Consistent timing of juvenile fish recruitment to seagrass beds within twoSydney estuaries

Recruitment patterns of juvenile Rhabdosargus sarba (Sparidae) and Pelates sexlineatus (Terapontidae) were examined by frequent (1 4 weeks) beach sein ing of seagrass beds in Sydney, south-east Australia. Two sites within each of two estuaries (Botany Bay and Pitt Water) were sampled for one year. On e site within Botany Bay was sampled for 3 years. A total of 12 824 juvenil es of R. sarba and 7037 juveniles of P. sexlineatus were collected. R. sarb a recruited in 4 pulses during winter/spring, while P. sexlineatus recruite d in 6 pulses during summer/autumn, and the timing of recruitment events wa s consistent among locations and years. P. sexlineatus recruitment coincide d with new moons, but R. sarba recruitment dates were less precisely determ ined. Predictable annual recruitment patterns result in temporal partitioni ng of seagrass habitat between these two abundant estuarine species. Spatia l differences in magnitude of recruitment events among sites reflected patt erns of estuarine circulation.