Shallow-Water Trawling Off the Swartkops Estuary,Algoa Bay

Juvenile fish occurring in Algoa Bay off the mouth of the Swartkops estuary were collected using a 3-m beam trawl. Pomadasys ollvaceum, Engraulis capensis, Caffrogoblus agulhensls, Argyrosomus hololepidotus and Galeichthys feliceps were the most abundant species in the trawl catches. Despite the proximity of the Swartkops estuary the trawls failed to capture species which are abundant as Juveniles in the estuary and it is concluded that the estuary has little influence on the juvenile fish fauna outside the mouth.     

The effects of river flooding on the fish populations of two eastern Cape Estuaries

The effect of river flooding during July and August 1979 on fish populations in two eastern Cape estuaries is compared. It is shown that floods of varying intensity occur regularly in these estuaries. Fish populations in the two estuaries, namely the Swartkops and the Sundays, were differently affected: members of the family Mugilidae increased in numbers in the Swartkops estuary after the floods but decreased to insignificant numbers in catches in the Sundays estuary for a number of months after the floods. It is postulated that mud and silt which are deposited in the Swartkops during the flood serve as a food source for the mullet whereas the rich surface benthos layer of a channel-like estuary like the Sundays is washed away by heavy floods.     

A survey of the fish fauna of Transkei estuaries. Part 1. The Kei River estuary

During the period of survey the 8 km long Kei estuary was subjected to periodic floods which reduced salinities to 0%o and decreased light penetration to a few centimetres. Species composition, and temporal and spatial abundance were determined for fish samples collected by means of gill nets. Twenty-six species of fish were caught with Mugil cephalus, Liza tricuspidens and Argyrosomus hololepidotus predominating, in that order. The family Mugilidae comprised 67,8% of the numbers and 66,6% of the fish biomass caught. Definite seasonal patterns could not be determined for many of the fish although M. cephalus, L. richardsoni and A. hololepidotus were more abundant in summer. The effect of river flooding had unpredictable results on Mugilidae catches which either decreased or increased after floods while catches of P. commersonii and A. hololepidotus usually increased. Largest catches were made in the middle reaches although species diversity was greatest in the lower reaches of the estuary.     

Fish community structures in Zostera and Non-Zostera regions of the Kromme estuary,St Francis Bay

Comparative seine netting for fish was performed quarterly during 1981 in the Zostera and non-Zosfera regions of the upper middle reaches of the Kromme estuary. Twenty-four fish and three crustacean species were recorded. The catches were dominated by the following species: Liza dumerili, Glossogobius glurus and Gilchristella aestuarius (Pisces). Only two fish species (Monodactylus falciformes and Rhabdosargus holubi) were recorded in significantly (P<0,05; P<0,05 respectively) higher numbers in the Zostera than in the non-Zosfera regions and community analyses (comparing numbers, species richness and diversity) revealed no significant (P>0,05) differences between the catches from the two regions. These results are contrary to findings of most other researchers and possible reasons for these differences are discussed.     

Seasonal Abundance Distribution and Catch Per Unit Effort of Fishes in the Swartkops Estuary

Catch per unit effort was obtained for the nekton of the Swartkops estuary near Port Elizabeth by means of gill netting. Fifty gill net catches were made in which 1 269 fish were caught in areas representative of the mouth, middle and upper reaches of the estuary. Pomadasys commersonni, already shown to be the most abundant angling species in the estuary, dominated gill net catches both in terms of mass (29%) and numbers (17%). The family Mugilidae (five species) comprised 25% of the mass and 42% of the numbers caught. Environmental factors and availability of food that might determine distribution offish in the estuary are discussed. The largest mean mass per individual was found in Chanos chanos (4 473 g), Elops machnata (1 656 g) and Valamugil buchanani (1 580 g). Lowest mean masses were recorded for Monodactylus falciformis (63 g), Rhabdosargus holubi (88 g) and Liza dumerili (94 g).     

Feeding ecology of major carnivorous fish from four eastern Cape estuaries

Stomach content analyses were performed on eight carnivorous fish from four eastern Cape estuaries. Dietary importance was assessed by using three unrelated methods and by combining them to determine the index of relative importance of each food item. It was attempted to relate the percentage of fish with food in the stomach and the feeding intensity to the abundance of the fish in a particular estuary. In general fish consumed more food in estuaries where they were more abundant. The few exceptions that occurred could indicate that a particular estuary was selected for purposes other than food availability eg. Tachysurus feliceps in the Krom estuary for spawning grounds or because of inter- or intraspecific competition for food eg. T. feliceps and Monodactylus falciform is in the Krom and Argyrosomus hololepidotus in the Gamtoos and Sundays estuaries. Similarity analyses showed resource partitioning. Predators such as A. hololepidotus, Elops machnata, Lichia amia and Platycephalus indicus preferred teleost fishes such as mullets and Gilchristella aestuarius, whereas the stomach content of Pomadasys commersonnl, T. feliceps and M. falciform is were dominated by Crustacea, particularly Upogebia africana. Most estuarine predators showed a diverse prey selection, but the food web was characterized by a high energy flow per pathway.     

A survey of the fish fauna of Transkei estuaries Part Two: The Mbashe Estuary

The species composition, seasonal abundance and spatial distribution of the fish fauna of the Mbashe estuary (8 km long) was determined by means of gill nets. During the 37 month survey period, 2908 fish (2319,8 kg), comprising 27 species, were caught. The family Mugilidae, representing 58,8% of the numbers and 57,4% of the biomass, predominated the catches. In terms of biomass M. cephalus, A. hololepidotus and P. commersonnii were the most important species. Seasonal patterns for 10 of the 27 species were observed. M. cephalus, A. hololepidotus and L. amia were more abundant in spring/summer, E machnata and V. buchanani in spring, P. commersonnii and L. tricuspidens increased numerically in winter and M. capensis in autumn, Johnius dussumieri and Valamugil cunnesius were rare in winter and summer, respectively. Largest catches were made in the middle reaches of the estuary followed by the upper and lower reaches, respectively.     

A survey of the fish fauna of Transkei estuaries Part Four: The Mntafufu and Mzamba River estuaries

The Mntafufu and Mzamba Rivers have small catchment areas (178 and 505 km², respectively) in the forested coastal belt of Transkei and have relatively small estuaries (5 and 2 km long, respectively). Although the annual rainfall is in excess of 1000 mm in this area, the mean annual runoff was less than 70 Mm³ in both cases. Serious floods were not observed during the survey period, while turbidity and sediment loads were usually very low. Salinities were usually high (x? = 30,0-38,0‰) in the bottom water and temperatures in the upper reaches were usually higher than in the lower reaches. The species composition, and seasonal and spatial abundance of the fish fauna of the two estuaries were determined by means of gill nets. A total of 1043 fish (385,8 kg) representing 42 species were caught in the Mntafufu estuary. The orangemouth glassnose Thryssa vitrirostris and V. cunnesius were the most abundant fish in the estuary. Numerically 42% of the catch (46% gravimetrically) belonged to the family Mugilidae (11 species) of which Mugil cephalus, Valamugil buchanani and V. cunnesius were the most important. A total of 389 fish (241,1 kg) were caught in the Mzamba estuary. Twenty-five species were obtained with Hilsa kelee dominating numerically. Seven species of mullet contributed 38,3% of the numbers or 54,2% of the fish biomass. The diamond mullet (Liza alata) and the flathead mullet (Mugil cephalus) were the most abundant in terms of biomass. The highest catches in the two estuaries were taken in the lower reaches. Mean number and biomass of fish taken per net was 20,5 fish and 7,2 kg, and 16,2 fish and 10,1 kg in the Mntafufu and Mzamba estuaries, respectively.     

The utilization of tidal currents by the larvae of an estuarine fish

The mechanisms employed by Gilchristella aestuarius larvae to maintain their position in an estuary were investigated in the Sundays River estuary, South Africa. The larvae predominated in the bottom water on both the flood and ebb tides and by so doing, utilized the flood-tide bottom-water current and avoided the ebb-tide surface current, the net result being a transport of the larvae upstream. There was no evidence to suggest that the larvae migrate laterally toward favourable, or away from unfavourable, currents.     

A survey of the fish fauna of Transkei estuaries Part Three: The Mtata River estuary

The species composition, seasonal abundance and spatial distribution of the fish fauna of the Mtata estuary (8,5 km long) was determined by means of gill nets. Nine hundred and ninety fish (462,9 kg) comprising 26 species were caught of which M. cephalus (43,3%), A. hololepldotus (18,9%), P. commersonnii (7,9%), machnata (7,1%) and L. amia (5,45) were most abundant in terms of biomass. Mullet species constituted 48,3% of the biomass caught, representing 25,6% of the numbers. Seasonal patterns were ascertained for M. cephalus, M. capensis, V. buchanani, A. hololepidotus, P. commersonnii, P. kaakan, £ machnata, L. amia, J. dussumieri, T. vitrirostris and L. equula. A mean of 19,4 fish with a mean mass of 9,1 kg were caught per net per station. Numerically the highest catches were made in the upper reaches; gravimetrically in the middle reaches. Temperatures ranged from 10,5-25,5°C; a salinity gradient was usually present in all reaches; oxygen levels and turbidities were high.     

Multiple Bacteriosis,with Special Reference to Spoilage Bacterium Shewanella putrefaciens,in Cage-Cultured Barramundi Perch in Malaysia

Abstract

An incidence of multiple bacteriosis that caused heavy mortality in cage-cultured barramundi perch Lates calcarifer during May-July 1991 in the Pulau Ketam estuary in west coast of Malaysia was investigated. All fish showing hemorrhagic dermatitis were infected with Pseudomonas anguilliseptica and Vibrio alginolyticus, and the spoilage bacterium Shewanella putrefaciens was consistently isolated from all sampled fish. High-density culture under suboptimal nutritional and environmental conditions, together with feeding on spoiled coarse fish, was considered to have initiated the epizootic.     

Abundance,Distribution and Species Composition of Fish Larvae in the Swartkops Estuary

A two-year quantitative survey of the ichthyoplankton of the Swartkops estuary has resulted in the identification of 17 larval fish. The ichthyoplankton was present through all months of the year, but was only abundant during the summer months (November-February). During both years sampled, thehighest densities were recorded in December. An attemptwas made to correlate the data with environmental parameters such as temperature, salinity and rainfall. The ichthyoplankton of the Swartkops is dominated by few species. The family Gobiidae (59,44%) and a clupeid species, Gilchristella aestuarius (31,12%), accounted for 90,56% of all the fish larvae sampled. The family Gobiidae were most common in the mouth and lower reaches of the estuary, while G. aestuarius dominated the mid- and upper estuary.     

The fish community of the berg river estuary and an assessment of the likely effects of reduced freshwater inflows

Data concerning the species composition, abundance and distribution of fishes inhabiting the Berg River estuary are presented and used to assess the value of the estuary to fish, and the likely eflects of reduced freshwater inflows. A total of 31 species was recorded, eight of which were classified as estuarine residents, 11 as marine estuarine-opportunists, six as marine stragglers and six were freshwater species. Liza richard- sonii, an opportunist, was the most abundant (54% N) and widely distributed species encountered during the winter and summer seine-net surveys. Three other species (all residents) contributed more than 10% of the total catch; Atherina breviceps and Caffrogobius nudiceps occurring most abundantly in the lower estuary, and Gilchristella aestuaria in the middle estuary. The low number of species compared with estuaries in other regions of the South African coast reflect a well-established marine biogeographical trend. The higher proportions ol resident species, entirely dependent species and partially dependent species suggest, however, that west coast estuaries may be more important to the fish that inhabit them than are estuaries in other regions. It is concluded that the fish community of the estuary is already suffering the effects of habitat degradation and that further reductions in freshwater inllows are not desirable.     

Birds as major predators of fishes in the East Kleinemonde Estuary

This study provides a quantitative account of fish predation by piscivorous birds in the temporarily open/closed East Kleinemonde Estuary and represents the first global attempt to simultaneously relate such consumption to production by a fish community in the same estuary. Cormorants and herons were the dominant predators and seasonal variations in the avifaunal community composition were noted. Based on comprehensive counts over three years, the piscivorous bird population was estimated to have consumed a maximum of 4 414?kg of fish in 1994, 2 400?kg in 1995/96 and 2 960?kg in 2004/05. In 1995/96 fish production in the East Kleinemonde Estuary (55.89?g m^?2 a^?1) was estimated at 9 780?kg and maximum bird predation amounted to 25% of annual fish production within the system over the same period, assuming that all birds counted on the estuary foraged there and that the diet of these birds comprised only fish. The above 1995/96 figures, together with an estimate of fish predation by the dominant piscivorous fish Lichia amia of 696?kg suggests that birds are probably the single most important natural predator of fishes within this estuary. An unusual mass invasion by marine Cape Cormorants Phalacrocorax capensis during July 1994 was responsible for large-scale predation of fish (2 155?kg) and resulted in the population of estuary-associated marine fishes declining from approximately 63 300 to about 18 600 individuals during the 1994 closed phase. Given that little or no marine fish recruitment was possible while the estuary mouth was closed, piscivorous birds are likely to have a higher predatory impact on populations of juvenile marine fishes in small temporarily closed estuaries than in larger permanently open systems.     

Euryhaline zooplankton of the Sundays estuary and notes on trophic relationships

The euryhaline component of the Zooplankton in the Sundays River estuary was sampled monthly at 10 stations from August 1979 to April 1981. In deeper regions surface and near-bottom samples were taken (Stations 1-7) using WP2 nets. Shallow (< 2,0 m) stations were sampled in surface waters only. Water temperature ranged between 14-27 °C. A full salinity gradient was present and salinity stratification was well developed. Acartia longipatella was most abundant during winter and spring (maximum 73 300 m^-3) in the lower estuary. The interaction of temperature and salinity as factors regulating temporal and spatial distribution was evident, these factors also interacting in the water column owing to stratification. The pioneer copepod species, seudodiaptomus hessei, attained high abundance following floods or increased river inflow. Three species of mysid shrimps were common in the plankton in summer, each species showing clear zones of maximum distribution. Zooplankton standing stock (dry mass) ranged from < 10 mg m^-3 to 1 450 mg m^-3 In surface samples and < 10 mg m ^-3 to 8 275 mg m ^-3 in bottom samples. Contribution of mysids to standing stock was rarely less than 70% and often exceeded 90%. Differences in standing stock between surface and bottom samples were owing to behavioural differences between the Zooplankton species, particularly the mysids. Behavioural adaptations play an important role in the retention of the indigenous Zooplankton in the estuary. Aspects of trophic relationships are discussed and demonstrate the significance of the Zooplankton in the transfer of energy to higher trophic levels In this estuary.     

A Leopard Seal from Hout Bay,South Africa

The catch per unit effort of Oreochromis mossambicus, Clarias gariepinus and Cyprinus carpio at different localities at Hartbeespoort Dam was investigated. Catches of the three species were between three and ten times higher on the southern shore of the lake than on the northern shore. The gradient of each locality was found to be the most important variable determining catch. Gill-net catches of O. mossambicus from littoral and limnetic stations indicated equal abundance of the species in these two habitats. The implications of the results for improved predictions of fish yield from lakes, and for management are discussed.     

The Zooplankton of Mgazana,A Mangrove Estuary in Transkei,Southern Africa

Mgazana, a mangrove estuary inTranskei, was investigated from May 1972 to March 1973 at six-week intervals. Salinities were consistently above 25 parts per thousand in the middle and lower estuary. In the upper estuary the salinity varied between 4 and 29 parts per thousand. Water temperatures varied between I5,5°C and 28°C. One hundred and fifteen taxa of zooplankton organisms were recorded in the samples. The copepods Acartia naialensis and Oithona brevicornis reached high population densities and numbers exceeding 100 000/m³ of water were recorded. Mysids were major contributors to zooplankton biomass. A maximum biomass of I 200 mg/m³ was recorded in February in the middle estuary and was attributed to the mysid Mesopodopsis africana. Species of mysids showed clear seasonal and spatial patterns of distribution in the estuary.     

The ecology of two degraded estuaries on the north coast of Natal,South Africa

The biota of the Tongati and Mdloti estuaries were studied in relation to the environment and human interference. Results are compared with those obtained from a relatively undamaged estuary. The Tongati receives treated sewage effluent, is rarely closed from the sea, has low salinities and low oxygen tensions, but is rich in phosphorus and nitrogen. Energy values of benthic floe from Tongati were high and large quantities of water hyacinth (Eichomia crassipes) occurred. The zooplankton and zoobenthos were impoverished and dominated by freshwater species. The roots of Eichomia provided a habitat for many invertebrates, chiefly insect larvae and the crab Varuna iitterata. The fish fauna was poor and most species were confined to the lagoon near the mouth. Iliophagous species, mainly Mugilidae, were dominant. The Mdloti, frequently closed from the sea but often artificially opened, exhibited typical estuarine salinity patterns, was well oxygenated but relatively poor in phosphorus and nitrogen. Primary production and energy values of benthic floe were low. Zooplankton and zoobenthos were impoverished. The fish fauna, similar to that of Tongati, was dominated by Mugilidae.

The food chain from benthic floe to iliophagous fish remains viable in these degraded estuaries.     

Turbidity-induced changes in feeding strategies of fish in estuaries

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of turbidity on the feeding strategies of fish in estuaries. Three species representing different feeding guilds were selected for the investigation. These were Elops machnata (representative piscivore), Pomadasys commersonnii (a macrobenthivore) and Atherina breviceps (a planktivore). The stomach contents of these fish were examined from a clear and a turbid estuary and some experimental work was carried out on A breviceps to test the hypothesis that turbidity affects feeding behaviour. Turbidity was found to have no effect on size selection of prey, but feeding rate, particularly of visual predators, was reduced at higher turbidity levels. This was caused by a decrease in the reactive distance of the fish. It would appear that in order to optimize the aquisition of food under different turbidity conditions fishes have the ability to change their feeding strategies. Visual predators are more affected by turbidity than are macrobenthic feeders.     

Long-term physico-chemical and faunal changes in a small,rural South African estuary

The Palmiet Estuary is a small, rural estuary in the Western Cape that only closes briefly during dry summers. The system was previously surveyed during 1979 to 1980 and we repeated the survey in April 2015 (mouth closed) and September 2015 (mouth open). Salinity, temperature, pH and oxygen saturation were measured, and invertebrate and fish faunas surveyed. Physico-chemical characteristics have undergone little directional change, apart from an apparent increase in pH, possibly as a result of changes in land use and application of fertilisers and pesticides in the catchment. Invertebrate species richness increased from 31 to 40 species, despite lower sampling effort in 2015. Most changes were among rare species, or were readily explained by changes in mouth condition and water chemistry. We also confirmed a substantial range extension of the tropical crab, Varuna litterata, rediscovered the locally endemic amphipod, Quadrivisio aviceps, and reported several new distribution records. Gastropods had virtually disappeared from the system, whereas the previously unreported bivalve, Brachidontes virgilae, had become abundant. Overall, fish diversity dropped from 19 to 11 species, but this can largely be ascribed to differ- ences in sampling frequency, season and mouth state. Comparisons of samples from like months showed the fish assemblage to have remained fairly stable, despite changes in inflowing water chemistry and infection of fish by the pathogenic water mould, Aphanomyces invadans. Bird abundance and diversity increased substantially. No alien invertebrate or fish species were recorded. Accordingly, in marked contrast to other smaller estuaries in the region, the Palmiet Estuary has remains in relatively good condition.