Temporal variation, growth and natural mortality of two species of mojarras (Perciformes: Gerreidae) from a tropical coastal lagoon: La Carbonera, Yucatan, Mexico

Abstract

This study reports seasonal variation, growth parameters and natural mortality for Eucinostomus gula and Eucinostomus argenteus inhabiting La Carbonera, a tropical coastal lagoon on the northwestern coast of theYucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Specimens were collected between April 2009 and March 2010. A total of 2700organisms of E. gula (> 80% in rainy season ) and 1577 organisms of E. argenteus (>50% in dry season)were collected during the study period. Length-weight relationship (LWR) obtained was W = 8.323E-03Lt2.92 in E. argenteus and W = 7.314E-03 Lt2.92 in E. gula. Growth parameters of von Bertalanffy growthfunction (VBGF) by length frequency analysis were in E. argenteus: L∞ = 13.65 cm, k = 0.54 year-1 and t0= - 0.37 years; and in E. gula: L∞ = 12.60 cm, k = 0.68 year-1 and t0 = - 0.28 years. Additionally, estimatednatural mortality in E. gula was 1.50 year-1 and in E. argenteus was 1.9 year-1. This study presents the firstestimation for both species of model parameters, growth performance index and mortality for the Yucatan Peninsula, which is relevant for the proper implementation of conservation measures for E. gula and E. argenteus in an important coastal zone of the Yucatan Peninsula.Se reportan la variación temporal, los parámetros de crecimiento y la mortalidad natural para Eucinostomus gula y Eucinostomus argenteus que habitan en la laguna costera tropical La Carbonera, al noroeste de la península de Yucatán, México. Los especímenes fueron recolectados entre abril de 2009 a marzo de 2010. Un total de 2 700 organismos de E. gula (> 80% en la estación lluviosa) y 1 577 organismos de E. argenteus (> 50% en la estación seca) fueron recolectados durante el período de estudio. Se determinó la relación peso-longitud (RPL) como: P = 8.323E-03 Lt 2.92 en E. argenteus y P = 7.314E-03 Lt2.92 en E. gula. Para E. argenteus, los parámetros de crecimiento de la ecuación de crecimiento de von Bertalanffy (ECVB) fueron: L∞ = 13.65 cm, k = 0.54 año-1 y t0 = - 0.37 años; mientras que para E. gula fueron: L∞ = 12.60 cm, k = 0.68 año-1 y t0 = - 0.28 años. La mortalidad natural en E. gula fue 1.50 año-1 y en E. argenteus fue 1.9 año-1. Este estudio presenta la primera estimación para ambas especies de los modelos de crecimiento, el índice del desempeño de crecimiento y la mortalidad natural para la península de Yucatán, lo que es relevante para la adecuada implementación de medidas de conservación de E. gula y E. argenteus en una valiosa zona costera de la península de Yucatán.

On the Understanding of the Hydrodynamics and the Causes of Saltwater Intrusion on Lagoon Tidal Springs

“…The La Carbonera lagoon can be considered a chocked lagoon as proposed by Kjerfve [51], which is characterized for having a single long narrow channel that acts as a filter to tidal currents and water levels. The lagoon is important from an ecological point of view, being the habitat of different species of fish, birds, and vegetation, such as rose flamingoes and mangroves [14,29,30,50,52]. In addition, there is a significant interaction with the confined aquifer through varying-size springs that discharge freshwater into the lagoon, which is often surrounded by ecosystems locally known as Petenes, which are roughly circular patches of freshwater vegetation (Figure 1c) surrounded by saline or hypersaline water that provide thermohaline gradients in the lagoons [14,30].…”

Environmental Assessment of the Impacts and Benefits of a Salinity Gradient Energy Pilot Plant

“…The area considered in this work is La Carbonera lagoon, in the northeast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico (21 • 13 41.80"-21 • 14 4.79 N, 89 • 53 21.66 -89 • 54 0.45 W) (Figure 1) [24]. This coastal lagoon lies in a region of karst characteristics and is approximately 16.5 km 2 in area.…”

“…La Carbonera is part of the karst system of the Peninsula of Yucatan (Batllori-Sampedro et al, 2006). In the lagoon, three types of sediment lie on top of the karst strata: sand, rocky sediment, and mud [24]. The orientation of the sandy beaches on the coast is predominantly north-northwest.…”

Nuevo registro de Lagodon rhomboides (Pisciformes: Sparidae) como hospedero de Cymothoa excisa (Isopoda: Cymothoidae) en la costa noroeste de la península de Yucatán

“…Lagodon rhomboides Linnaeus, 1766 es un miembro de la familia Sparidae conocido coloquialmente como pez sargo y localmente como "xlavita" (en maya). Es dominante en zonas asociadas a praderas de vegetación sumergida y manglares en las costas y lagunas costeras de Yucatán (Canto-Maza y Vega-Cendejas, 2008), por lo que se han realizados varios estudios en los que se analiza el crecimiento poblacional de L. rhomboides en varias localidades del golfo de México (Nelson, 1998(Nelson, , 2002Shervette et al, 2007;Bonilla-Gómez et al, 2011;Vega-Cendejas et al, 2012). Sin embargo, sólo existe un registro de parasitismo por el isópodo Lironeca ovalis en la bahía Choctawhatchee, Florida (Williams y Williams, 1978).…”