Abstract
Mangrove inlets and creeks in Selangor, Malaysia are the habitat for 119 species of fish and 9 species of prawns. The majority of fish and all prawns sampled in the inlets were juveniles. The common fish species in the inlets in terms of weight wereArius sagor, Ambassis gymnocephalus, Liza subviridis, Toxotes jaculator, Sphyraena barracuda andLates calcarifer. Prawns were represented by juvenilePenaeus penicillatus, P. merguiensis, P. indicus, Metapenaeus brevicornis andM. affinis. Samples from enclosure traps set on mudflats during ebbing water captured 37 species of fish and 11 species of prawns. The role of mangroves as nursery and feeding grounds for fish and prawns is reviewed in the light of recent work in Selangor. It is apparent that mangroves support fisheries by providing habitat and food.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alongi, D. M., 1986. Quantitative estimates of benthic protozoa in tropical marine systems using silica gel: a comparison of methods. Estuar. coast. Shelf Sci. 23: 443–450.
Alongi, D. M., 1988. Bacterial productivity and microbial biomass in tropical mangrove sediments. Microb. Ecol. 15: 59–79.
Blaber, S. J. M. & T. J. Blaber, 1980. Factors affecting the distribution of juvenile estuarine and inshore fish. J. Fish. Biol. 17: 143–162.
Blaber, S. J. M., D. T. Brewer & J. P. Salini, 1989. Species composition and biomass of fishes in different habitats of a tropical Northern Australian estuary: their occurrence in the adjoining sea and estuarine dependence. Estuar. coast. Shelf Sci. 29: 509–531.
Boto, K. G. & J. S. Bunt, 1981. Tidal export of particulate organic matter from a Northern Australian mangrove system. Estuar. coast. Shelf Sci. 13: 247–255.
Chong, V. C., 1977. Studies on the small grey mulletLiza malinoptera. J. Fish. Biol. 11: 293–308.
Chong, V. C., 1980. The biology of the white prawnPenaeus merguiensis de Man (Crustacea: Penaeidae) in the Pulau Angsa Klang Strait waters (Straits of Malacca). M. Sc. thesis. Department of Zoology, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. 141 pp.
Chong, V. C. & A. Sasekumar, 1981. Food and feeding habits of the white prawnPenaeus merguiensis. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Series 5: 185–191.
Chong, V. C., A. Sasekumar, M. U. Leh & R. D'Cruz, 1990. The fish and prawn communities of a Malaysian coastal mangrove system, with comparisons to adhacent mudflats and inshore waters. Estuar. coast. Shelf Sci. 31: 703–722.
Coull, B. C. & S. S. Bell, 1979. Perspectives in marine meiofaunal ecology. In R. J. Linvingston (ed.), Ecological Processes in Coastal and Marine Systems. Plenum Press, New York: 189–216.
Cyrus, D. P. & S. J. M. Blaber, 1987. The influence of turbidity on juvenile marine fishes in estuaries. Part I. Field studies at Lake St. Lucia on the southeastern coast of Africa. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 109: 53–70.
de Freitas, A. J., 1986. Selection of nursery areas by six Southeast African Penaeidae. Estuar. coast. Shelf Sci. 23: 901–908.
Hatcher, B. G., R. E. Johannes & A. I. Robertson, 1989. Review of research relevant to the conservation of shallow tropical marine ecosystems. Oceanogr. Mar. Biol. annu. rev. 27: 337–414.
Jansson, B. O., A. D. McIntyre, S. W. Nixon, M. M. Pamatmat, B. Zeitzschel & J. J. Zijlstra, 1988. Coastal-offshore interactions — an evaluation of presented evidence. In B. O. Jansson (ed.), Coastal-Offshore Ecosystem Interactions. Springer-Verlag: 357–363.
Kesteven, G. L., 1960. Manual of field methods in fisheries biology. FAO Manuals in Fisheries Science. No. 1, FAO, Rome. 152 pp.
Leh, M. U. & A. Sasekumar, 1984. Feeding ecology of prawns in shallow waters adjoining mangrove shores. In E. Soepadmoet al. (eds), Proc. Asian Symp. Mangrove Environment — Res. & Management: 331–353.
Leh, M. U. & A. Sasekumar, 1991. Ingression of fish into mangrove creeks. In Alcala (ed.), Proc. Asean-Australian ‘Living Resources in Coastal Areas’ Project. 30 Jan–1 Feb. 1989. Manila: 495–501.
Little, C., P. J. Reay & S. J. Grove, 1988. The fish community of an East African mangrove creek. J. Fish. Biol. 32: 729–747.
Macintosh, D. J., 1979. Predation of fiddler crabs (Uca spp.) in estuarine mangroves. In Srivastava, P. B. et al. (eds), Proc. Symp. mangrove and estuarine vegetation in Southeast Asia. University of Agriculture, Malaysia: 101–110.
Macnae, W., 1974. Mangrove forests and fisheries. FAO, Rome. 35 pp.
Moriarity, D. J. M., 1976. Quantitative studies on bacteria and algae in the food of the mulletMugil cephalus L. and the prawnMetapenaeus bennettae (Racek & Dall). J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 22: 131–143.
Pinto, L., 1988. Population dynamics and community structure of fish in the mangroves of Pagbilao, Phillipines. J. Fish. Biol. 33 (Supplement A): 35–43.
Robertson, A. I., 1986. Leaf-burying crabs: their influence on energy flow and export from mixed mangrove forests (Rhizophora spp.) in northeastern Australia. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 102: 237–248.
Robertson, A. I. & N. C. Duke, 1987. Mangroves as nursery sites: comparisons of the abundance and species composition of fish and crustaceans in mangroves and other nearshore habitats in tropical Australia. Mar. Biol. 96: 193–205.
Rodelli, M. R., J. N. Gearing, P. J. Gearing, N. Marshall & A. Sasekumar, 1984. Stable isotope ratio as a tracer of mangrove carbon in Malaysian ecosystems. Oecologia 61: 326–333.
Sasekumar, A., 1981. The ecology of meiofauna on a Malayan mangrove shore. Ph. D. thesis. Department of Zoology, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. 183 pp.
Sasekumar, A., T. L. Ong & K. L. Thong, 1984. Predation of mangrove fauna by marine fishes. In E. Soepadmoet al. (eds), Proc. Asian Symp. Mangrove Environment — Res. and Management: 378–384.
Stoner, A. L. & R. J. Zimmerman, 1988. Food pathways associated with penaeid shrimps in a mangrove-fringed estuary. Fish. Bull. 86: 543–551.
Thayer, G. W., D. R. Colby & W. F. Hettler, Jr., 1987. Utilization of red mangrove prop habitat by fishes in South Florida. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Series 35: 25–38.
Turner, R. E., 1977. Intertidal vegetation and commercial yields of penaeid shrimp. Trans. am. Fish. Soc. 106: 411–416.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sasekumar, A., Chong, V.C., Leh, M.U. et al. Mangroves as a habitat for fish and prawns. Hydrobiologia 247, 195–207 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00008219
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00008219