Spatial and temporal structure of fish assemblages in a hyperhaline coastal system: Ría Lagartos, Mexico

Abstract

The spatial and temporal fish species assemblages were analyzed throughout two annual cycles (2004-2005 and 2007-2008) in the Ría Lagartos Lagoon system, Mexico, via non-parametric multivariate analyses. We compared density and biomass of fish species among five habitat types defined by combinations of structure and environmental characteristics (hyperhaline, rocky, seagrass, channel, and marine), and three climatic seasons (dry, rainy, and northerlies). A total of 11,187 individuals distributed in 32 families and 63 species were collected. The most numerically abundant species were Floridichthys polyommus and Cyprinodon artifrons, while Sphoeroides testudineus contributed to the greatest biomass. Species composition consisted mainly of estuarine and euryhaline marine species. Spatially, a saline gradient was observed with marine conditions in the mouth, and increasing to over 100 in the inner zone of the system. Species richness, diversity and biomass declined from the mouth to the inner zone, while density showed an inverse tendency, with the highest values in the inner zone. Thus the salinity was the variable that best explained the spatial fish assemblages' structure. The ichthyofauna composition did not change over time, but the dominant species varied with the years. The abundance of juvenile specimens, suggest that the different habitats are used as feeding and breeding zones; hence it is proposed that protection strategies be pursued not only for the lagoon system but also for the northern zone of the Yucatan Peninsula. Los ensamblajes espacio temporales de peces fueron analizados a través de dos ciclos anuales (2004-2005) y 2007-2008) en el sistema lagunar Ría Lagartos, México, vía análisis multivariados no paramétricos. Se comparó la densidad y biomasa de peces entre los cinco tipos de hábitats definidos por la combinación de características estructurales y ambientales (hiperhalino, rocoso, pastos, canal y marino) y tres temporadas climáticas (secas, lluvias y nortes). Un total de 11.187 individuos fueron recolectados, distribuidos en 32 familias y 63 especies. Las especies numéricamente más abundantes fueron Floridichthys poliommus y Cyprinodon artifrons, mientras que Sphoeroides testudineus contribuyó principalmente con la biomasa. La composición de especies consistió principalmente de especies marinas eurihalinas y estuarinas. Espacialmente, un gradiente de salinidad fue observado con condiciones marinas en la boca del sistema lagunar, incrementándose hacia la zona interna con valores superiores a 100. La riqueza de especies, diversidad y biomasa disminuyó desde la boca hacia la zona interna, mientras que la densidad mostró una tendencia inversa, con valores más altos en la zona interna. La salinidad fue la variable que mejor explicó la estructura espacial de los ensamblajes de peces. La composición de la ictiofauna no cambió en el tiempo, pero las especies dominantes varían con los años. La abundancia de especímenes juveniles sugiere que los diferentes hábitats son usados como zonas de alimentació...

Reproductive traits of the “ocellated killifish” Floridichthys polyommus Hubbs, 1936 (Pisces: Cyprinodontidae) inhabiting estuary of the Champotón River (Campeche, Mexico)

“…The maximum SL recorded for F. polyommus in this study was 80 mm. This figure differs from the maximum SL reported elsewhere for this species: 195 mm SL in Celestun Lagoon (Vega‐Cendejas, de Santillana, & Arceo, ); 91 mm SL in Ría Lagartos, Yucatán (Peralta‐Meixueiro & Vega‐Cendejas, ); and 103 mm SL in La Carbonera, Yucatán (Badillo‐Alemán, Bonilla‐Gómez, Tzeek‐T, Gallardo‐Torres, & Chiappa‐Carrara, ). The differences in SL between Champotón River and Celestun Lagoon may be due to that Celestun is a meso‐eutrophic coastal lagoon that is highly productive throughout the year, with a substantial contribution to productivity by macroalgae and seagrass (Herrera‐Silveira, Medina‐Gomez, & Colli, ).…”

“…The species of the family Cyprinodontidae have no commercial importance; their main ecological role is the transformation and transport of energy within the ecosystem, being part of the food resources for species at higher trophic levels (Miller, Minckley, & Norris, ). Species belonging to this family are highly adaptable to varying conditions of salinity and temperature (Peralta‐Meixueiro & Vega‐Cendejas, ). Many species are restricted to freshwater, but others are common in salt marshes, mangroves, estuaries, and coastal marine environments; most live near the surface or just off the bottom.…”

“…| 807 TRUJILLO-JIMÉNEZ ET aL. Floridichthys polyommus Hubbs, 1936, commonly known as "ocellated killifish", is endemic to the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico (Miller et al, 2005); it has been reported in a wide range of salinity conditions in hypersaline ecosystems (Peralta-Meixueiro & Vega-Cendejas, 2011) and in oligohaline conditions (López-López, Sedeño-Díaz, López-Romero, & Trujillo-Jiménez, 2009), where is one of the dominant species in these ecosystems (López-López et al, 2009;Vega-Cendejas & Hernández, 2004). However, there are scarce data about the effect of environmental factors on F. polyommus.…”

Do the shallow‐water habitats of a hypersaline tropical estuary act as nursery grounds for fishes?

“…The hypothesis is supported by data showing that fish often have lower growth rates in more saline conditions (Wuenschel, Jugovich, & Hare, ). The presence of large schools of small pelagics, such as such Engraulidae and Clupeidae larvae, particularly during the dry season may be due to the fact that these species constitute a ‘resistant community’ made up of species characterized by a high capacity for osmoregulation in hypersaline systems (Peralta‐Meixueiro & Vega‐Cendejas, ; Simier et al., ).…”

Landscape Analysis for PaV1 Infection in Lobsters Panulirus argus from the Artisanal Fishery of the Eastern Coast of Yucatan, Mexico

“…It is connected to the sea by a natural inlet in front of the town of San Felipe and an artificial canal in front of the town of Rio Lagartos. Both towns' local economies depend heavily on the artisanal lobster fishery [22].…”