[Ichthyofauna associated to Thalassia testudinum at Lobos reef, Veracruz, Mexico: diversity and abundance].
The diversity and abundance of ichthyofauna associated with Thalassia testudinum in the Lobos coral reef, Veracruz, Mexico, were studied in September and October 2002. Thirty six visual censuses in four sample sites were made using a 50 x 2 m transect belt. On each census, fish species, abundance and size were recorded. Leaf size and cover of T. testudinum were estimated. The similarity of fish groups was calculated with the Gower coefficient. The most abundant coral reef fishes were: Scarus iseri, Halichoeres bivittatus, Sparisoma radians, Stegastes adustus and Stegastes leucostictus. The highest density (0.04078 ind/m2) and biomass (0.72408 g/m2) of fish species were recorded in site II, where leaf size was greater (30.8 cm). The analysis of variance showed significant differences between sites in leaf size (F = 18.30856; p = 0.00001) and cover (H = 33.8119; p = 0.00001). These differences suggest a relationship between fish diversity and abundance, and T. testudinum leaf size and cover. The Gower similarity index produced two groups of fishes; one of them (site II) showed the highest abundance. In this reef, the fishes associated to sea grasses seem to reflect the characteristics of T. testudinum.
González-Gándara
Carlos
C
Laboratorio de Arrecifes Coralinos, Escuela de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias. Universidad Veracruzana, Carr. Tuxpan-Tampico km 7.5, Col. Universitaria, CP 92850 Tuxpan, Veracruz, México. cggandara@hotmail.com
Trinidad-Martínez
Silvia del Carmen
Sdel C
Chávez-Morales
Víctor Manuel
VM
D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D018533:Biomass; D005399:Fishes / Q000145:classification* / Q000502:physiology; D031321:Hydrocharitaceae; D011156:Population Density