Species Composition and Abundance of Fish in Shallow Waters of the Lithuanian Coastal Zone in the Baltic Sea

Abstract

During the 1989–2001 investigations of fish communities in shallow waters of the Lithuanian coastal zone in the Baltic Sea there were approximately 19,000 fish individuals representing 22 species and belonging to 13 families caught with a beach seine. Catches were most often dominated by smelt, Baltic sprat, flounder, three-spined stickleback and small sand eel. Smelt, flounder, vimba, turbot, perch and pikeperch juveniles stood out because of their biomass. The highest fish concentrations in the coastal zone were observed in summer months, especially in August. In the Lithuanian coastal zone fish abundance and biomass are the greatest to the north of Palanga. That is mainly related to the extremely great concentration of smelt and Baltic sprat juveniles. Fluctuations in the abundance of fish juveniles (smelt, turbot, flounder etc.) observed in different years are most often linked to spawning conditions and ever-intensifying commercial fishing in the coastal zone. A reliable relation has been established...