Levantamento da ictiofauna marinha da Praia de Ponta de Areia, Ilha de Itaparica Bahia

Abstract

This study aimed to survey the ichthyofauna at Ponta de Areia Beach, located in the municipality of Itaparica, Bahia. The study period was carried out from February/2017 to December/2018, in monthly collections at low tide, using a manual trawl. The specimens collected were stored in a cooler containing ice, taken to the laboratory and frozen for further analysis. From the captured specimens, meristic and morphometric characters were determined for taxonomic identification using manuals. A total of 5,496 specimens were collected, corresponding to 31 families and 56 species. The most representative family in number of individuals was Tetraodontidae, followed by Gerreidae and Haemulidae. While the most representative species in number of individuals were Sphoeroides greeleyi, followed by Eucinostomus argenteus, Sphoeroides spengleri, Haemulon aurolineatum and Archosargus probatocephalus. There was a greater dominance of rare and occasional species, this may be related, that environment may be passage or growth areas for these species, considering the migratory processes. The accumulated curve of species showed a tendency to stabilize, and it can be inferred that it reached the maximum number of species on Ponta de Areia beach. Species diversity was greater in March, July and December 2017, while in 2018 it was greater in February, April and December. Species richness varied between years, but in 2017 the greatest richness was in August and December and in 2018 it was February and June. The size of the collected specimens can infer that Ponta de Areia Beach is a nursery and growth area for several fish species, including some of these, in their adult phase, have high commercial value. In view of this, the area needs to be properly preserved, because if there is no selective capture by local artisanal fishing, it could cause ecological and economic losses for the community of this beach.