Fish community, seasonal movement and habitat use in a subtropical coastal lagoon

Abstract

Coastal lagoons are environmentally and naturally dynamic areas crucial for fish reproduction and nursery. Thus, this research aims to evaluate the importance of the species performing their biological processes and development in this ecosystem. For this purpose, a subtropical coastal lagoon in the Gulf of California was taken as a case study, where four sampling seasonal campaigns were performed within the lagoon (internal zones) and the marine environment (external) nearby zones from 2016 to 2017. Diversity, evenness, and dominance indices were determined, and the number of individuals, size, length at first maturity, and reproductive period of each species were analyzed to obtain fish use of the lagoon. This coastal lagoon shows a high abundance of juvenile organisms in the cold season, whereas mature adults were mostly present during the warm season. Environmental variables influencing fish species development and distribution, such as sea surface temperature, salinity, and chlorophyll-a, were detected. To conclude, the subtropical coastal lagoon in the Gulf of California is an important nursery area where reproduction occurs mostly near adjacent areas.