Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Spatial and temporal variation in fish community structure of a marine embayment in Zanzibar, Tanzania

  • Primary Research Paper
  • Published:
Hydrobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Spatial and temporal variation in the fish community structure were studied in a tropical non-estuarine embayment in Chwaka Bay, Zanzibar (Tanzania). Fish samples were collected bi-monthly (at each spring low tide) for 1 year (November 2001–October 2002) from a range of bay habitats ranging from mangroves deep inside the bay to seagrass beds close to the mouth of the bay. Additionally, environmental variables were examined to determine their relationship with the fish community structure. Being a non-estuarine embayment, the environmental variables as well as the fish community structure in each habitat remained relatively constant for most part of the year; however, a marked decline was observed during the rainy period (April–May). Significant variations in fish community variables (density, biomass and species richness) and in water temperature and salinity were observed during the rainy season in all habitats, with larger changes in the mangrove and mud/sand flats habitats than in the seagrass beds. Seasonal variations in water clarity and dissolved oxygen were not significant, though. Many species disappeared from the mangrove and mud/sand flats habitats during the rainy season and those which persisted showed a remarkable decrease in density. Moreover, the results indicate that mangroves were the preferred settling habitats for Gerres filamentosus, Gerres oyena, Lethrinus lentjan and Monodactylus argenteus, especially during the dry period (December–February) before the rainy season. This observation is contrary to what has been reported from some other tropical regions where greater abundance and species richness was observed during the rainy season. A significant relationship was found between density of fish and temperature, salinity and turbidity. Since salinity was the most conspicuously changing environmental variable with seasons, we propose that salinity, alone or in combination with low visibility and temperature, was probably the most important environmental factor structuring the fish assemblage in the mangrove and mud/sand flats habitats, particularly during the rainy season.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barletta, M., U. Saint-Paul, A. Barletta-Bergan, W. Ekau & D. Schories, 2000. Spatial and temporal distribution of Myrophis punctatus (Ophichthidae) and associated fish fauna in a northern Brazilian intertidal mangrove forest. Hydrobiologia 426: 65–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barletta, M., A. Barletta-Bergan, U. Saint-Paul & G. Hubold, 2003. Seasonal changes in density, biomass, and diversity of estuarine fishes in tidal mangrove creeks of the lower Caeté Estuary (northern Brazilian coast, east Amazon). Marine Ecology Progress Series 256: 217–228.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barletta, M., A. Barletta-Bergan, U. Saint-Paul & G. Hubold, 2005. The role of salinity in structuring the fish assemblages in a tropical estuary. Journal of Fish Biology 66: 45–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barletta-Bergan, A., M. Barletta & U. Saint-Paul, 2002a. Community structure and temporal variability of ichthyoplankton in North Brazilian mangrove creeks. Journal of Fish Biology 61(Suppl. A): 33–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barletta-Bergan, A., M. Barletta & U. Saint-Paul, 2002b. Structure and seasonal dynamics of larval fish in the Caeté River Estuary in North Brazil. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 54: 193–206.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blaber, J. S. M., 1980. Fish of the Trinity inlet system of North Queensland with notes on the ecology of fish faunas of tropical Indo-Pacific estuaries. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 31: 137–145.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blaber, S. J. M., 2000. Tropical estuarine fishes. Ecology, Exploitation and Conservation. Fish and Aquatic Resources Series 7. Blackwell Science, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bulger, A. J., M. E. Monaco, D. M. Nelson & M. McCormick-Ray, 1993. Biologically-based estuarine salinity zones derived from a multivariate analysis. Estuaries 16: 311–322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cederlöf, U., L. Rydberg, M. Mgendi & O. Mwaipopo, 1995. Tidal exchange in a warm tropical lagoon: Chwaka Bay Zanzibar. Ambio 24: 458–464.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cocheret de la Morinière, E., I. Nagelkerken, H. van der Meij & G. van der Velde, 2004. What attracts juvenile coral reef fish to mangroves: habitat complexity or shade? Marine Biology 144: 139–145.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cyrus, D. P. & S. J. M. Blaber, 1987. The influence of turbidity on juvenile marine fishes in estuaries. Part 2. Laboratory studies, comparisons with field data and conclusions. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 109: 71–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Day, J. H., 1981. Estuarine ecology, with particular reference to southern Africa. Rotterdam, Balkema.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Morais, T. A. & T. L. de Morais, 1994. The abundance and diversity of larval and juvenile fish in a tropical estuary. Estuaries 17: 216–225.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Troch, M., J. Mees, I. Papadopoulos & E. O. Wakwabi, 1996. Fish communities in a tropical bay (Gazi Bay, Kenya): seagrass beds vs. unvegetated areas. Netherlands Journal of Zoology 46: 236–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dickey-Collas, M., R. J. Gowen & C. J. Fox, 1996. Distribution of larval and juvenile fish in the western Irish Sea: relationship to phytoplankton, zooplankton biomass and recurrent physical features. Marine and Freshwater Research 47: 169–181.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dorenbosch, M., M. G. G. Grol, M. J. A. Christianen, I. Nagelkerken & G. van der Velde, 2005. Indo-Pacific seagrass beds and mangroves contribute to fish density and diversity on adjacent coral reefs. Marine Ecology Progress Series 302: 63–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Field, A., 2000. Discovering statistics using SPSS for Windows. Sage Publications, London, p 496.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ikejima, K., P. Tongnunui, T. Medej & T. Taniuchi, 2003. Juvenile and small fishes in a mangrove estuary in Trang province, Thailand: seasonal and habitat differences. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 56: 447–457.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnstone, R. W. & S. M. Mohammed, 1995. Spatial and temporal variations in water column nutrient concentrations in a tidally dominated mangrove creek: Chwaka Bay, Zanzibar. Ambio 24: 482–486.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kimani, E. N., G. K. Mwatha, E. O. Wakwabi, J. M. Ntiba & B. K. Okoth, 1996. Fishes of a shallow tropical mangrove estuary, Gazi, Kenya. Marine and Freshwater Research 47: 857–868.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kyewalyanga, M. N. S., 2002. Spatial-temporal changes in phytoplankton biomass and primary production in Chwaka Bay Zanzibar. Tanzania Journal of Science 28: 11–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laegdsgaard, P. & C. R. Johnson, 2001. Why do juvenile fish utilise mangrove habitats? Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 257: 229–253.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Laroche, J., E. Baran & N. B. Rasoanandrasana, 1997. Temporal patterns in a fish assemblage of a semiarid mangrove zone in Madagascar. Journal of Fish Biology 51: 3–20.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Little, M. C., P. J. Reay & S. J. Grove, 1988. The fish community of an East African mangrove creek. Journal of Fish Biology 32: 729–747.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Louis, M., C. Bouchon & Y. Bouchonnavaro, 1995. Spatial and temporal variations of mangrove fish assemblages in Martinique (French-West-Indies). Hydrobiologia 295: 275–284.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lugendo, B. R., A. Pronker, I. Cornelissen, A. de Groene, I. Nagelkerken, M. Dorenbosch, G. van der Velde & Y. D. Mgaya, 2005. Habitat utilisation by juveniles of commercially important fish species in a marine embayment in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Aquatic Living Resources 18: 149–158.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lugendo, B. R., I. Nagelkerken, G. van der Velde & Y. D. Mgaya, 2006. The importance of mangroves, mud and sand flats, and seagrass beds as feeding areas for juvenile fishes in Chunka Bay, Zanzibar: gut content and stable isotope analyses. Journal of Fish Biology 69: 1639−1661.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lugendo, B. R., I. Nagelkerken, N. Jiddawi, Y. D. Mgaya & G. van der Velde, 2006, in revision. Fish community composition of a tropical non-estuarine embayment in Zanzibar, Tanzania Fisheries Science.

  • McClanahan, T. R., 1988. Seasonality in East Africa’s coastal waters. Marine Ecology Progress Series 44: 191–199.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohammed, S. M., R. W. Johnstone, B. Widen & E. Jordelius, 1995. The Role of Mangroves in the Nutrient Cycling and Productivity of Adjacent Seagrass Communities, Chwaka Bay, Zanzibar. Zoology Department, Stockholm University, Sweden, and University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Fisheries Science.

  • Mohammed, S. M. & R. W. Johnstone, 2002. Porewater nutrient profiles and nutrient sediment-water exchange in a tropical mangrove waterway, Mapopwe Creek, Chwaka Bay, Zanzibar. African Journal of Ecology 40: 172–178.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nagelkerken, I., M. Dorenbosch, W. C. E. P. Verberk, E. Cocheret de la Morinière & G. van der Velde, 2000. Day-night shifts of fishes between shallow-water biotopes of a Caribbean bay, with emphasis on the nocturnal feeding of Haemulidae and Lutjanidae. Marine Ecology Progress Series 194: 55–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nagelkerken, I. & G. van der Velde, 2002. Do non-estuarine mangroves harbour higher densities of juvenile fish than adjacent shallow-water and coral reef habitats in Curaçao (Netherlands Antilles)? Marine Ecology Progress Series 245: 191–204.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parrish, J. D., 1989. Fish communities of interacting shallow-water habitats in tropical oceanic regions. Marine Ecology Progress Series 58: 143–160.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robertson, A. I. & N. C. Duke, 1987. Recruitment, growth and residence time of fishes in a tropical Australian mangrove system. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 31: 723–743.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robertson, A. I. & N. C. Duke, 1990. Mangrove fish communities in tropical Queensland, Australia – Spatial and temporal patterns in densities, biomass and community structure. Marine Biology 104: 369–379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robertson, A. I. & S. J. M. Blaber, 1992. Plankton, epibenthos and fish communities. In Robertson A. I. & D. M. Alongi (eds), Tropical Mangrove Ecosystems. Coastal and Estuarine Studies 41: 173–224.

  • Stoner, A. W., 1986. Community structure of the demersal fish species of Laguna Joyuda, Puerto Rico. Estuaries 9: 142–152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strydom, N. A. & B. D. d’Hotman, 2005. Estuary-dependence of larval fishes in a non-estuary associated South African surf zone: evidence for continuity of surf assemblages. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 63: 101–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ter Braak, C. J. F. & P. Smilauer, 1998. Reference manual and user’s guide to Canoco for Windows: Software for canonical community ordination (version 4). Microcomputer Power, Ithaca, New York.

  • Tzeng, W. & Y. Wang, 1992. Structure, composition and seasonal dynamics of the larval and juvenile fish community in the mangrove estuary of Tanshui River, Taiwan. Marine Biology 113: 481–490.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tzeng, W. N., Y. T. Wang & C. W. Chang, 2002. Spatial and temporal variations of the estuarine larval fish community on the west coast of Taiwan. Marine and Freshwater Research 53: 419–430.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van der Velde, G., P. H. van Avesaath, M. J. Ntiba, G. K. Mwatha, S. Marguillier & A. F. Woitchik, 1995a. Fish fauna of mangrove creeks, seagrass meadows and sand flats in Gazi Bay, Kenya (Indian Ocean): a study with nets and stable isotopes. In Heip, C. H. R., M. A. Hemminga & M. J. M. de Bie (eds.), Monsoons and Coastal Ecosystems in Kenya. Netherlands Indian Ocean Programme Cruise Report 5: 39–50.

  • van der Velde, G., F. Dehairs, S. Marguillier, G. K. Mwatha, R. L. J. M. Op ‘t Veld, S. Rajagopal & P. H. van Avesaath, 1995b. Structural and stable isotope differences in the fish communities of mangrove creeks, seagrass meadows and sand flats in Gazi Bay (Kenya). In Hemminga, M. A. (ed.), Interlinkages Between Eastern-African Coastal Ecosystems. STD-III project. Final report. 132–157.

  • Verweij, M. C., I. Nagelkerken, D. de Graaff, M. Peeters, E. J. Bakker & G. van der Velde, 2006. Structure, food and shade attract juvenile coral reef fish to mangrove and seagrass habitats: a field experiment. Marine Ecology Progress Series 306: 257–268.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vidy, G., 2000. Estuarine and mangrove systems and the nursery concept: which is which? The case of Sine Saloum system (Senegal). Wetland Ecology and Management 8: 37–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weerts, S. P. & D. P. Cyrus, 2002. Occurrence of young and small-sized fishes in different habitats within a subtropical South African and adjacent harbour. Marine and Freshwater Research 53: 447–456.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitfield, A. K., 1994. Abundance of larval and 0+ juvenile marine fishes in the lower reaches of three southern African estuaries with differing freshwater inputs. Marine Ecology Progress Series 105: 257–267.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yáñez-Arancibia, A., A. L. Lara-Domínguez, J. L. Rojas Galaviz, P. Sánchez-Gil, J. W. Day & C. Madden, 1988. Seasonal biomass and diversity of estuarine fishes coupled with tropical habitat heterogeneity (southern Gulf of Mexico). Journal of Fish Biology 33: 191–200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Field assistance was provided by M.A. Manzi, S.J. Simgeni and M.A. Makame. The administration and staff of the Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS) in Zanzibar provided logistical support and research facilities. This study was financially supported by NUFFIC through the ENVIRONS-MHO Project. A.P., A.G. and I.C. were funded by the Schure-Beijerinck-Popping Foundation and Quo Vadis Fonds (Radboud University Nijmegen), The Netherlands. I.N. was supported by a VIDI grant from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). This is Centre for Wetland Studies publication no. 413.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Aquatic Sciences and Technology, University of Dar es Salaam, P.O. Box 35064, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

    B. R. Lugendo & Y. D. Mgaya

  2. Department of Animal Ecology and Ecophysiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    B. R. Lugendo, A. de Groene, I. Cornelissen, A. Pronker & I. Nagelkerken

  3. National Museum of Natural History, Naturalis, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands

    B. R. Lugendo, A. de Groene, I. Cornelissen, A. Pronker, I. Nagelkerken & G. van der Velde

Authors
  1. B. R. Lugendo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. de Groene
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. I. Cornelissen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. A. Pronker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. I. Nagelkerken
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. G. van der Velde
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Y. D. Mgaya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to I. Nagelkerken.

Additional information

Handling editor: J. A. Cambray

Electronic supplementary material

Below are the electronic supplementary materials.

10750_2006_0398_esm.doc

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lugendo, B.R., de Groene, A., Cornelissen, I. et al. Spatial and temporal variation in fish community structure of a marine embayment in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Hydrobiologia 586, 1–16 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-006-0398-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-006-0398-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation