The larval fish assemblage at the mouth of the Kosi Estuary,KwaZulu-Natal,South Africa |
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| Abstract: | The composition of the larval fish assemblage at the mouth of the Kosi Estuary, KwaZulu-Natal, was investigated. Fish larvae were collected from a sample site adjacent to a rocky reef within the estuary, 200 m upstream from the mouth, on six occasions between January 1988 and March 1989. A total of 2 418 fish larvae, representing 60 families and 154 taxa, was collected. The catch was dominated by the families Myctophidae (13,8%), Gobiidae (10,1%), Tripterygiidae (8,2%), Engraulidae (6,4%), Blenniidae (4,7%), Labridae (4,4%), Pempheridae (4,4%), Apogonidae (3,7%), Sparidae (3,6%) and Schindleriidae (2,6%). The most abundant larval species were the engraulid Stolephorus holodon and the tripterygiid Euneapterygius clarkae. The larval assemblage in the estuary reflected the nearshore coral reef fish community and was determined by oceanic and tidal conditions. Larval densities were significantly greater (p < 0,05) on flood tides than on ebb tides. Most larvae (50%) were reef-associated, estuarine-associated species contributing 28% of the total taxa. The presence of oceanic taxa, in particular myctophids, was attributed to shoreward intrusions of Agulhas Current surface water. The Kosi Estuary possibly plays an important role as a retention area and the associated reef functions as a settlement site for recruiting reef fish. |
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