A preliminary fish survey of the estuaries on the southeast coast of South Africa, Kayser’s Beach – Kei Mouth: a comparative study

Abstract

A basic ichthyofaunal and physico-chemical survey of estuaries on the southeast coast of South Africa from Kayser’s Beach to Kei Mouth was undertaken during September and October 1996. Twenty-eight (28) estuaries have been identified along this stretch of coastline, and these were grouped into three types: small (<10 ha) predominantly closed estuaries, moderate to large (> 10 ha) predominantly closed estuaries, and predominantly open estuaries. Multivariate analyses revealed significant differences between estuarine types both in terms of their physico-chemical characteristics and fish communities. These features were consistent with those reported in other parts of the south and southeast coast. Overall, predominantly closed estuaries had a lower species diversity than predominantly open estuaries and smaller systems had a lower species diversity than moderate to large systems.

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