Lambari fish Deuterodon iguape as an alternative to live bait for estuarine recreational fishing

Abstract

AbstractFishing tourism is growing steadily in Brazil. Artisanal fishers meeting the demand for recreational fishing are capturing live juvenile shrimp in the estuaries and selling them for live bait, preventing the recruitment of a larger contingent into the ocean. This study compares the efficiency of using lambari, Deuterodon iguape Eigenmann, as live bait with the shrimp, Penaeus schmitti Burkenroad, while fishing for common snook (Centropomus spp.), as well as to evaluate the swimming behaviour of D. iguape in different salinities. The results showed that there was no significant difference between the live baits used (P. schmitti vs D. iguape). The month, the period of the day and salinity presented differences. The size of the species did not depend on the type of bait used. There was no statistical difference in swimming behaviour, but there was a trend of increased speed and displacement in the group exposed to a salinity of 10 g/L. In conclusion, D. iguape appears as effective as P. schmitti and can be successfully used as live bait; and from an ecological point of view, it reduces the impact of fishing on juvenile shrimp.