Estrutura da assembleia de peixes na zona de arrebentação da praia de Ponta de Pedras, Pernambuco, Brasil

Abstract

The sandy beaches are productive ecosystems that sustain a diverse community. The beaches comprise a subaerial portion (above and midlittoral) and another underwater, including the surf zone. The difference in salinity, time of year, cincardianos cycles can cause changes in the fish community structure in the surf zone. Because of this the present work was to evaluate and characterize the fish fauna of the surf zone of Ponta de Pedras beach, Goiana district - PE, Brazil. The crescent moon, always download the sea, from August 2013 to July 2014, monthly collections were made in two distinct seasons, day and night periods, using a trawl type seine to a depth less than 1.5 m. The collection points were named Catuama season because of the proximity to the beach of the same name, and Maceió season, characterized by a small freshwater supply on site. 8,194 individuals belonging to 80 taxa of 38 families were identified. The three genres Anchoa, Anchovia and Achoviella, included in the Engraulidae family, had higher monthly relative abundance (38.42%), followed by Polydactylus virginicus (20.12%) and Ophioscion punctatissimus (12.19%). Along with these taxa, the species Menticirrhus littoralis, Sphoeroides testudineus and Trachinotus goodei took place throughout the sampling period. Plenty of individuals was higher during the day with 6529 fish collected. The highest relative abundance was recorded in August, but May had a greater richness and diversity of species. The Maceió station showed the highest number of species (n = 64) with higher values of ecological indexes in relation to Catuama season, the two stations had exclusive species, suggesting that the salinity difference influences the distribution of fish species in the area surf.