Spatial and temporal variabilities in abundance and size structure of Caspian sand smelt, Atherina caspia (Pisces: Atherinidae) in a coastal plain estuary of the southeast Caspian Sea, Iran
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To investigate seasonal and habitat trends in the community structure of Atherina caspia, a total of 14791 specimens caught in four habitats from the eastern part of Gorgan Bay (southeast Caspian Sea) were examined to test variability in intrapopulation and inter-habitat abundance. Fish in four coastal habitats, including a sea-coast habitat (SC), a strait-zone habitat (SZ), a bay-zone habitat (BZ), and an old canal of Khozeini habitat (CZ). The largest specimen was observed in the SZ, with a total length of 135 mm, and the heaviest was in the BZ, weighing 14.20 g. The relative abundance of the fish was the highest in CZ (33.4%) and the lowest in BZ (14.75%). All habitats except KZ showed the highest abundance of this fish in summer, while KZ had the highest abundance of this species in spring. A comparison of fish size showed significant differences between habitats. Although females were dominant in all habitats, the intensity of female dominance varied across habitats. Analysis of age composition revealed inter-population and in-habitat variability. Age 1+ was dominant in SC and KZ habitats, whereas age 2+ dominated in SZ and BZ habitats. The results suggest that A. caspia populations may largely differ among habitats, indicating high interpopulation variability that may contribute to its dominance across habitats in the southern Caspian Sea.
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