Structural aspects of the surf-zone fish assemblage at King's Beach,Algoa Bay,South Africa: Long-term fluctuations

Regular collections of fish were obtained from the surf-zone at King's Beach, Algoa Bay. A total of 3970 fish, representing 50 species was caught with a coarse net and 16 857 fish, representing 37 species, were caught with a fine net. Predominant species were the blacktail, Diplodus sargus; the sand steenbras, Lithognathus mormyrus; the mullet, Liza richardsoni; the gorrie, Pomadasys olivaceum; the white stumpnose, Rhabdosargus globiceps; the sandshark, Rhinobatos annulatus; and the streepie, Sarpa salpa. No seasonal trends were discernible in the overall abundance or species diversity. The species composition of the dominant component of the fish assemblage varied considerably. This indicated instability in the community structure and cast doubts on the applicability of a classic community concept and the use of diversity indices. Neither classification nor correspondence analysis were of any use in identifying a characteristic species component. Multiple regression analysis indicated that short-term variations in wind conditions might be a primary determinant of fluctuations in abundance. The lack of seasonality in the community parameters may reflect the fact that short-term variability masks seasonal perturbations.