Composition and Relative Abundance of Fish Species in Two Coastal Lagoons in Austral South America: Peixe Lagoon (31ºS; 51ºW), Brazil, and Mar Chiquita Lagoon (37ºS; 57ºW), Argentina

Authors

  • Daniel Loebmann
  • João Paes Vieira
  • Marlise de Azevedo Bemvenuti
  • Juan Martín Díaz de Astarloa
  • María Berta Cousseau
  • Daniel Figueroa

Abstract

This article describes and compares the shallow water fish-fauna from two coastal lagoons (Peixe Lagoon, in Brazil, and Mar Chiquita Lagoon, in Argentina). Peixe Lagoon was sampled between 2000 and 2001 using a 9 m beach seine net (12 mm bar mesh in the wings and 5 mm in the centre 3 m section) totalizing 125 samples, which yielded 33,848 individuals and 32 species. Mar Chiquita Lagoon was sampled from 1995 to 1998 using a 20 m beach seine net (12 mm bar mesh) totalizing 232 samples resulting in 31,097 individuals of 28 species. A total of 47 species were observed in both lagoons and 13 were shared. The “marine-estuarine-related” species were similar and dominate the fish assemblages in both lagoons. The remaining species were similar to the species collected along the southern Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina estuaries. The number of species observed in Peixe Lagoon (S = 32) was higher than in Mar Chiquita Lagoon (S = 28) and is probably associated with a strong latitudinal gradient of species richness increasing from north to south. Considering that the Peixe Lagoon and Mar Chiquita Lagoon are isolated by the large estuaries of Patos Lagoon and Prata River, the composition of the species with low abundance and occasional occurrence were different for each local studied. These results expand the knowledge for the fauna of both sites and help conservation and management from both lagoons.

Key words: Argentina, Brazil, coastal lagoons, estuarine fishes, fisheries resources.

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Published

2021-06-15

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 1 (2008): January/April

Section

Articles

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