Effect of environment on spatio-temporal structuring of fish assemblages in a monsoon-influenced tropical estuary

Sreekanth, G B and Jaiswar, A K and Zacharia, P U and Pazhayamadom, George and Chakraborty, S K (2019) Effect of environment on spatio-temporal structuring of fish assemblages in a monsoon-influenced tropical estuary. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 191 (315). pp. 1-27.

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Abstract

This study analyzes the trophic structure of fish assemblages in a well-mixed tropical estuary, Zuari, located in southwest coast of India. A total of 224 fish species were collected between September 2013 and August 2016 from 324 sampling events from 9 sampling stations using surface and bottom set gillnets. The sampling events were designed to cover three major seasons such as the pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon. For each sampling event, abiotic variables such as temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and transparency of the water were recorded. The data obtained for abundance of fish species was subjected to cluster analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling. The results defined six spatio-temporally varying groups (clusters) within Zuari estuary. Canonical correspondence analysis demonstrated that temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and transparency were important in determining the fish assemblages in Zuari. The estuarine resident species were abundant in the inner zone (riverine side) of the estuary, where the salinity and temperature recorded lower dimensions compared to middle and outer zones (marine side). However, the inner shallow zone of the estuary was not a preferred habitat for the migrating marine species. Majority of the fish species preferred middle and outer zones and post-monsoon and pre-monsoon seasons for inhabiting the estuary. The present study furnishes a reference data for the spatio-temporal dynamics of fish assemblages in tropical monsoonal estuaries.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Fish assemblage; Trophic guild; Monsoon-influenced tropical estuary; Zuari; Spatio-temporal structure
Subjects:	Marine Environment
Divisions:	CMFRI-Kochi > Marine Capture > Demersal Fisheries Division Subject Area > CMFRI > CMFRI-Kochi > Marine Capture > Demersal Fisheries Division CMFRI-Kochi > Marine Capture > Demersal Fisheries Division Subject Area > CMFRI-Kochi > Marine Capture > Demersal Fisheries Division
Depositing User:	Arun Surendran
Date Deposited:	15 Jul 2021 06:50
Last Modified:	13 Mar 2023 07:13
URI:	http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/id/eprint/15174

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