Padrões de diversidade da ictiofauna na região costeira do litoral norte de Pernambuco

Abstract

The north coast of Pernambuco is a region of great ecological and economic importance in relation to fishing resources, emphasizing the ichthyofauna, and studies on the diversity and patterns of spatio-temporal distribution of these species are extremely important for the analysis of environmental quality. The different coastal environments, such as estuaries and surf zones, are fundamental in the life cycle of different species of fish. Thus, the present work aims to describe the diversity patterns of the ichthyofauna and how they are related to the estuarine-marine system in Itamaracá, north coast of Pernambuco. Fish specimens were collected using “mangote” type trawls, inside and at the mouth of the Jaguaribe River and in the surf zone south of the mouth of the river. The specimens were identified and indices of abundance, richness and diversity for each area and month, for a year, were calculated. 18,176 individuals were collected, belonging to 77 species, the majority (61.78%) being captured in the rainy season (from March to August). Similarity was observed between the species that use the surf zone and the mouth of the Jaguaribe River, with the others being characteristic only of the estuarine region. Polydactylus virginicus, Bairdiella ronchus and Anchoa cubana were the most abundant species in the surf region, while Eucinostomus argenteus, Harengula clupeola and Sphoeroides greeleyi predominated in the Jaguaribe estuary region. Atherinella brasiliensis, Anchoa spinifer, Lile piquitinga and Larimus breviceps are found in both locations. The surf zone / mouth are the places with the highest values of abundance, wealth, diversity and equitability, showing that they are areas that should be prioritized for conservation. However, the estuary is not less important, since it is an environment rich in food and shelter mainly for the early stages of its ontogenetic development.