Abstract
It is assumed that the structural complexity of mangroves plays a determining role on fish assemblages in that ecosystem. However, there is limited evidence for how the interaction between the mangroves and environmental variables affects the assemblage structure and composition, abundance and biomass of fish. The main goal of this study was to test whether fish assemblages vary between sectors of mangroves located at different distances from the mouth of the estuary and between root microhabitats and seasons, and to analyze the role of environmental characteristics in these variations. In the Boca del Cielo-San José estuarine channel (Chiapas, Mexico), fish assemblages were sampled during high tide during 2019–2020, within mangroves in three sectors of the channel (lower, middle and upper), while mangrove complexity index, dominance of stilt roots or pneumatophores, litterfall production and six physicochemical parameters of the water were measured. Our results showed that fish assemblages varied significantly between sectors, microhabitats and seasons. Lower sector sites dominated by stilt root microhabitats presented the highest species richness, abundance and biomass of fish, while more than 90% of the juvenile fish in the samples were associated with pneumatophores. We found that the interaction of salinity, depth, distance from the estuary mouth, litter production, and dominance of aerial roots or pneumatophores explained patterns of fish abundance and biomass in mangroves. Our observations coincide with other studies in emphasizing the importance of mangroves as nursery and feeding sites for fish, but whose structure is defined by local variables and factors, which must be taken into account in research and management programs.
Resumen
Se asume que la complejidad estructural de los manglares juega un papel determinante en los ensambles de peces en este ecosistema. Sin embargo, existe evidencia limitada de cómo la interacción entre los manglares y las variables ambientales afecta a la estructura y composición del ensamble, la abundancia y la biomasa de los peces. El objetivo principal de este estudio fue probar si los ensambles de peces varían entre sectores de manglares ubicados a diferente distancia de la boca del estuario y entre microhábitats de raíces y estaciones, y analizar el papel de las características ambientales en estas variaciones. En el canal estuarino Boca del Cielo-San José (Chiapas, México) se muestrearon ensambles de peces durante la marea alta en el periodo 2019–2020, dentro de manglares en tres sectores del canal (bajo, medio y superior), mientras que se estimó el índice de complejidad de manglares, dominancia de raíces zancudas o neumatóforos, así como la producción de hojarasca y seis parámetros fisicoquímicos del agua. Nuestros resultados mostraron que los ensambles de peces variaron significativamente entre sectores, microhábitats y estaciones. Los sitios del sector bajo dominados por microhábitats de raíces zancudas presentaron la mayor riqueza de especies, abundancia y biomasa de peces, mientras que más del 90% de los peces juveniles en las muestras estaban asociados con neumatóforos. Encontramos que la interacción de la salinidad, la profundidad, la distancia a la boca del estuario, la producción de hojarasca y el dominio de raíces aéreas o neumatóforos explican los patrones de abundancia de peces y biomasa en los manglares. Nuestras observaciones coinciden con otros estudios en enfatizar la importancia de los manglares como lugares de crianza y alimentación de peces, pero cuya estructura está definida por variables y factores locales, los cuales deben ser tomados en cuenta en los programas de investigación y manejo.
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Data are available with the corresponding author, and will be provided upon reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
This paper constitutes a partial fulfillment by the first author to obtain the degree of Doctor of Science in Ecology and Sustainable Development at ECOSUR. We thank all the undergraduate students and fellows of the LIECO at UNICACH, for their assistance during the field campaigns, especially Grisel Espinosa, Sindi Cueto, Graciela Espinosa, Madai Vidal, Juan Toledo, Eliezer Arreola, Margy Gutiérrez, Ever Pascasio, Omar Ovando, Ervin Arias, Michael Galicia, Rigel Solis, Mayté Salazar, Mayrani Gutiérrez, Salvador Suárez, Dagoberto Duran and José “Chucky” Roque. A special thanks to the Espinosa Ordoñez and Cueto Roque families for their collaboration and hospitality during our stay in El Manguito and Ponteduro. Anonymous reviewers provided useful and important suggestions for improving the manuscript.
Funding
The Mexican ‘Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología’ (CONACYT) granted a scholarship (number 344119) to Salvador Santamaría-Damián to develop this study. Fieldwork was supported by the project 093-2019-UNICACH awarded to Emilio I. Romero-Berny. The ‘Instituto de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación’ of the Government of Chiapas financed the acquisition of laboratory material.
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S.S-D., Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, Visualization, Writing original draft; C.T-H., Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, Writing Review and Editing, Supervision; E.I.R-B., Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, Visualization, Writing original draft, Funding acquisition; A.D., Writing Review and Editing; A.N-M., Writing Review and Editing; A.O-A., Writing Review and Editing.
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Santamaría-Damián, S., Tovilla-Hernández, C., Romero-Berny, E.I. et al. Effect of Mangrove Complexity and Environmental Variables on Fish Assemblages Across a Tropical Estuarine Channel of the Mexican Pacific. Wetlands 43, 50 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-023-01700-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-023-01700-8
Keywords
- Mangrove ecosystem
- Mangrove fishes
- Estuarine mouth
- Stilt roots
- Pneumatophores
- Mangrove litterfall
- Tropical Eastern Pacific