Trawl-Caught Fish in Moreton Bay, Australia: Value, Dominance, Diversity and Faunal Zonation

Abstract

Fish in the semi-enclosed Moreton Bay in southern Queensland, Australia, were sampled at-nine sites using an otter trawl monthly during daylight. Of 112 recorded species 20 (17 .8%) were recognized food species. They were, however, of little commercial value because of their small size. Six species (5% of total species) were most abundant, and accounted for 76% of the catch; 91 species (81 %) were very rare making up only 8% of the catch. Shannon-Wiener diversity indices ranged from 1.1 to 2.5, with estuarine sites showing higher diversity than oceanic sites. Similarity analysis (Kendall's coefficient of association) showed that the fish fauna at oceanic sites was different to that of inner, estuarine sites. Four faunal zonations in Moreton Bay are proposed: two oceanic, a Central and an estuarine zone.