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Dynamics and utilization of surf zone habitats by fish in the South-Western Cape, South Africa

Bibliography: leaves 188-216.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Clark, Barry Malcolm
Other Authors: Griffiths, Charles L
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Department of Biological Sciences 2014
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access_status_str Open Access
author Clark, Barry Malcolm
author2 Griffiths, Charles L
author_browse Clark, Barry Malcolm
Griffiths, Charles L
author_facet Griffiths, Charles L
Clark, Barry Malcolm
author_sort Clark, Barry Malcolm
collection Thesis
description Bibliography: leaves 188-216.
format Thesis
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institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:48:41.496Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2014
publishDateRange 2014
publishDateSort 2014
publisher Department of Biological Sciences
publisherStr Department of Biological Sciences
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spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/9513 Dynamics and utilization of surf zone habitats by fish in the South-Western Cape, South Africa Clark, Barry Malcolm Griffiths, Charles L Bennett, Bruce Zoology Bibliography: leaves 188-216. The main objectives of this study were to examine, by means of beach seine netting, the composition, abundance and size structure of fish assemblages frequenting surf-zone habitats in the south-western Cape, South Africa, to investigate temporal and spatial variations in these assemblages in relation to physical environmental parameters, and to assess the importance of this habitat as a nursery and feeding ground for littoral fish. In all, 54 fish species from 29 families were recorded, with three species (Atherina breviceps, Liza richardsonii and Rhabdosargus globiceps) dominating numerically. Two separate surveys were designed to provide a comprehensive assessment of the factors influencing spatial variability in the composition abundance and community structure of the surf fish assemblages in this region. In the first, surf ichthyofaunal assemblages at 11 localities, selected to encompass as wide a range of physical parameters as possible, were sampled at monthly intervals for a period of two years. Results of this study indicated that the degree of wave exposure, the presence of emergent rock on the shore and turbidity were responsible for most of the spatial variability in abundance and community structure observed. In the second survey, samples were collected at eight localities spanning an exposure gradient from highly exposed, open ocean beaches to extremely sheltered marine sandy beaches, in order to isolate and carefully examine the influences of wave exposure on surf fish assemblages. Two important trends were evident in the abundance and community structure of teleost catches in this study. Overall abundance increased markedly as wave exposure decreased, while highest species richness and diversity, and lowest dominance were recorded at intermediate levels of exposure. 2014-11-10T09:08:06Z 2014-11-10T09:08:06Z 1997 Doctoral Thesis Doctoral PhD http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9513 eng application/pdf Department of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Zoology
Clark, Barry Malcolm
Dynamics and utilization of surf zone habitats by fish in the South-Western Cape, South Africa
thesis_degree_str Doctoral
title Dynamics and utilization of surf zone habitats by fish in the South-Western Cape, South Africa
title_full Dynamics and utilization of surf zone habitats by fish in the South-Western Cape, South Africa
title_fullStr Dynamics and utilization of surf zone habitats by fish in the South-Western Cape, South Africa
title_full_unstemmed Dynamics and utilization of surf zone habitats by fish in the South-Western Cape, South Africa
title_short Dynamics and utilization of surf zone habitats by fish in the South-Western Cape, South Africa
title_sort dynamics and utilization of surf zone habitats by fish in the south western cape south africa
topic Zoology
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9513
work_keys_str_mv AT clarkbarrymalcolm dynamicsandutilizationofsurfzonehabitatsbyfishinthesouthwesterncapesouthafrica