DENSITY, BIOMASS AND SPECIES COMPOSITION OF FISH IN A SUBTROPICAL RHIZOPHORA-STYLOSA MANGROVE FOREST

Juvenile and adult fish were sampled from within a subtropical Rhizoph ora stylosa mangrove forest in Tin Can Bay, Australia, every second lu nar month from November 1991 to November 1993. On all sampling occasio ns replicate samples were taken on two consecutive nights. In all, 332 0 fish were collected, representing 42 species and weighing 141 498 g. Significantly fewer fish were caught on the second night than on the first night. Economically important fish of the Families Atherinidae, Mugilidae, Gerreidae, Sparidae and Sillaginidae represented >76% by nu mber and >74% of the total weight caught. The mean density of fish in the forest was 0.04 +/- 0.01 m(-2), with a biomass of 1.3 +/- 0.2 g m( -2). This is lower than that found in similar studies on other mangrov e communities. The fish community was dominated by detritivores and in termediate carnivores, many of which are of economic value. Although t he fish use of this subtropical R. stylosa forest was low, this habita t is important as a feeding and nursery area for fish species that con tribute to the fisheries value of the region.