- Title
- Influence of mouth status on population structure of southern African endemic estuarine-spawning ichthyofauna in a temperate, temporarily open/closed estuary
- Creator
- Tweddle, Gavin P, Froneman, P William
- Date
- 2015
- Type
- text
- Type
- article
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10962/68071
- Identifier
- vital:29195
- Identifier
- https://doi.org/10.2989/16085914.2015.1051940
- Description
- Publisher version
- Description
- The effect of mouth status on the population structure of three endemic estuarine-spawning fish species was assessed using seine nets from November 2005 to October 2007 in the temporarily open/closed Mpekweni Estuary, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Collectively, these three species accounted for more than 60% of the total fish abundance within the estuary. Monthly length frequency data were analysed. Two species, Gilchristella aestuaria and Glossogobius callidus, displayed normally distributed populations throughout, with recruitment/abundance peaks between spring and autumn, and were unaffected by open mouth and extended marine connection conditions. Atherina breviceps, however, displayed multiple modal peaks in its combined population distribution, suggesting a greater influence of mouth condition on its population structure. Retrospective analyses of the various cohorts for A. breviceps identified peaks in recruitment/abundance during summer, coinciding with open-mouth conditions and, to a lesser extent, with overwash events. This study highlights the importance of mouth phase, not only on the recruitment and population distribution of marine-spawning species, but also on estuarine-spawning fish in temporarily open/closed estuaries along the South African coastline.
- Format
- 5 pages, pdf
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- Language
- English
- Relation
- African Journal of Aquatic Science, Tweddle, G.P. and Froneman, P.W. (2015) Influence of mouth status on population structure of southern African endemic estuarine-spawning ichthyofauna in a temperate, temporarily open/closed estuary, African Journal of Aquatic Science, 40 (2), 221-225, DOI:10.2989/16085914.2015.1051940, African Journal of Aquatic Science volume 40 number 2 221 225 2015 1727-9364
- Rights
- Taylor & Francis
- Rights
- Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the National Library of South Africa Copyright Act (http://www.nlsa.ac.za/downloads/Copyright Act.pdf)
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Froneman, Pierre William (Prof)
RU Department of Zoology and Entomology
SDG 14. Life Below Water
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