Associations between fish species of the Dutch coast and estuaries. Benthos-epibenthos interactions in the Dutch Wadden Sea
de Jong, P.D.; van der Veer, H.W.; Witte, J. IJ. (1998). Associations between fish species of the Dutch coast and estuaries. Benthos-epibenthos interactions in the Dutch Wadden Sea. BEON Rapport = BEON-report, 98(16). RIKZ: Den Haag. 31 pp.
Part of: BEON Rapport = BEON-report. Programma Bureau BEON: Den Haag. ISSN 0924-6576
Catch data of a shrimp trawl survey in the Dutch coastal waters and estuaries were analysed to identify contrasting species groups, their geographical distribution and their relation with a limited number of environmental variables measured during the survey. A simple and objective method for the separate grouping of species and hauls was based on presence-absence contingency tables. Two contrasting species associations were found. The hauls could also be divided in two groups on the basis of their species composition: 'inshore' hauls that are mainly situated in the Wadden Seas and the Scheldt estuary and 'coastal' hauls, mainly found along the coast. However, the geographical separation between the two is not a sharp one. There is a close match between the two independent classifications. The ‘inshore' hauls are preferred by one group of species, the 'coastal' hauls by the other. Not surprisingly, the average depth and salinity was lower in the ‘inshore’ hauls than in the 'coastal' hauls, but there was considerable overlap in the range of observations. Despite the significant differences in species composition, the species of both groups were often caught in variable mix, indicating a gradual transition between the species associations rather than a sharp distinction that might be related to major differences in habitat requirements.
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