Abstract
Try net capture data from four key months of a 15 month fish survey were analyzed to characterize species composition and diversity at Jiquilisco Bay, El Salvador. This Pacific coast mangrove embayment presented a mostly uniform habitat and temperature-salinity profile except for the bay mouth area which had significantly higher salinity and a sand bottom.
Sixty one species were captured in these months. Among the dominant families were the sea catfishes, Ariidae, the mojarras, Gerreidae, the croakers or drums, Sciaenidae, several flatfish families and the pelagic Engraulidae and Clupeidae. There existed habitat preferences as some families or species preferred the bay mouth area over the muddy mangrove channels.
The sampling station nearest the bay mouth, with generally greatest capture in terms of numbers, had the lowest species diversity and the lowest evenness OI distribution of individuals among species. Its high dominance index was due to the predominance of a few species in large numbers.
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Copyright (c) 1981 Revista de Biología Tropical