Abstract
The larval and juvenile fish of the Cayenne river estuary (French Guiana, South America) were sampled at two stations from June 1989 until October 1990. A total of 52,989 individuals from 59 species, some still incompletely identified, were collected. Three families, Engraulidae, Gobiidae and Sciaenidae, accounted for over 97% of the total number of juveniles. The analysis of data over this period showed low diversity, and a difference in diversity between the two sampling locations (H′ = 1.24 and 1.68). The results conform to some theoretical models of abundance that suggest a relative equilibrium of juvenile assemblages. In contrast, the seasonal variations in diversity and abundance and the results of a correspondence analysis showed significant differences in species distribution and in their relative abundance at the two sampling locations at certain periods, mainly in the rainy season. Our study indicates that, in spite of an apparent stability, the year to year variation in salinity and freshwater inputs could affect juvenile recruitment of some species and induces modifications in the composition of larval and juvenile estuarine fish assemblages.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature Cited
Albaret, J. J. andJ.-M. Ecoutin. 1990. Influence des saisons et des variations climatiques sur les peuplements de poissons d’une lagune tropicale en Afrique de l’Ouest.Acta Œcologia 11:557–583.
Bruton, M. N. 1989. The ecological significance of alternative life-history styles, p. 503–553.In M. N. Bruton (ed.), Alternative Life-history Styles of Animals. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht.
Cervigon, G. 1987. Las especies del genero Anchoviella de Venezuela (Pisces: Engraulidae). Contribuciones Cientificas, Centro de Investigaciones Cientificas, U.D.O, No 14. 54 p.
Chao, L. n. 1978. A basis for classifying western Atlantic Sciaenidae (Teleostei: Perciformes). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Technical Reports, circular no. 415. 64 p.
Day, J. H. 1989. Estuarine Ecology. Wiley, London. 560 p.
Eigenmann, C. H. 1912. The freshwater fishes of British Guiana, including a study of the ecological grouping of species and the relation of the fauna of the plateau to that of the lowlands. Carnegie Museum, Pittsburgh. 578 p.
Fischer, W. 1978. FAO species identification sheets for fisheries purposes. Western Central Atlantic. Vol. 4. Food and Agriculture Organization. Rome.
Freeman, M. C., M. K. Crawford, J. C. Barett, D. E. Facey, M. G. Flood, J. Hill, D. J. Stouder, andG. D. Grossman. 1988. Fish assemblage stability in a southern Appalachian stream.Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science 45:1949–1958.
Grossman, G. D., P. B. Moyle, andJ. O. Whittaker. 1982. Stochasticity in structural and functional characteristics of an Indiana stream assemblage: A test of community theory.American Naturalist 120:423–454.
Herbold, B. 1984. Structure of an Indiana stream fish association: Choosing an appropriate model.American Naturalist 124:561–572.
Hubbs, C. L. 1943. Terminology of early stages of fishes.Copeia 4:260.
Hutcheson, K. 1970. A test for comparing diversities based on the Shannon formula.Journal of Theroetical Biology 29:151–154.
Isaac, V. J. 1988. Synopsis of biological data on the whitemouth croaker,Micropogonias furnieri (Desmarest, 1823). FAO Fisheries Synopses No. 150. Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome. 35 p.
Le Bail, P. Y., P. Planquette, and G. Gery. 1984a. Clé de détermination des poissons continentaux et côtiers de Guyane. Bulletin de Liaison C.R.A.A.G., I.N.R.A. 6. 63 p.
Le Bail, P. Y., P. Planquette, and G. Gery. 1984b. Clé de détermination des poissons continentaux et côtiers de Guyane. Bulletin de Liaison C.R.A.A.G., I.N.R.A. 8. 67 p.
Plumstead, E. E. 1990. Changes in ichthyofaunal diversity and abundance within the Mbashe estuary, Transkei, following construction of a river barrage.South African Journal of Marine Science 9:399–407.
Poole, R. W. 1974. An Introduction to Quantitative Ecology. McGraw Hill, New York.
Puyo, J. 1949. Faune de l’Empire français. XII: Poissons de la Guyane Française. ORSTOM, Paris. 280 p.
Magurran, A. E. 1988. Ecological Diversity and Its Measurement. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. 179 p.
Margalef, R. 1958. Information theory in ecology.General Systems 3:36–71.
Margalef, R. 1972. Homage to Evelyn Hutchinson, or why is there an upper limit to diversity.Transactions of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Science 44:211–235.
Pinto, L. 1988. Population dynamics and community structure of fish in the mangroves of Pagbilao, Philippines.Journal of Fish Biology 33(A):35–43.
Rahel, F. J., J. D. Lyons, andA. P. Cochran. 1984. Stochastic or deterministic regulation of assemblage structure? It may depend on how the assemblage is defined.American Naturalist 124:583–589.
Rohlf, F. J. andR. R. Sokal. 1981. Statistical Tables. W. H. Freeman and Company, New York. 219 p.
Rojas-Beltran, R. 1984. Clé de détermination des poissons continentaux et côtiers de Guyane. Bulletin de Liaison C.R.A.A.G., I.N.R.A. 9. 63 p.
Rojas-Beltran, R. 1986. Rôle de la mangrove comme nourricerie de crustacés et de poissons en Guyane, p. 97–110.In Sepanguy Sepanrit (ed.), Le Littoral Guyanais, Cayenne.
Schlosser, I. J. 1985. Flow regime, juvenile abundance, and the assemblage structure of stream fishes.Ecology 66:1484–1490.
Whitehead, P. J. P. 1973. The clupeoid fishes of the Guianas.Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Zoology. Supplement 5. 227 p.
Whitfield, A. K. 1990. Life-history styles of fishes in South African estuaries.Environmental Biology of Fishes 28:295–308.
Yanez-Arancibia, A. 1985. Fish community ecology in estuaries and coastal lagoons. Dirrecion General de Publicaciones, Universidad Nacional Autononoma de Mexico. 653 p.
Yanez-Arancibia, A. 1987. Lagunas costeras y estuarios: Cronologia, criterios y conceptos para una clasificacion ecologica de sistemas costeros. Ecossistemas Costeros, Academia de Ciencias São Paulo, Publicações.ACIESP 54:1–38.
Yant, P. R., J. R. Karr, andP. L. Angermaier. 1984. Stochasticity in stream fish communities: an alternative interpretation.American Naturalist 124:573–582.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
de Morais, A.T., de Morais, L.T. The abundance and diversity of larval and juvenile fish in a tropical estuary. Estuaries 17, 216–225 (1994). https://doi.org/10.2307/1352571
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1352571