Diversity of ichthyoplankton in Tampamachoco Lagoon, Veracruz, México

Abstract

ICHTHYOPLANKTON SAMPLING TOOK PLACE IN AUTUMN OF 1987, AND IN WINTER, SPRING AND SUMMER OF 1988 AT NINE STATIONS THROUGHOUT TAMPAMACHOCO LAGOON. WATER TEMPERATURE AND SALINITY WERE RECORDED. ICHTHYOPLANKTON COMMUNITY STRUCTURE WAS ANALYSED CONSIDERING THE DIVERSITY, DOMINANCE AND EVENNESS INDICES. THE SPECIES IMPORTANCE VALUE AND AN ASSOCIATION ANALYSIS WERE CALCULATED USING THE BRAY-CURTIS DISSIMILARITY INDEX. THIS LAGOON IS HYPERHALINE, WITH VARIATIONS IN SALINITY OF 20-38 PSU. A TOTAL OF 31 SPECIES OF 17 FAMILIES WERE IDENTIFIED. THE DOMINANT SPECIES WERE ANCHOA HEPSETUS, BATHYGOBIUS SOPORATOR, LUPINOBLENNIUS NICHOLSI, GOBIOSOMA BOSC, DORMITATUR MACULATUS AND MEMBRAS MARTINICA. DIVERSITY WAS GREATEST IN SPRING AND AUTUMN WITH VALUES OF 3.1 AND 2.9, AND LOWEST IN WINTER WHEN A. HEPSETUS WAS MARKEDLY DOMINANT. THE LAGOON HAS A VARIETY OF HABITATS THAT FAVOUR THE PRESENCE OF SIX GROUPS OF SPECIES, AND IT IS USED AS A FEEDING AND NURSERY AREA BY MARINE SPECIES THAT SPAWN AT SEA. BATHYGOBIUS SOPORATOR, L. NICHOLSI, G. BOSC, A. MITCHILLI AND M. MARTINICA ARE PERMANENT RESIDENTS OF THE LAGOON.