mediterranean lagoons, has been insuffi ciently studied, even though the lagoon itself supports important commercial fi sheries. The presently reported study investigated the spatial and seasonal uses of shallow habitats for fi sh fauna in the Nador Lagoon. Materials and methods. Sampling was done using a beach seine net at six stations covering almost entire lagoon and representing habitats differing in many parameters such as the distance from the inlet, bottom sediment characteristics, presence of macroalgae, etc. The fi sh abundance was standardized as catch per unit effort (CPUE) and the fi sh community was analysed both in terms of its taxonomic and functional composition (by making use of both ecological and dietary preference guilds). Results. A total of 2872 individuals, representing 15 species from 12 families, was collected during the four seasons. Only six species were always present in all seasons. Fish abundance peaked in spring and the species diversity was higher in spring and summer. The fi sh assemblage was largely dominated in terms of ecological guild by the resident and benthivorous species. Spatial and seasonal fi sh assemblages differed both in terms of fi sh abundance and diversity and also in terms of functional guilds composition. In autumn, the fi sh assemblage was dominated by the marine juvenile migrants whereas in winter, spring, and summer, resident species were the most abundant. Conclusion. The combination of taxonomic and functional characteristics of the fi sh assemblages, determined in the presently reported study, may contribute to a better understanding of the ecological networks of the Nador Lagoon, thus providing useful data for its conservation and management. Keywords: fi sh, spatio-temporal assemblages, beach seine, lagoon, Nador, Morocco Jaafour et al. 116 or even restoring certain Mediterranean lagoons are being discussed. Hence, there is a need for more information on the role and functioning of coastal lagoons in terms of fi sh requirements.The Nador Lagoon, also known as the "Sebkha Bou-Areg" or "Mar Chica" (the small sea), is the second largest lagoon complex in northern Africa (115 km 2 ) and the broadest paralic environment of Morocco. Its importance consists not only in its ecological value (RAMSAR site) but also in its socio-economic role. The fi sh fauna of the Nador Lagoon is not well known (Bouchereau et al. 2000), although the lagoon itself maintains a diverse fi sh community and supports important commercial ...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

Fish assemblages of a shallow Mediterranean lagoon (Nador, Morocco): An analysis based on species and functional guilds

Jaafour¹

2015

Acta Ichthyol. Piscat.

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“…(ELLIOTT et al, 2007). Using a traditional taxonomic approach, along with an analysis of FG, represents a holistic approach to describing the structure of fish fauna (FRANCO et al, 2008). Moreover, because functional aspects provide important cues regarding ecosystem health, this approach may help in decisionmaking processes related to the management of estuarine areas (MATHIESON et al, 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The determination of FG has been widely used to describe the structure of estuarine fish assemblages by grouping fish species according to their trophic level, reproduction strategy and use of the estuary (GARRISON; LINK, 2000;ANGEL;OJEDA, 2001;LOBRY et al, 2003;BOUCHEREAU, 2004;ELLIOTT et al, 2007;FRANCO et al, 2008;SELLESLAGH et al, 2009). Diversity in life cycle, habitat use and trophic position among fishes is expected to affect the functioning of the ecosystem; thus examining these factors is useful for understanding how an ecosystem functions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of fish assemblages in sectors along a salinity gradient based on species, families and functional groups

et al. 2013

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A B S T R A C THere we test the effects of the east-west salinity gradient in the subtropical Paranaguá Bay Estuarine Complex (PEC) on the structure of shallow water fish fauna, determined according to taxonomic (families and species) and functional composition metrics. A total of 152 species were observed. The families with the largest number of species were the Sciaenidae, Carangidae, Haemulidae and Gobiidae. The most abundant species were Atherinella brasiliensis, Harengula clupeola, Anchoa januaria and Anchoa tricolor. Marine stragglers dominated in number of species, followed by marine migrants and estuarine species. Most species were zoobenthivores, followed by piscivores and zooplanktivores. Families and species more frequently associated with estuarine conditions dominated in the mesohaline sector, and those more frequently associated with marine conditions dominated in the euhaline sector. The fish assemblages along the estuarine salinity gradient were found to be better characterized by taxonomic metrics than by functional ones. This is most likely because individuals of all functional groups inhabit all salinity sectors, and thus these metrics are not useful for differentiating assemblages along salinity gradients. Our results differ from those of other studies in tropical and subtropical estuaries, which have emphasized the importance of functional groups in determining fish assemblages along salinity gradients. R E S U M ONeste trabalho foi testado o efeito do gradiente de salinidade do eixo-leste oeste do sistema subtropical Complexo Estuarino da Baía de Paranaguá na estrutura dos peixes de águas rasas, determinado de acordo com as métricas taxonômica (famílias e espécies) e de composição funcional. Um total de 152 espécies foi registrado. As famílias com maior número de espécies foram Sciaenidae, Carangidae, Haemulidae e Gobiidae. As espécies mais abundantes foram A. brasiliensis, H. clupeola, A. januaria e A. tricolor. Os visitantes marinhos dominaram em número de espécies, seguidos pelos migrantes marinhos e estuarinos. A maioria das espécies são zoobentívoras, seguidas pelas piscívoras e zooplanctívoras. As famílias e espécies mais relacionadas com condições estuarinas dominaram no setor mesohalino e aquelas mais relacionadas com condições marinhas dominaram no setor euhalino. A métrica taxonômica foi mais eficiente na caracterização das assembleias de peixes ao longo do gradiente estuarino de salinidade do que a funcional. Isso ocorreu principalmente porque indivíduos de todos os grupos funcionais estiveram presentes ao longo de todos os setores de salinidade, invalidando o emprego dessa métrica na diferenciação das assembleias nos diversos setores. Nosso resultado foi diferente do encontrado em outros estuários tropicais e subtropicais, que enfatizaram a importância dos grupos funcionais na estruturação das assembleias de peixes ao longo de um gradiente de salinidade.

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“…For example, the knowledge on the structure and functioning variability of the guilds in transitional water is useful for identifying different water body types for which specific biological reference conditions can be reliably derived (Franco et al 2008b). In addition, the structure of a community's trophic guilds may be considered as a good indicator of trophic integrity (Deegan et al 1997, Elliott et al 2007, Henriques et al 2008 and is widely adopted in current indices, because it allows a direct functional approach to the estuarine assessment (Pérez-Domínguez et al 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Composition of functional ecological guilds of the fish fauna of the internal sector of the Amazon Estuary, Pará, Brazil

Mourão

Ferreira

Lucena‐Frédou

2014

An. Acad. Bras. Ciênc.

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The present study describes the spatial and temporal structure of the estuarine fish community in the internal sector of the Amazon Estuary. Samples were obtained in the main channels and tidal creeks of Guajará and Marajó Bays and Guamá River. A total of 41,516 fish specimens were collected, representing 136 taxa, 38 families and 12 orders. In the dry season, the mean salinity of the main channel increased along a limnicmarine gradient, between the Guamá River and the Marajó Bay. Species richness was lowest in the mouth of the Guamá River and in the right margin of the Guajará Bay. Fish species composition and environmental guilds differed markedly among areas: Migrants and Freshwater Stragglers were dominant in the Guamá River and the Guajará Bay, while Estuarine, Marine Stragglers and Migrants predominated in the Marajó Bay. However, the trophic guilds were still relatively well balanced, in functional terms. Piscivores and Zoobenthivores were the dominant feeding functional groups in all the studied areas. In this study, the assessment of the community and the use of the guild approach were efficient to describe the structure and functioning of the assemblages of estuarine fish also helping to assess the anthropogenic pressures in the area.

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Structure and functioning of Mediterranean lagoon fish assemblages: A key for the identification of water body types

Cited by 58 publications

References 40 publications

Fish assemblages of a shallow Mediterranean lagoon (Nador, Morocco): An analysis based on species and functional guilds

Fish assemblages of a shallow Mediterranean lagoon (Nador, Morocco): An analysis based on species and functional guilds

Analysis of fish assemblages in sectors along a salinity gradient based on species, families and functional groups

Composition of functional ecological guilds of the fish fauna of the internal sector of the Amazon Estuary, Pará, Brazil

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