Spatial and temporal variation of fish community in the mangrove swamps along the western coast of Taiwan

Abstract

The spatial and temporal patterns of species composition and abundance of fishes were studied bimonthly using two fyke nets during February 1996 to February 1997 in the mangrove swamps along the western coast of Taiwan. A total of 32 families and 90 species was collected in this study. The community was dominated numerically by several species, in which Liza macrolepis, L. affinis, Ambassis urotaenia, and Orecochromis spp. made up 64.4% of the total catch. The diversity (H') and evenness (Pielou index) of the fish community were low and showed little seasonal change because a few species dominated the assemblage on an irregulated basis. The overall species richness varied according to the stations and the sampling periods. Results of clustering and ordination analysis indicated that spatial factor contributed to difference in the fish community structure, temporal variation have substantial shifts in the fish composition during the sampling periods at northern part. Meanwhile, the species composition of fishes were on apparent no revealed seasonal variation at southern part.