Biotemas (Dec 2008)
Ichthyofauna of Cabuçu and Berlinque beaches: a comparative analysis of fish communities in Todos os Santos Bay, Bahia - Brazil
Abstract
This study presents the composition of the ichthyofauna and the spatial and seasonal analysis of fish community structure at Cabuçu (12º47´S - 38º46´W - Saubara) and Berlinque beaches (13º06´S - 38º45´W - Vera Cruz) in Todos os Santos Bay (13ºS - 38ºW), Bahia State, Brazil. Fish were collected between July 2002 and July 2003, during the lowest of the syzygial tides. Abiotic factors such as the pH, temperature and salinity of the water were measured. The similarity among the sampling sites was analyzed by cluster analysis based on a presence-absence data matrix of species using the Sorensen coefficient. A total of 719 fish (63 species) and 2,231.77g were captured at Cabuçu beach. At Berlinque beach, a total of 381 fish (40 species) and 2,605.64g were captured. Community indexes do not indicate seasonal changes in the fish communities of the two beaches. The ANOSIM and SIMPER routines of the Primer software demonstrate that the ichthyofaunal composition of the two beaches differs markedly.
