Ichthyofauna associated with Cymodocea nodosa meadows in the Canarian Archipelago (central eastern Atlantic): Community structure and nursery role

F Espino,Rj Haroun,A Brito,F Tuya

doi:10.7773/cm.v37i2.1720

Abstract

We carried out 84 trawls in 41 seagrass meadows composed of the phanerogam Cymodocea nodosa at three islands of the Canarian Archipelago, during June to September 2003, in order to describe the associated ichthyofauna (composition, richness, and abundance), to analyze the role that this habitat can play in fish recruitment, and to determine the potential relationship between the spatial structure of the seagrass meadow and the patterns of richness and abundance of the fish assemblage. A total of 8298 individuals were captured. The five most relevant species, in terms of abundance and frequency, were Spondyliosoma cantharus, Diplodus annularis, Syngnathus typhle, Mullus surmuletus, and Pagellus erythrinus. Gran Canaria had the largest species richness (36 species) and mean number of species per sample (8.69 ± 0.49; mean ± SE). Lanzarote had the largest number of individuals (64.83% of the total registered) and mean total abundance per sample (168.39 ± 30.91). High densities of individuals were registered (95.86 ± 13.5) and 92.91% of fishes were juveniles. Our data showed that the physical configuration of the seagrass meadows did not significantly affect the patterns of richness and abundance of the associated fish assemblage. In conclusion, the C. nodosa meadows exhibited a singular ichthyofauna and they contribute to the maintenance of the diversity of the coastal fish assemblages in the Canarian Archipelago. This habitat constitutes, during spring and summer, a nursery habitat for juvenile fishes of many species, several of them commercially targeted.

Highlights

Marine phanerogam meadows act as ecological engineers (Wright and Jones 2006) because they influence physical, chemical, and ecological processes in the coastal areas where they occur
The objectives of this study were: (1) to describe the composition, richness, and abundance of the ichthyofauna associated with C. nodosa meadows at different islands and sites during the period of maximum development, using a sampling method that allows the evaluation of the juvenile fraction and cryptic species; (2) to analyze the role that Canarian marine phanerogam meadows play in fish recruitment; and (3) to determine the potential relationship between the spatial structure of the meadow and the richness and abundance of the fish assemblage, at island and meadow levels
Our findings show that the Canarian C. nodosa meadows exhibit a distinctive ichthyofauna, dominated by a few se desprende que la mayoría de los individuos pertenecen a la clase de edad 0

Summary

Introduction

Marine phanerogam meadows act as ecological engineers (Wright and Jones 2006) because they influence physical, chemical, and ecological processes in the coastal areas where they occur. Fishes constitute an important part of their biodiversity; numerous reports document high abundance and diversity of species (Gillanders 2006) This can be attributed to two main factors: the structural complexity that provides diverse habitats (Hindell et al 2000) and the abundance of trophic resources (Bell and Pollard 1989). As a result of these services and functions, they have been included in global conservation legislation

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