Interannual changes in the fish community abundance on the west coast of Campeche, Mexico

Abstract

The biodiversity and abundance of commercially important biotic resources on the west coast of Campeche (Mexico) is recognized. The main extraction activity is seabob shrimp fishing. This paper aims to analyze and discuss changes in the abundance of the fish community in two annual cycles by statistical analysis. Between February 2003 and January 2004 (cycle 1) and between February 2006 and January 2007 (cycle 2), 37 sites were visited monthly. Physical and chemical parameters were registered and nekton samples were collected by a trawl net. In cycle 1, 49,177 individuals (631.62 kg total weight) were caught and the fish community was represented by 94 species. In cycle 2, 26,386 individuals (407.07 kg total weight) and 94 species were caught. At spatial scale, the fish community abundance values were 0.01–0.23 ind m^–2, 0.08–3.02 g m^–2, and 7.12–45.45 g ind^–1 in cycle 1, and 0.007–0.11 ind m^–2, 0.13–1.71 g m^–2, and 5.61–45.64 g ind^–1 in cycle 2. Highest abundance was recorded during the dry season in cycle 1, but during the rainy season in cycle 2. There were no significant differences in temperature and salinity between the two cycles, but an analysis of variance revealed significant differences between seasons. Significant differences were founded when the matrix of number of individuals per species and month of both cycles was analyzed by multidimensional scaling.