FISHES OF A RESTORED MANGROVE HABITAT ON KEY BISCAYNE, FLORIDA

An investigation of the ichthyofauna inhabiting the restored mangrove wetlands of Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Miami-Dade County, Florida, was conducted during consecutive wet and dry seasons. Twenty-eight locations were sampled using seines. Measurements of water quality, depth and benthic p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Florida scientist 2003-01, Vol.66 (1), p.12-22
Main Authors: Barimo, John F., Serafy, Joseph E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Dry seasons
Fish
Floridichthys carpio
Gerres cinerus
Habitat conservation
Haemulon parra
Haemulon sciurus
Keys
Lucania parva
Lutjanus griseus
Marine
Mugil cephalus
Ponds
Rainy seasons
Sphyraena barracuda
Taxa
Wetland restoration
Wetlands
Wildlife habitats
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Summary:An investigation of the ichthyofauna inhabiting the restored mangrove wetlands of Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Miami-Dade County, Florida, was conducted during consecutive wet and dry seasons. Twenty-eight locations were sampled using seines. Measurements of water quality, depth and benthic plant coverage were also taken. A total of 25 fish taxa were found: the most frequently occurring were the epibenthic species goldspotted killifish (Floridichthys carpio), yellowfin mojarra (Gerres cinerus) and rainwater killifish (Lucania parva,). Seasonal differences in frequency of occurrence were restricted to three fishes: rainwater killifish, great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) and striped mullet (Mugil cephalus). Fish diversity (taxonomic richness) among the oldest mangrove habitats was significantly higher than among more recently planted habitats. Most of the fish-habitat correlations examined were weak; however, those with water temperature, depth and dissolved oxygen were significant. The presence of the subadult gray snapper (Lutjanus griseus), bluestriped grunt (Haemulon sei urns) and sailors choice (Haemulon parra) indicates that the area may be functioning in support of species with fisheries value.
ISSN:0098-4590