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Changes in marsh nekton communities along the salinity gradient of the Schelde river, Belgium and The Netherlands

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Abstract

Nekton was sampled in five marshes along the salinity gradient of the Schelde River. The utilisation of three different habitats (large and small creek, marsh pond) by fish and macrocrustacean species was compared among the five sampling sites. In the larger channels fyke nets were deployed to capture fish and macrocrustaceans leaving the marsh at ebb while block nets were set in smaller intertidal creeks. Fish traps passively sampled fish and shrimp in the marsh ponds. The tidal freshwater marsh had a species poor fauna and only a low number of fish was caught. Besides some freshwater species (Alburnoides bipunctatus, Carassius carassius) the European eel, Anguilla anguilla was still present. The four other marshes had a similar community structure although Platichthys flesus was absent from the euhaline area. Among fish species, dominance of Dicentrarchus labrax, Platichthys flesus and Pomatoschistus microps was observed. Carcinus maenas and Palaemonetes varians were the most abundant macrocrustacean species in every marsh. Between the large and small intertidal creeks there was no difference in nekton species composition. The main species used both habitats. Marsh ponds were utilized intensively only by two species, Pomatoschistus microps and Palaemonetes varians in every marsh.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marine Biology Section, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 285, S-8, 9000, Gent, Belgium

    Henrietta Hampel

  2. Flanders Marine Institute, Vismijn Pakhuizen 45-52, 8400, Oostende, Belgium

    Andre Cattrijsse & Jan Mees

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  1. Henrietta Hampel
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  2. Andre Cattrijsse
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  3. Jan Mees
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Hampel, H., Cattrijsse, A. & Mees, J. Changes in marsh nekton communities along the salinity gradient of the Schelde river, Belgium and The Netherlands. Hydrobiologia 515, 137–146 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:HYDR.0000027325.16156.6c

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:HYDR.0000027325.16156.6c

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