Sub-Tidal Sandy Beach Trophic Structure in the Area of Punta Moron, Venezuela

Abstract

Coastal food chains have been studied mainly in relation to the structure of communities under direct or indirect changes due to human activity (pollution and fisheries). Although a great deal of information is available for the Carribbean, specially for Florida (U.S.A.), this is highly dispersed. In Snedaker (1976) a revision of the knowledge of trophic chains in Biscayne Bay is presented; Odum, Heald (1982) can be cited among others, with studies in particular environments like the trophic analysis of the mangrove community in Florida and Brook (1977) on a Thalassia testudinum community, also in Florida. An important paper which compiles a great deal of previous information is Randall (1967) on the food habits of coral reef fish. In Buesa (1969, 1970) valuable information is given on the trophic interrelations and energy flow in mangrove lagoons, Thalassia beds and the food of Lutianus synagris in Cuba. Nevertheless not much has been published on sandy beaches and sandy bottoms of littoral environments. In Venezuela the following studies on trophic relations can be cited: Edwards (1973) on sandy beaches and upper infralittoral in two oriental localities, Bastida, et al. (1977) on a coral reef of Cubagua island and Penchaszadeh (unpublished) on the food web of the benthic-demersal trawl fishing bottoms in Golfo Triste. Cervigon (1966) provides considerable information on the diet of several fishes. In the framework of an ecological study of the marine coastal environment of Punta Moron (Penchaszadeh, 1979) the trophic structure of the sandy bottom community (0–10 m depth) was studied in detail quantifying the different components of the diet of the organisms, especially that of fish related to the demersal layers and benthos. Punta Moron is of yreat interest because of Planta Centro’s thermoelectric activity.