DETERMINATION OF FISH DIVERSITY IN THE ROCKY HABITAT AROUND MERSIN BOĞSAK ISLAND (NORTHEAST MEDITERRANEAN) BY VISUAL CENSUS METHOD

Abstract

This study was conducted in the rocky habitat of Boğsak Island in Mersin Bay in November, March and July, representing the fall, spring and summer months of 2022-2023, by scuba diving between 0-18 m depth for approximately 40 hours. The Go-Pro Hero 12 black camera was used in the study. In the study, the structure of the fish community of the rocky bottom habitat of Boğsak Island in Mersin Bay was determined, and the seasonal availability, abundance, feeding status, and distribution of local and non-native fish species were determined. Sampling was carried out using the underwater visual counting method, and surveys were made along a linear line. Shannon-Weiner Diversity Index (H'), Homogeneity and Relative Diversity Index Evennes (J) and Species Richness Index Margalef Rhichnes (D) were used to determine the species diversity. The distance of the relationship between the data was determined with N-MDS, one of the multidimensional scaling analyses. The Euclidean formula was used to determine the distances of coordinates in the scaling. Principal component analysis was used to classify species based on the number of individuals. A total of 29 fish species, including 28 bony fish species belonging to 15 families and 1 cartilaginous Gymnura altavela (Linnaeus, 1758), were identified in the study area. The richest family in terms of species diversity was Sparidae (6), followed by Mullidae (3), Serranidae (3), Tetraodontidae (2), Soleidae (2), Labridae (2) and other families with 1 species each. Of the fish species identified throughout the year in the study area, 52% were Atlantic, 37% were Indo-Pacific and 11% were cosmopolitan. It was found that 41% of the fish species were invertivores, 22% carnivores (feeding on fish and invertebrates), 18% omnivores, 11% planktivores, 4% herbivores and 4% piscivores. Torquigener flavimaculosus in summer, Cheilodipterus novemstriatus in spring, and Chromis chromis in fall were the most abundant species. According to the Shannon diversity index (H'), the highest species diversity was found in the fall (H'=2,956), followed by spring (H'=2,501) and summer (H'=2,458). Homogeneity and relative diversity index Evennes (J) was determined as J=0.642 in spring, J=0.531 in summer and J=0.800 in fall. The species richness index Margalef Rhichnes (D) was highest in autumn (d=4.804), then in summer (d=3.917) and lowest in spring (d=3.632). This is the first study to investigate the structure of rocky habitat fish communities in the northeastern Mediterranean, which shows a dynamic structure in terms of biodiversity, and is expected to contribute to researchers working in this field.

Keywords

• Rocky habitat
• fish communities
• underwater observation
• Mersin Bay
• Türkiye

MERSİN BOĞSAK ADASI (KUZEYDOĞU AKDENİZ) ÇEVRESİNDE YER ALAN KAYALIK HABITATTA BALIK ÇEŞİTLİLİĞİNİN GÖRSEL SAYIM YÖNTEMİYLE BELİRLENMESİ

Abstract

Bu çalışma, Mersin Körfezi'ndeki Boğsak Adası'nın kayalık habitatında, 2022-2023 yıllarının sonbahar, ilkbahar ve yaz aylarını temsil eden Kasım, Mart ve Temmuz aylarında, 0-18 m derinlik arasında yaklaşık 40 saat süreyle tüplü dalış yapılarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışmada Go-Pro Hero 12 marka kamera kullanılmıştır. Çalışmada, Mersin Körfezi'ndeki Boğsak Adası'nın kayalık dip habitatının balık topluluğunun yapısı belirlenmiş, yerli ve yerli olmayan balık türlerinin mevsimsel bulunabilirliği, bolluğu, beslenme durumu ve dağılımı tespit edilmiştir. Örnekleme, sualtında görsel sayım yöntemi kullanılarak gerçekleştirilmiş ve araştırmalar doğrusal bir hat boyunca yapılmıştır. Tür çeşitliliğini belirlemek için Shannon-Weiner Çeşitlilik İndeksi (H'), Homojenlik ve Göreceli Çeşitlilik İndeksi Evennes (J) ve Tür Zenginliği İndeksi Margalef Rhichnes (D) kullanılmıştır. Veriler arasındaki ilişkinin uzaklığı çok boyutlu ölçekleme analizlerinden biri olan N-MDS ile belirlenmiştir. Ölçeklendirmede koordinatların uzaklıklarını belirlemek için Öklid formülü kullanılmıştır. Türleri birey sayısına göre sınıflandırmak için temel bileşen analizi kullanılmıştır. Çalışma alanında 15 familyaya ait 28 kemikli balık türü ve 1 kıkırdaklı Gymnura altavela (Linnaeus, 1758) olmak üzere toplam 29 balık türü tespit edilmiştir. Tür çeşitliliği açısından en zengin familya Sparidae (6) olup, bunu Mullidae (3), Serranidae (3), Tetraodontidae (2), Soleidae (2), Labridae (2) ve 1'er türle diğer familyalar takip etmektedir. Çalışma alanında yıl boyunca tespit edilen balık türlerinin %52'sinin Atlantik, %37'sinin Hint-Pasifik ve %11'inin kozmopolit olduğu belirlenmiştir. Balık türlerinin %41'inin invertivor, %22'sinin karnivor (balık ve omurgasızlarla beslenen), %18'inin omnivor, %11'inin planktivor, %4'ünün herbivor ve %4'ünün piscivor olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Yaz aylarında Torquigener flavimaculosus, ilkbaharda Cheilodipterus novemstriatus ve sonbaharda Chromis chromis en bol bulunan türlerdir. Shannon çeşitlilik indeksine (H') göre, en yüksek tür çeşitliliği sonbaharda (H'=2,956) bulunurken, bunu ilkbahar (H'=2,501) ve yaz (H'=2,458) takip etmiştir. Homojenlik ve göreceli çeşitlilik indeksi Evennes (J) ilkbaharda J=0.642, yazın J=0.531 ve sonbaharda J=0.800 olarak belirlenmiştir. Tür zenginliği indeksi Margalef Rhichnes (D) en yüksek sonbaharda (d=4.804), daha sonra yazın (d=3.917) ve en düşük ilkbaharda (d=3.632) bulunmuştur. Bu çalışma, biyoçeşitlilik açısından dinamik bir yapı gösteren kuzeydoğu Akdeniz'deki kayalık habitat balık topluluklarının yapısını inceleyen ilk çalışmadır ve bu alanda çalışan araştırmacılara katkı sağlaması beklenmektedir.

Keywords

• Kayalık habitat
• balık toplulukları
• sualtı gözlemi
• Mersin Körfezi
• Türkiye

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