Composition, density and biomass of fish community from the surf zone as a function of the lunar cycle at Miramar Beach in Cabedelo, Paraíba

Abstract

The influence of the moon cycles on the ichthyofauna has been little studied in the surf zone. In this study, the number of species, density and biomass were evaluated as a function of the moon. A total of 49 species distributed in 24 families were captured in two areas of Miramar beach. The mean density was significant high in the weaning and low in the new moon, while density and biomass together showed differences for areas. The most abundant species were Anchoa tricolor and Trachinotus falcatus (new moon), and Anchovia clupeoides showed significant differences in the waning moon. The RDA indicates that turbidity influenced significantly the presence of two species group. The group I were represented by Stellifer brasiliensis, Trachinotus goodei, A. clupeoides, Chilomycterus spinosus and Conodon nobilis that occurred on the waning and new phases in both areas, while the group II were represented by Polydactylus virginicus and Haemulopsis corvinaeformis in the full moon. The surf zones may also be strongly governed by the lunar phases. Therefore, the results found in this study, showed that the biological interactions between the species with turbidity and moon might explain the density and biomass variations for some species in the surf zone.

Abiotic factors associated with microplastic pollution in surface water of a tropical estuary

“…The characteristic fauna and flora of the estuarine environment have considerable biological importance and are also exploited by the population for consumption and sales. Thus, the estuary has both ecological importance and socioeconomic relevance for the local population as an area for artisanal fishing as well as tourism and harbor activities (Ferreira et al, 2017;Pessoa et al, 2019). This environment is situated in a metropolitan region with more than one million residents (IBGE, 2010) as well as large sugarcane plantations and shrimp farms (Dolbeth et al, 2016;Teixeira et al, 2020), sewage inputs from the cities of João Pessoa, Cabedelo and Lucena (70.8%, 51.1% and 29.7%, respectively) (IBGE, 2010) and impacts from dredging activities and shipping traffic related to the Cabedelo Harbor downstream.…”

Length-weight relationship of 22 fish species (Osteichthyes) from the surf zone caught by seine net on the northern coast of Pernambuco - Brazil

“…The surf zone is a dynamic coastal ecosystem that changes with the tides and is defined mainly as the external limit of the wave breaking area. This feature is important for the control of the physicochemical aspects of the coastline, and consequently for the local fauna structure (McLachlan et al, 1981;Godefroid et al, 2001;Vasconcellos et al, 2007;Pessoa et al, 2019).…”