Are distributions of fishes in tropical estuaries influenced by turbidity over small spatial scales?

• Published in: Journal of fish biology Vol. 71; no. 3; pp. 657 - 671
• Main Authors: Johnston, R., Sheaves, M., Molony, B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.09.2007
• Subjects: Ambassis vachelli; fish distribution; Leiognathus equulus; Marine; Musa; Pisces; prawn distribution; tropical estuary; turbidity; Australia, Queensland; ISEW, Australia, Queensland
• ISSN: 0022-1112; 1095-8649
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2007.01536.x

This study found no evidence that turbidity influenced the distribution of fishes in four tropical estuaries in north‐eastern Queensland. When both more turbid and less turbid environments were immediately available to Ambassis vachelli and Leiognathus equulus there was no difference in abundance between the more and less turbid environments and no correlated change in abundance as the difference in turbidity increased. A similar outcome was evident for an additional six species of fish. Furthermore, the distribution of fishes was not correlated with the distribution of an important prey species, juvenile banana prawns Penaeus merguiensis, which exhibited a clear response to differences in turbidity level with higher abundance in the more turbid samples, however, the magnitude of the difference did not alter with changes in the magnitude of the differences in turbidity.