Composition, abundance and diversity of larvae and juveniles of fish associated with the roots of Mangroves, in the Estuary of la Comuna Palmar -Province of Santa Elena

Abstract

The study of the composition and abundance of larvae and juveniles of fish associated with the roots of the mangroves is carried out in the estuary of the Palmar Commune, using systematic analysis in three seasons, during December 2014 - April 2015, using trasmallo and atarraya with light aperture of 2.5 cm and 0.5 cm for juveniles and larvae. Of the 2,414 fish collected, 3 orders and 5 families were identified and distributed in 8 species. The highest value of abundance is reflected in April with 900 ind., With E3 station with population mean of 39 individuals (± 44.81 desvest), and in February with the lowest value of 109 ind.  The absolute monthly abundance of each species recorded, for the statistical ANOVA index, is the Kolmogorov-Smirnov significance (0.13> 0.05); Indicating that the variances of population means during sampling follow a normal distribution, ANOVA analysis indicates that there are significant differences among population abundances. The values of Mg diversity index. (1.46, 1.54, 1.61) show homogeneity and low species diversity in all three seasons. According to the environmental parameters, a high correlation of salinity (0.004 <0.05) with respect to abundance (r = 0.87839) was observed, observed in February with a high value of 9.6 mg / L (± 2.15 fold) and April with 38.6 mg / L (± 0.95 fold); The oxygen with a high correlation (0.04 <0.05), in relation to the abundance (r = 0.71776), being March with high value of 4.7 mg / L (± 0,86 desvt.) and February with a value of 3.1 mg / L (± 0.45 desvt.), we consider these environmental parameters that condition the variation of the fish communities in each of the stations of this investigation.