New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

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Ecological studies on two intertidal New Zealand fishes, Acanthoclinus fuscus and Forsterygion nigripenne robustum

ANDREA BERGER MARGIT MAYR

Institut fur Zoologie der University Wien Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria

Abstract Population density, seasonal abundance fluctuations, and habitat preferences of Acanthoclinus fiiscus and Forsterygion nigripenne robustum were studied in the rocky intertidal zone at Kaikoura, New Zealand, from August 1988 to June 1989. Monthly recaptures of marked fishes showed that A. fuscus was common on rocky platforms with small shallow pools; F. n. robustum occurred under larger stones and in deeper channels or larger pools. Most captured A. fuscus were juveniles and adolescents; no seasonal fluctuation in abundance was recorded. The intertidal A. fuscus populations at Kaikoura and Auckland were similar in growth rate and condition factor but differed in age structure. The intertidal population of F. n. robustum was dominated by mature fish; the highest abundance was recorded during the winter spawning season. Each monthly sample of A. fuscus included 40% recaptures, significantly more than in F. n. robustum samples. 31% of displaced A. fuscus returned to their original pool within 1 day and 58% within 1 week.

Keywords Acanthoclinidae; Tripterygiidae; intertidal environment; rocky shore; habitat selection; population dynamics; size distribution; residence time M92OO3 Received 27 January 1992; accepted 19 June 1992

New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 1992, Vol. 26: 359-370The Royal Society of New Zealand 1992 Received 27 January 1992; accepted 19 June 1992

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (946K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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