Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Changes in rocky reef fish assemblages throughout an estuary with a restricted inlet

  • Primary Research Paper
  • Published:
Hydrobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Rocky reef habitat is common in many estuaries, yet its role as a habitat for fishes is poorly understood. There is also limited understanding of how access of coastal species into estuaries and habitat quality can affect the distribution of rocky reef fishes within estuaries. This study used baited remote underwater video stations to determine spatial patterns in fish assemblages associated with rocky reef habitat throughout a barrier estuary with a permanently open but restricted inlet. Estuarine rocky reefs provided habitat for a diverse assemblage of fishes, many of which were large juveniles and subadults. In the absence of a pronounced salinity or temperature gradient, a clear transition in fish assemblages occurred from coastal waters, through the inlet channel, to the central estuary, and into the inner estuary. The inlet channel, notably its narrowness and length, limits tidal input into this estuary, which acts as a significant impediment to the dispersal of many coastal fishes, and insufficient habitat excludes many coastal rocky reef species from the inner estuary. This study highlights the need to recognise estuarine rocky reefs as providing habitat for diverse fish assemblages and the role inlets play in restricting access of coastal species.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Akin, S., E. Buhan, K. O. Winemiller & H. Yilmaz, 2005. Fish assemblage structure of Koycegiz Lagoon-Estuary, Turkey: spatial and temporal patterns in relation to environmental variation. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 64: 671–684.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ambrose, R. F. & T. W. Anderson, 1990. Influence of an artificial reef on the surrounding infaunal community. Marine Biology 107: 41–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, M. J., 2001. A new method for non-parametric multivariate analysis of variance. Austral Ecology 26: 32–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, M. J., R. N. Gorley & K. R. Clarke, 2008. PERMANOVA + for PRIMER: guide to software and statistical methods. PRIMER-E, Plymouth.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ault, T. R. & C. R. Johnson, 1998. Spatially and temporally predictable fish communities on coral reefs. Ecological Monographs 68: 25–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • AWACS, 1995. Lake Macquarie estuary process study, vol. I—report. Australian Water and Coastal Studies Report No. 94/25, November 1995.

  • Baas Becking, L. G. M., J. M. Thomson & E. J. F. Wood, 1959. Some aspects of the ecology of Lake Macquarie, NSW, with regard to an alleged depletion of fish: I. General introduction. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 10: 269–278.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barletta, M., A. Barletta-Bergan, U. Saint-Paul & G. Hubold, 2005. The role of salinity in structuring the fish assemblages in a tropical estuary. Journal of Fish Biology 66: 45–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck, M. W., K. L. Heck, K. W. Able, D. L. Childers, D. B. Eggleston, B. M. Gillanders, B. Halpern, C. G. Hays, K. Hoshino, T. J. Minello, R. J. Orth, P. F. Sheridan & M. P. Weinstein, 2001. The identification, conservation, and management of estuarine and marine nurseries for fish and invertebrates. BioScience 51: 633–641.

    Google Scholar 

  • Becker, A., P. D. Cowley & A. K. Whitfield, 2010. Use of remote underwater video to record littoral habitat use by fish within a temporarily closed South African estuary. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 391: 161–168.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell, K. N. I., P. D. Cowley & A. K. Whitfield, 2001. Seasonality in frequency of marine access to an intermittently open estuary: implications for recruitment strategies. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 52: 327–337.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bellwood, D. R., P. C. Wainwright, C. J. Fulton & A. Hoey, 2002. Assembly rules and functional groups at global biogeographical scales. Functional Ecology 16: 557–562.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bloomfield, A. L. & B. M. Gillanders, 2005. Fish and invertebrate assemblages in seagrass, mangrove, saltmarsh, and nonvegetated habitats. Estuaries 28: 63–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cappo, M., E. Harvey & M. Shortis, 2007. Counting and measuring fish with baited video techniques—an overview. Australian Society for Fish Biology Workshop Proceedings. Hobart, Tasmania, August 2006, pp. 101–114.

  • Carr, M. H., 1994. Effects of macroalgal dynamics on recruitment of a temperate reef fish. Ecology 75: 1320–1333.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, M. R. & D. L. Kramer, 2000. Movements of fishes within and among fringing coral reefs in Barbados. Environmental Biology of Fishes 57: 11–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, K. R. & R. N. Gorley, 2006. PRIMER v6: user manual/tutorial. PRIMER-E, Plymouth.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clynick, B. G., M. G. Chapman & A. J. Underwood, 2008. Fish assemblages associated with urban structures and natural reefs in Sydney, Australia. Austral Ecology 33: 140–150.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coll, J., J. Moranta, O. Reñones, A. García-Rubies & I. Moreno, 1998. Influence of substrate and deployment time on fish assemblages on an artificial reef at Formentera Island (Balearic Islands, western Mediterranean). Hydrobiologia 385: 139–152.

    Google Scholar 

  • Connolly, R. M., 1994. A comparison of fish assemblages from seagrass and unvegetated areas of a southern Australian estuary. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 45: 1033–1044.

    Google Scholar 

  • Connolly, R., 2009. Fish on Australian saltmarshes. In Saintilan, N. (ed.), Australian Saltmarsh Ecology. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood: 131–147.

    Google Scholar 

  • Connolly, R. M., A. Dalton & D. A. Bass, 1997. Fish use of an inundated saltmarsh flat in a temperate Australian estuary. Austral Ecology 22: 222–226.

    Google Scholar 

  • Creese, R. G., T. M. Glasby, G. West & C. Gallen, 2009. Mapping the habitats of NSW estuaries. Industry & Investment NSW, Fisheries Final Report Series 113. Port Stephens, NSW, Australia.

  • Curley, B. G., M. J. Kingsford & B. M. Gillanders, 2002. Spatial and habitat-related patterns of temperate reef fish assemblages: implications for the design of marine protected areas. Marine and Freshwater Research 53: 1197–1210.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cyrus, D. P. & S. J. M. Blaber, 1992. Turbidity and salinity in a tropical northern Australian estuary and their influence on fish distribution. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 35: 545–563.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • de Moura, P. M., J. P. Vieira & A. M. Garcia, 2012. Fish abundance and species richness across an estuarine-freshwater ecosystem in the Neotropics. Hydrobiologia 696: 107–122.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dorenbosch, M., W. C. E. P. Verberk, I. Nagelkerken & G. van der Velde, 2007. Influence of habitat configuration on connectivity between fish assemblages of Caribbean seagrass beds, mangroves and coral reefs. Marine Ecology Progress Series 334: 103–116.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edgar, G. J., 2001. Australian Marine Habitats in Temperate Waters. Reed New Holland, Sydney.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edgar, G. J. & N. S. Barrett, 2010. Biotic affinities of rocky reef fishes, invertebrates and macroalgae in different zones of the Port Davey marine protected area, south-western Tasmania. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Systems 20: 282–296.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edgar, G. J. & C. Shaw, 1995. The production and trophic ecology of shallow-water fish assemblages in southern Australia III. General relationships between sediments, seagrasses, invertebrates and fishes. Journal of Experimental Marine and Freshwater Research 194: 107–131.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edgar, G. J., N. S. Barrett & P. R. Last, 1999. The distribution of macroinvertebrates and fishes in Tasmanian estuaries. Journal of Biogeography 26: 1169–1189.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fernández, T. V., G. D’Anna, F. Badalament & A. Pérez-Ruzafa, 2008. Habitat connectivity as a factor affecting fish assemblages in temperate reefs. Aquatic Biology 1: 239–248.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferrell, D. J. & J. D. Bell, 1991. Differences among assemblages of fish associated with Zostera capricorni and bare sand over a large spatial scale. Marine Ecology Progress Series 72: 15–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferrell, D. J., S. E. McNeill, D. G. Worthington & J. D. Bell, 1993. Temporal and spatial variation in the abundance of fish associated with the seagrass Posidonia australis in south-eastern Australia. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 44: 881–899.

    Google Scholar 

  • Forward Jr, R. B., K. A. Reinsel, D. S. Peters, R. A. Tankersley, J. H. Churchill, L. B. Crowder, W. F. Hettler, S. M. Warlen & M. D. Greene, 1999. Transport of fish larvae through a tidal inlet. Fisheries Oceanography 8: 153–172.

    Google Scholar 

  • França, S., R. P. Vasconcelos, V. F. Fonseca, S. E. Tanner, P. Reis-Santos, M. J. Costa & H. N. Cabral, 2012. Predicting fish community properties within estuaries: influence of habitat type and other environmental features. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 107: 22–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Franco, A., A. Pérez-Ruzafa, H. Drouineau, P. Franzoi, E. T. Koutrakis, M. Lepage, D. Verdiell-Cubedo, M. Bouchoucha, A. López-Capel, F. Riccato, A. Sapounidis, C. Marcos, F. J. Oliva-Paterna, M. Torralva-Forero & P. Torricelli, 2012. Assessment of fish assemblages in coastal lagoon habitats: effect of sampling method. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 112: 115–125.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fulton, C. J. & D. R. Bellwood, 2004. Wave exposure, swimming performance, and the structure of tropical and temperate reef fish assemblages. Marine Biology 144: 429–437.

    Google Scholar 

  • García-Rubies, A. & E. Macpherson, 1995. Substrate use and temporal pattern of recruitment in juvenile fishes of the Mediterranean littoral. Marine Biology 124: 35–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gillanders, B. M., 2007. Linking terrestrial-freshwater and marine environments: an example from estuarine systems. In Connell, S. D. & B. M. Gillanders (eds), Marine Ecology. Oxford University Press, South Melbourne: 252–277.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gillanders, B. M., K. W. Able, J. A. Brown, D. B. Eggleston & P. F. Sheridan, 2003. Evidence of connectivity between juvenile and adult habitats for mobile marine fauna: an important component of nurseries. Marine Ecology Progress Series 247: 281–295.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gillanders, B. M., T. S. Elsdon, I. A. Halliday, G. P. Jenkins, J. B. Robins & F. J. Valesini, 2011. Potential effects of climate change on Australian estuaries and fish utilising estuaries: a review. Marine and Freshwater Research 62: 1115–1131.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gladstone, W., 2007. Requirements for marine protected areas to conserve the biodiversity of rocky reef fishes. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Systems 17: 71–87.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gladstone, W., S. Lindfield, M. Coleman & B. Kelaher, 2012. Optimisation of baited remote underwater video station sampling designs for estuarine fish assemblages. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 429: 28–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glasby, T. M., 1999. Differences between subtidal epibiota on pier pilings and rocky reefs at marinas in Sydney, Australia. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 48: 281–290.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gray, C. A., D. J. McElligott & R. C. Chick, 1996. Intra- and inter-estuary differences in assemblages of fishes associated with shallow seagrass and bare sand. Marine and Freshwater Research 47: 723–735.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guidetti, P., 2000. Differences among fish assemblages associated with nearshore Posidonia oceanica seagrass beds, rocky-algal reefs and unvegetated sand habitats in the Adriatic Sea. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 50: 515–529.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hannan, J. C. & R. J. Williams, 1998. Recruitment of juvenile marine fishes to seagrass habitat in a temperate Australian estuary. Estuaries 21: 29–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hindell, J. S., 2006. Assessing the trophic link between seagrass habitats and piscivorous fishes. Marine and Freshwater Research 57: 121–131.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hogarth, P. J., 2007. The Biology of Mangroves and Seagrasses, 2nd ed. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Howe, A. (ed.), 2008. State of the Environment Report 2008: Lake Macquarie. Lake Macquarie City Council, Speers Point.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hughes, A. R., S. L. Williams, C. M. Duarte, K. L. Heck Jr & M. Waycott, 2009. Associations of concern: declining seagrasses and threatened dependent species. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 7: 242–246.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huijbers, C. M., M. G. G. Grol & I. Nagelkerken, 2008. Shallow patch reefs as alternative habitats for early juveniles of some mangrove/seagrass-associated fish species in Bermuda. Revista de Biologia Tropical 56: 161–169.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston, 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Swainston Publishing, Perth.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaureguizar, A. J., R. Menni, C. Bremec, H. Mianzan & C. Lasta, 2003. Fish assemblage and environmental patterns in the Río de la Plata estuary. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 56: 921–933.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jelbart, J. E., P. M. Ross & R. M. Connolly, 2007a. Fish assemblages in seagrass beds are influenced by the proximity of mangrove forests. Marine Biology 150: 993–1002.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jelbart, J. E., P. M. Ross & R. M. Connolly, 2007b. Patterns of small fish distributions in seagrass beds in a temperate Australian estuary. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 87: 1297–1307.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenkins, G. P. & M. J. Wheatley, 1998. The influence of habitat structure on nearshore fish assemblages in a southern Australian embayment: comparison of shallow seagrass, reef-algal and unvegetated sand habitats, with emphasis on their importance to recruitment. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 221: 147–172.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, M. V. & R. J. West, 2005. Spatial and temporal variability of seagrass fishes in intermittently closed and open coastal lakes in southeastern Australia. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 64: 277–288.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaiser, M. J., M. J. Attrill, S. Jennings, D. N. Thomas, D. K. A. Barnes, A. S. Brierley, N. V. C. Polunin, D. G. Raffaelli & P. J. le B Williams, 2005. Marine Ecology: processes, systems, and impacts. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kimirei, I. A., I. Nagelkerken, B. Griffioen, C. Wagner & Y. D. Mgaya, 2011. Ontogenetic habitat use by mangrove/seagrass-associated coral reef fishes shows flexibility in time and space. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 92: 47–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuiter, R. H., 1993. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Crawford House Press, Bathurst.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuiter, R. H., 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland Publishing, Sydney.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laegdsgaard, P. & C. Johnson, 2001. Why do juvenile fish utilise mangrove habitats? Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 257: 229–253.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Langlois, T. J., M. J. Anderson & R. C. Babcock, 2005. Reef-associated predators influence adjacent soft-sediment communities. Ecology 86: 1508–1519.

    Google Scholar 

  • Langlois, T. J., E. S. Harvey, B. Fitzpatrick, J. J. Meeuwig, G. Shedrawi & D. L. Watson, 2010. Cost-efficient sampling of fish assemblages: comparison of baited video stations and diver video transects. Aquatic Biology 9: 155–168.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lill, A. W. T., M. Schallenberg, A. Lal, C. Savage & G. P. Closs, 2013. Isolation and connectivity: relationships between periodic connection to the ocean and environmental variables in intermittently closed estuaries. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 128: 76–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Little, C., 2000. The Biology of Soft Shores and Estuaries. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loneragan, N. R., I. C. Potter, R. C. J. Lenanton & N. Caputi, 1986. Spatial and seasonal differences in the fish fauna in the shallows of a large Australian estuary. Marine Biology 92: 575–586.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lowry, M., H. Folpp, M. Gregson & R. McKenzie, 2010. Assessment of artificial reefs in Lake Macquarie NSW. Fisheries Final Report Series No. 125. Industry & Investment NSW, Port Stephens Fisheries Institute.

  • Lowry, M., H. Folpp, M. Gregson & I. Suthers, 2012. Comparison of baited remote underwater video (BRUV) and underwater visual census (UVC) for assessment of artificial reefs in estuaries. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 416–417: 243–253.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lugendo, B. R., A. de Groene, I. Cornelissen, A. Pronker, I. Nagelkerken, G. van der Velde & Y. D. Mgaya, 2007. Spatial and temporal variation in fish community structure of a marine embayment in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Hydrobiologia 586: 1–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Magalhães, C. M., A. A. Bordalo & W. J. Wiebe, 2003. Intertidal biofilms on rocky substratum can play a major role in estuarine carbon and nutrient dynamics. Marine Ecology Progress Series 258: 275–281.

    Google Scholar 

  • Malcolm, H. A., W. Gladstone, S. Lindfield, J. Wraith & T. P. Lynch, 2007. Spatial and temporal variation in reef fish assemblages of marine parks in New South Wales, Australia – baited video observations. Marine Ecology Progress Series 350: 277–290.

    Google Scholar 

  • Malcolm, H. A., S. D. Smith & A. Jordan, 2010. Using patterns of reef fish assemblages to refine a Habitat Class System for marine parks in NSW, Australia. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 20: 83–92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Manly Hydraulics Laboratory, 1996. Swansea Channel and Lake Macquarie Data Collection March–June 1996. MHL Report No. 770. NSW Department of Public Works and Services, Sydney.

  • Marshall, S. & M. Elliott, 1998. Environmental influences on the fish assemblage of the Humber Estuary, UK. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 46: 175–184.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martino, E. J. & K. W. Able, 2003. Fish assemblages across the marine to low salinity transition zone of a temperate estuary. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 56: 969–987.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mazumder, D., 2004. Contribution of Saltmarsh to Temperate Estuarine Fish in Southeast Australia. Australia Ph.D. Thesis, Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, Australia, unpublished.

  • McClanahan, T. R. & S. Mangi, 2000. Spillover of exploitable fishes from a marine park and its effect on the adjacent fishery. Ecological Applications 10: 1792–1805.

    Google Scholar 

  • McKinley, A. C., L. Ryan, M. A. Coleman, N. A. Knott, G. Clark, M. D. Taylor & E. L. Johnston, 2011. Putting marine sanctuaries into context: a comparison of estuary fish assemblages over multiple levels of protection and modification. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 21: 636–648.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miskiewicz, A. G., 1987. Taxonomy and Ecology of Fish Larvae in Lake Macquarie and New South Wales Coastal Waters. Ph.D. Thesis, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, unpublished.

  • Montgomery, J. C., N. Tolimieri & O. S. Haine, 2001. Active habitat selection by pre-settlement reef fishes. Fish and Fisheries 2: 261–277.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morton, J. K., 2007. The ecology of three species of wrasse (Pisces: Labridae) on temperate rocky reefs of New South Wales, Australia. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia, unpublished.

  • Morton, J. K. & W. Gladstone, 2011. Spatial, temporal and ontogenetic variation in the association of fishes (family Labridae) with rocky-reef habitats. Marine and Freshwater Research 62: 870–884.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morton, J. K., M. E. Platell & W. Gladstone, 2008. Differences in the feeding ecology among three co-occuring species of wrasse (Teleostei: Labridae) on rocky reefs of temperate Australia. Marine Biology 154: 577–592.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morton, R., B. Syme, J. Pocock, T. McAlister & C. Rose, 1996. Lake macquarie estuary management study: volume 2—lake management issues. WBM Oceanics Australia, Spring Hill.

  • Murphy, H. M. & G. P. Jenkins, 2010. Observational methods used in marine spatial monitoring of fishes and associated habitats: a review. Marine and Freshwater Research 61: 236–252.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nagelkerken, I. & C. H. Faunce, 2008. What makes mangroves attractive to fish? Use of artificial units to test the influence of water depth, cross-shelf location, and presence of root structure. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 79: 559–565.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paterson, A. W. & A. K. Whitfield, 2000. Do shallow-water habitats function as refugia for juvenile fishes? Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 51: 359–364.

    Google Scholar 

  • Potter, I. C., L. E. Beckley, A. K. Whitfield & R. C. J. Lenanton, 1990. Comparisons between the roles played by estuaries in the life cycles of fishes in temperate Western Australia and Southern Africa. In Bruton, M. N. (ed.), Alternative Life-history Styles of Fishes. Springer, Netherlands: 143–178.

  • Potter, I. C. & G. A. Hyndes, 1994. Composition of the fish fauna of a permanently open estuary on the southern coast of Australia, and comparisons with a nearby seasonally closed estuary. Marine Biology 121: 199–209.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rowley, R. J., 1994. Marine reserves in fisheries management. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 4: 233–254.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roy, P. S., R. J. Williams, A. R. Jones, I. Yassini, P. J. Gibbs, B. Coates, R. J. West, P. R. Scanes, J. P. Hudson & S. Nichol, 2001. Structure and function of south-east Australian estuaries. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 53: 351–384.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rozas, L. P. & T. J. Minello, 1997. Estimating densities of small fishes and decapod crustaceans in shallow estuarine habitats: a review of sampling design with focus on gear selection. Estuaries 20: 199–213.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scott, L. C., J. W. Boland, K. S. Edyvane 7 G.K. Jones, 2000. Development of a seagrass-fish habitat model I: a seagrass residency index for economically important species. Environmetrics 11: 541–552.

    Google Scholar 

  • Selleslagh, J. & R. Amara, 2008. Environmental factors structuring fish composition and assemblages in a small macrotidal estuary (eastern English Channel). Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 79: 507–517.

    Google Scholar 

  • Selleslagh, J., R. Amara, P. Laffargue, S. Lesourd, M. Lepage & M. Girardin, 2009. Fish composition and assemblage structure in three Eastern English Channel macrotidal estuaries: a comparison with other French estuaries. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 81: 149–159.

    Google Scholar 

  • Short, A. D. & C. D. Woodroffe, 2009. The Coast of Australia. Cambridge University Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spencer, R. S., 1959. Some aspects of the ecology of Lake Macquarie, NSW, with regard to an alleged depletion of fish: II. Hydrology. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 10: 279–296.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steffe, A. S., J. J. Murphy, D. J. Chapman & C. C. Gray, 2005. An Assessment of Changes in the Daytime Recreational Fishery of Lake Macquarie Following the Establishment of a ‘Recreational Fishing Haven’. Fisheries Final Report Series, No. 79. NSW Department of Primary Industries, Cronulla.

  • Stobart, B., J. A. García-Charton, C. Espejo, E. Rochel, R. Goñi, O. Reñones, A. Herrero, R. Crec’hriou, S. Polti, C. Marcos, S. Planes & A. Pérez-Ruzafa, 2007. A baited underwater video technique to assess shallow-water Mediterranean fish assemblages: methodological evaluation. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 345: 158–174.

    Google Scholar 

  • Strydom, N. A., A. K. Whitfield & T. H. Wooldridge, 2003. The role of estuarine type in characterizing early stage fish assemblages in warm temperate estuaries, South Africa. African Zoology 38: 29–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suthers, I., M. Dawson, P. Pitt & A. G. Miskiewicz, 2009. Coastal and marine zooplankton: diversity and biology. In Suthers, I. M. & D. Rissik (eds), Plankton: a guide to their ecology and monitoring for water quality. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood: 181–222.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomson, J. M., 1959a. Some aspects of the ecology of Lake Macquarie, NSW, with regard to an alleged depletion of fish: IX. The fishes and their food. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 10: 365–374.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomson, J. M., 1959b. Some aspects of the ecology of Lake Macquarie, NSW, with regard to an alleged depletion of fish: X. The movements of fish. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 10: 375–387.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trnski, T., 2001. Diel and tidal abundance of fish larvae in a barrier-estuary channel in New South Wales. Marine and Freshwater Research 52: 995–1006.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trnski, T., 2002. Behaviour of settlement-stage larvae of fishes with an estuarine juvenile phase: in situ observations in a warm-temperate estuary. Marine Ecology Progress Series 242: 205–214.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tupper, M. & R. G. Boutilier, 1997. Effects of habitat on settlement, growth, predation risk and survival of a temperate reef fish. Marine Ecology Progress Series 151: 225–236.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner, L., D. Tracey, J. Tilden & W. C. Dennison, 2004. Where River Meets Sea: exploring Australia’s estuaries. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood.

    Google Scholar 

  • Underwood, A. J., 1981. Techniques of analysis of variance in experimental marine biology and ecology. Oceanography and Marine Biology Annual Review 19: 513–605.

    Google Scholar 

  • Underwood, A. J., M. J. Kingsford & N. L. Andrew, 1991. Patterns in shallow subtidal marine assemblages along the coast of New South Wales. Australian Journal of Ecology 6: 231–249.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vorwerk, P. D., A. K. Whitfield, P. D. Cowley & A. W. Paterson, 2003. The influence of selected environmental variables on fish assemblage structure in a range of southeast African estuaries. Environmental Biology of Fishes 66: 237–247.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson, D. L., E. S. Harvey, B. M. Fitzpatrick, T. J. Langlois & G. Shedrawi, 2010. Assessing reef fish assemblage structure: how do different stereo-video techniques compare? Marine Biology 157: 1237–1250.

    Google Scholar 

  • West, R. J. & R. J. King, 1996. Marine, brackish, and freshwater fish communities in the vegetated and bare shallows of an Australian coastal river. Estuaries 19: 31–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Willis, T. J. & R. C. Babcock, 2000. A baited underwater video system for the determination of relative density of carnivorous reef fish. Marine and Freshwater Research 51: 755–763.

    Google Scholar 

  • Witt, C., A. Charteris, M. Andrews & B. Syme, 1996. Lake Macquarie Estuary Management Study: volume 1—entrance channel issues. WBM Oceanics Australia, Broadmeadow.

  • York, P. H., D. J. Booth, T. M. Glasby & B. C. Pease, 2006. Fish assemblages in habitats dominated by Caulerpa taxifolia and native seagrasses in south-eastern Australia. Marine Ecology Progress Series 312: 223–234.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Thomas Finch, Wayne Miller, Megan Cousins and Brett Adams for volunteering to assist with site inspections and the deployment of the BRUVS. Special thanks to Ian Campbell for assistance in the field and collection of data from video footage. This research was sponsored by a Lake Macquarie Research Grant. The Lake Macquarie City Council and various sponsors fund the Lake Macquarie Research Grants. The 2007/2008 sponsors included Delta Electricity, Centennial Mandalong, Hunter Water Corporation, Oceanis Coal Australia Ltd and Eraring Energy.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Science and Mathematics, Avondale College of Higher Education, PO Box 19, Cooranbong, NSW, 2265, Australia

    Jason K. Morton

  2. School of the Environment, University of Technology, Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway, NSW, 2007, Australia

    William Gladstone

Authors
  1. Jason K. Morton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. William Gladstone
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jason K. Morton.

Additional information

Handling editor: M. Power

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Morton, J.K., Gladstone, W. Changes in rocky reef fish assemblages throughout an estuary with a restricted inlet. Hydrobiologia 724, 235–253 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-013-1740-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-013-1740-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation