FISH DIVERSITY IN CUBAGUA ISLAND BEACHES, VENEZUELA

Abstract

Coastal shes assemblages around Cubagua Island were studied in 40 stations sampled with an artisanal net (40 m x 2 m x 2 mm mesh) trawled from 5-50 m offshore. 7946 specimens (biomass of 55315.17 g) were collected. 99 species and 33 sh families were identied, the best represented were Haemulidae (eleven species), Sciaenidae (eight species), Carangidae and Labrisomidae (seven species each one). Fourteen species made 89.5 % of the total capture. Differences in the assemblages according to the substrate and capture were detected, and the variability between samples related to environmental variables was analyzed. The Shannon-Wiener diversity of shes in sandy substrate was 1.87 bits ind-1; in sand with rocks and corals 1.91 bits ind-1; in beds of Thalassia testudinum with sand 1.94 bits ind-1, and in Thalassia beds with rocks and corals 2.58 bits ind-1.