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Changes in marsh nekton communities along the salinity gradient of the Schelde river, Belgium and The Netherlands
Hampel, H.; Cattrijsse, A.; Mees, J. (2004). Changes in marsh nekton communities along the salinity gradient of the Schelde river, Belgium and The Netherlands. Hydrobiologia 515(1-3): 137-146. https://dx.doi.org/10.1023/b:hydr.0000027325.16156.6c
In: Hydrobiologia. Springer: The Hague. ISSN 0018-8158; e-ISSN 1573-5117
Peer reviewed article  
Available in  Authors 
    Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee: Open Marine Archive 98874 [ download pdf ]
Keywords
    Aquatic communities > Nekton
    Gradients > Salinity gradients
    Nets
    Water bodies > Inland waters > Wetlands > Marshes
    ANE, Belgium, Zwin [Marine Regions]; ANE, Netherlands, Westerschelde [Marine Regions]; Belgium, Het Zwin natuurreservaat; Belgium, Schelde R. [Marine Regions]
    Marine/Coastal; Brackish water
Author keywords
    marsh habitat types; salinity gradient; nekton; Schelde
Authors  Top 
  • Hampel, H.
  • Cattrijsse, A.
  • Mees, J.
Abstract
    Nekton was sampled in five marshes along the salinity gradient of the Schelde River. The utilisation of three different habitats (large and small creek, marsh pond) by fish and macrocrustacean species was compared among the five sampling sites. In the larger channels fyke nets were deployed to capture fish and macrocrustaceans leaving the marsh at ebb while block nets were set in smaller intertidal creeks. Fish traps passively sampled fish and shrimp in the marsh ponds. The tidal freshwater marsh had a species poor fauna and only a low number of fish was caught. Besides some freshwater species (Alburnoides bipunctatus, Carassius carassius) the European eel, Anguilla anguilla was still present. The four other marshes had a similar community structure although Platichthys flesus was absent from the euhaline area. Among fish species, dominance of Dicentrarchus labrax, Platichthys flesus and Pomatoschistus microps was observed. Carcinus maenas and Palaemonetes varians were the most abundant macrocrustacean species in every marsh. Between the large and small intertidal creeks there was no difference in nekton species composition. The main species used both habitats. Marsh ponds were utilized intensively only by two species, Pomatoschistus microps and Palaemonetes varians in every marsh.
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