SPATIAL DIFFERENCES AND SEASONAL CYCLICITY IN THE INTERTIDAL FISH FAUNA FROM FOUR MANGROVE CREEKS IN A SALINITY ZONE OF THE CURUgA ESTUARY, NORTH BRAZIL

摘要

Intertidal creeks are vital component of the mangrove forest. They serve as hy-drological connectors between the subtidal area and the mangrove interior and provide important temporary foraging grounds for juvenile fishes. In the large estuarine mangrove areas of the tropics, intertidal creeks can be found in different zones of salinity ranging from low salinity environments at the head, to high salinity environments at the mouth of the estuary. Mangrove creeks in different estuarine salinity zones may vary in their importance as nurseries for juvenile fishes. To test for such a longitudinal relationship, however, variability in fish habitat use in intertidal creeks located in the same salinity zone must be better understood to avoid attributing creek variations to salinity dynamics.