Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Spatial Patterns of Mangrove Shoreline Fish Communities in Relation with Environmental Variables in Caribbean Lagoons

  • Published:
Estuaries and Coasts Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Fish communities were studied in 38 stations located in two mangrove lagoons of Guadeloupe (Caribbean): the bays of Petit Cul-de-Sac Marin (PCSM) and Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin (GCSM). Fishes were sampled with nets during the dry season, and 14 environmental descriptors were recorded in each site. A total of 105 fish species were observed in mangrove lagoons. Ordination analyses and classifications were performed on data sets related to fish presence–absence, abundance, and biomass. The PCSM stations and GCSM mangrove islets sites are characterised by an assemblage composed by fish species either found in coral reefs, seagrass beds, or mangroves. Distinct mangrove fish assemblages are found across environmental gradients linked to salinity, proximities of reefs and river mouths, and presence of seagrass beds. Considering trophic categories, planktivores are numerically dominant in most stations, whereas second-order carnivores and omnivores dominate in biomass in river mouths stations of the GCSM Bay. First-level carnivores are mainly observed in mangrove stations with neighbouring seagrass beds. These last results suggest that food availability plays an important role in the structure of mangrove fish communities in addition to abiotic factors.

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

  • Baker, R. and M. Sheaves. 2005. Redefining the piscivore assemblage of shallow estuarine nursery habitats. Marine Ecology Progress Series 291: 197–213.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barletta, M., A. Barletta-Bergan, U. Saint-Paul, and G. Hubold. 2005. The role of salinity in structuring the fish assemblages in a tropical estuary. Journal of Fish Biology 66: 45–72. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2004.00582.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blaber, S.J.M. 2002. “Fish in hot water”: The challenges facing fish and fisheries research in tropical estuaries. Journal of Fish Biology 61: 1–20. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2002.tb01757.x.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blaber, S.J.M. 2007. Mangroves and fishes: Issues of diversity, dependence, and dogma. Bulletin of Marine Science 80: 457–472.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bouchereau, J.-L., P. Chaves, and D. Monti. 2008. Factors structuring the ichthyofauna assemblage in a mangrove lagoon (Guadeloupe, French West Indies). Journal of Coastal Research 24: 969–982.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bouchon, C., Y. Bouchon-Navaro, D. Imbert, and M. Louis. 1991. Effets de l’ouragan Hugo sur les communautés côtières de Guadeloupe (Antilles Françaises). Annales de l’Institut Océanographique 67: 5–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bouchon-Navaro, Y., M. Louis, and C. Bouchon. 1992. L’ichtyofaune des herbiers de Phanérogames marines de la baie de Fort-de-France (Martinique, Antilles Françaises). Cybium 16: 307–330.

    Google Scholar 

  • Castillo-Rivera, M., J.A. Zavala-Hurtado, and R. Zarate. 2002. Exploration of spatial and temporal patterns of fish diversity and composition in a tropical estuarine system of Mexico. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 12: 167–177. doi:10.1023/A:1025051027676.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chauvaud, S., C. Bouchon, and R. Manière. 2001. Thematic mapping of tropical marine communities (coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves) using SPOT data in Guadeloupe Island. Oceanologica Acta 24: 3–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cyrus, D.P. and S.J.M. Blaber. 1987. The influence of turbidity on juvenile marine fishes in estuaries. Part 1. Field studies at Lake St. Lucia on the southeastern coast of Africa. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 109: 53–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Díaz-Ruiz, S., E. Cano-Quiroga, A. Aguirre-León, and R. Ortega-Bernal. 2004. Diversidad, abundancia y conjuntos ictiofaunísticos del sistema lagunar-estuarino Chantuto-Panzacola, Chiapas, México. Revista de Biologia Tropical 52: 187–199.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellison, A.M. and E.J. Farnsworth. 1996. Anthropogenic disturbance of Caribbean mangrove ecosystems: Past impacts, present trends and future predictions. Biotropica 28: 549–565.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Faunce, C.H. and J.E. Serafy. 2006. Mangroves as fish habitat: 50 years of field studies. Marine Ecology Progress Series 318: 1–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Faunce, C.H., J.E. Serafy, and J.J. Lorenz. 2004. Density-habitat relationships of mangrove creek fishes within the southeastern saline Everglades (USA), with reference to managed freshwater releases. Wetlands Ecology and Management 12: 377–394.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferreira, C.E.L., S.R. Floeter, J.L. Gasparini, B.P. Ferreira, and J.C. Joyeux. 2004. Trophic structure patterns of Brazilian reef fishes: A latitudinal comparison. Journal of Biogeography 31: 1093–1106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • François-Lubin, V. 2005. Les peuplements de poissons des canaux et des rivières: Le cas du canal Belle-Plaine (Guadeloupe). PhD Thesis, Université des Antilles et de la Guyane: 350 p.

  • Gabinaud, A., J.J. Corre, J. Cousserans, D. Jarry, and J.A. Rioux. 1984. Mangroves et autres formations marécageuses littorales en Guadeloupe. Carte phytoécologique des gîtes larvaires de moustiques. Bulletin d’Ecologie 15: 95–97.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenwood, M.F.D., R.E. Matheson Jr., R.H. McMichael Jr., and T.C. MacDonald. 2007. Community structure of shoreline nekton in the estuarine portion of the Alafia River, Florida: Differences along a salinity gradient and inflow-related changes. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 74: 223–238. doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2007.04.010.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herreros, W. 2008. Analyse de la dynamique végétale des milieux côtiers inondables de la Baie du Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin par l’élaboration des cartographies SIG de 1955 et de 2004. Ms Thesis, Université de Corse: 29 p.

  • Hobson, E.S. 1991. Trophic relationships of fishes specialised to feed on zooplankters above coral reefs. In The ecology of fishes on coral reefs, ed. P.F. Sale, 69–95. San Diego: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Imbert, D., P. Labbé, and A. Rousteau. 1996. Hurricane damage and forest structure in Guadeloupe, French West Indies. Journal of Tropical Ecology 12: 663–680.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Imbert, D., A. Rousteau, and P. Scherrer. 2000. Ecology of mangrove growth and recovery in the Lesser Antilles: State of knowledge and basis for restoration projects. Restoration Ecology 8: 230–236.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laegdsgaard, P. and C. Johnson. 2001. Why do juvenile fish utilise mangrove habitats? Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 257: 229–253. doi:10.1016/S0022-0981(00)00331-2.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ley, J.A., C.C. McIvor, and C.L. Montague. 1999. Fishes in mangrove prop-root habitats of northeastern Florida Bay: Distinct assemblages across an estuarine gradient. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 48: 701–723. doi:10.1006/ecss.1998.0459.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Louis, M. 1983. Biologie, écologie et dynamique des populations de poissons dans les mangroves de Guadeloupe (Antilles Françaises). PhD Thesis, Université de Montpellier II: 275 p.

  • Louis, M. and A. Guyard. 1982. Contribution à l’étude des peuplements ichtyologiques dans les mangroves de Guadeloupe (Antilles Françaises). Bulletin d’Ecologie 13: 9–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nagelkerken, I. and G. van der Velde. 2004. A comparison of fish communities of subtidal seagrass beds and sandy seabeds in 13 marine embayments of a Caribbean island, based on species, families, size distribution and functional groups. Journal of Sea Research 52: 127–147. doi:10.1016/j.seares.2003.11.002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nagelkerken, I., M. Dorenbosch, W.C.E.P. Verberk, E. Cocheret de la Morinière, and G. van der Velde. 2000. Importance of shallow-water biotopes of a Caribbean bay for juvenile coral reef fishes: Patterns in biotope association, community structure and spatial distribution. Marine Ecology Progress Series 202: 175–192.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nagelkerken, I., G. van der Velde, and E. Cocheret de la Morinière. 2001. Fish feeding guilds along a gradient of bay biotopes and coral reef depth zones. Aquatic Ecology 35: 73–86. doi:10.1023/A:1011416902370.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paperno, R. and R.B. Brodie. 2004. Effects of environmental variables upon the spatial and temporal structure of a fish community in a small, freshwater tributary of the Indian River Lagoon, Florida. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 61: 229–241. doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2004.05.002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pinto, L. and N.N. Punchihewa. 1996. Utilisation of mangroves and seagrasses by fishes in the Negombo Estuary, Sri Lanka. Marine Biology 126: 333–345.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Randall, J.E. 1967. Food habits of reef fishes of the West Indies. Studies in Tropical Oceanography (Miami) 5: 665–847.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robertson, A.I. and D.M. Alongi. 1992. Tropical mangrove ecosystems. Washington, DC: Coastal and Estuarine Study Series.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robertson, A.I. and N.C. Duke. 1987. Mangroves as nursery sites: Comparisons of the abundance and species composition of fish and crustaceans in mangroves and other nearshore habitats in tropical Australia. Marine Biology 96: 193–205. doi:10.1007/BF00427019.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roux, M. 1985. Algorithmes de classification. Paris: Masson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Serafy, J.E., C.H. Faunce, and J.J. Lorenz. 2003. Mangrove shoreline fishes of Biscayne Bay, Florida. Bulletin of Marine Science 72: 161–180.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sierra, L.M., R. Claro, and O.A. Popovo. 1994. Alimentación y relaciones tróficas. In Ecología de los peces marinas de Cuba, ed. R. Claro, 263–319. Mexico: Academia de Ciencas de Cuba y Centro de Investigaciones de Quintana Roo.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sosa-Lopez, A., D. Mouillot, J. Ramos-Miranda, D. Flores-Hernández, and T. Do Chi. 2007. Fish species richness decreases with salinity in tropical coastal lagoons. Journal of Biogeography 34: 52–61. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2699.2006.01588.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spalding, M. 1997. The global distribution and status of mangrove ecosystems. International Newsletter of Coastal Management - Intercoast Network, Special Edition 1: 20–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Strickland, J.D.H. and T.R. Parsons. 1972. A practical handbook of seawater analysis, 2nd ed. Ottawa: Fisheries Research Board of Canada Bulletin 167.

    Google Scholar 

  • ter Braak, C.J.F. 1988. CANOCO-A Fortran Program for Canonical Community Ordination by (Partial) (Detrended) (Canonical) correspondence analysis, principal components analysis and redundancy analysis. Wageningen: Agricultural University, Agricultural Mathematics Group.

    Google Scholar 

  • ter Braak, C.J.F. and P.F.M. Verdonschot. 1995. Canonical correspondence analysis and related multivariate methods in aquatic ecology. Aquatic Sciences 57: 153–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thresher, R.E. 1983. Environmental correlates of the distribution of planktivorous fishes in the One Tree reef lagoon. Marine Ecology Progress Series 10: 137–145.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Valiela, I., J.L. Bowen, and J.K. York. 2001. Mangrove forests: One of the world’s threatened major tropical environments. BioScience 51: 807–815.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vega-Cendejas, M.E. and M. Hernández de Santillana. 2004. Fish community structure and dynamics in a coastal hypersaline lagoon: Rio Lagartos, Yucatán, Mexico. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 60: 285–299. doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2004.01.005.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Robert Hamparian for his assistance during field work. We also thank the reviewers for their helpful comments and suggestions on an earlier version of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. DYNECAR EA 926, Laboratoire de Biologie Marine, Université des Antilles et de la Guyane, BP 592, 97 159, Pointe à Pitre, Guadeloupe

    Amandine Vaslet, Yolande Bouchon-Navaro, Gaspard Charrier, Max Louis & Claude Bouchon

Authors
  1. Amandine Vaslet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yolande Bouchon-Navaro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Gaspard Charrier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Max Louis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Claude Bouchon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Amandine Vaslet.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Vaslet, A., Bouchon-Navaro, Y., Charrier, G. et al. Spatial Patterns of Mangrove Shoreline Fish Communities in Relation with Environmental Variables in Caribbean Lagoons. Estuaries and Coasts 33, 195–210 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-009-9225-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-009-9225-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation