TITLE:
Structure of the Community of Dominant Fish Species Associated to Soft-Bottoms in the Lagoon of La Paz, B.C.S., México
AUTHORS:
Bruma R. Castillo-Rosas, Emelio Barjau-González, Juan Manuel López-Vivas, Abril Karim Romo-Piñeda, Eleonora Romero-Vadillo, Jose Ángel Armenta-Quintana
KEYWORDS:
Coastal Lagoon, Lagoon of La Paz, Diversity, Dominance
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Marine Science,
Vol.10 No.3,
May
15,
2020
ABSTRACT: The
study of fish communities from coastal lagoons allows a better understanding of
role of these organisms in these systems, and the effect of anthropogenic
impact. The aim of the present study was to determine the community structure,
in particular dominance of fish species associated to soft bottoms in the
lagoon of La Paz. Six bimonthly samplings were carried out in seven localities
from November 2016 to September 2017 and physicochemical parameters were
recorded. Analysis of temperature showed differences between two marked
seasons, warm and cold. Species richness showed differences between months and
localities. Shannon-Weaver index and Pielou’s evenness showed significant
differences only between months. Simpson’s index suggests a high diversity.
According to the BVI, 15 species from the families Haemulidae, Sciaenidae and
Gerreidae, were the most biologically important. Zoogeographic affinity
analysis showed that 58% of the species prefer the Province of Cortez. Dominant
species recorded in this study play a key role in soft-bottom systems like the lagoon
of La Paz.