LOS HABITATS COSTEROS DE LOS JUVENILES DE PECES EN LA REGION DE PUNTA GLORIA A LA ISLA DE SALAMANCA, CARIBE COLOMBIANO

Abstract

This paper presents the results of an ecological field study of coastal habitats occupied by juvenile fishes, conducted from June 1979 to May 1980 in a segment of coast between Punta Gloria, SE of the city of Santa Marta and the Isla de Salamanca in the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Four habitat types were studied: very shallow marine shores, coastal lagoons (Punta Gloria and Costa Verde) and a estuary mouth (Ciénaga Grande); their ecological characteristics are described. Abiotic factors studied were surface water salinity and temperature, of which relationship with climatic and hidrological regimes is discussed. Adittionaly, changes in habitat size shape are described. A systematic list of collected fish species is presented, and an estimation of juvenile fish relative abundance per biotope is made and analysed in relation to abiotic factors.