Using BRUVS to describe the fish assemblage and its seasonality in two shallow marine inlets within protected areas of Patagonia, Argentina

TROBBIANI, GASTÓN; DE WYSIECKI, AGUSTÍN M.; BOVCON, NELSON; IRIGOYEN, ALEJO J.

ECOLOGÍA AUSTRAL

ASOCIACIÓN ARGENTINA DE ECOLOGÍA

Lugar: Buenos Aires; Año: 2021 vol. 31 p. 170 - 181

0327-5477

Baited Remote Underwater Video Stations (BRUVS) complemented with fishing methods were used to describe the fish assemblage and its seasonal pa􀄴ern in two marine inlets from Patagonia. The combined results for BRUVS and fishing sessions identified 13 fish species. Our results agree with the biogeographic schemes proposed for the southern Southwest Atlantic. The fish species belonging to the Argentine Biogeographic Province presented a seasonal pa􀄴ern with a peak of maximum abundance (Notorynchus cepedianus and Galeorhinus galeus) or were recorded during warm months only (Mustelus schmi􀄴i, Myliobatis goodei, and M. ridens), coinciding with the general latitudinal pa􀄴ern expected for fish species richness. The use of BRUVS in this study allowed for the assessment of different fish species and wide range of sizes, from large sharks (N. cepedianus) to small cryptic species (Patagonotothem sp.). However, three of 13 species were only recorded by fishing methods, like it was the case for M. ridens. The record of M. ridens is the first in Patagonian waters, extending its distribution for c. 180 km south of the previously known southern limit. This study contributes to filling large data gaps along the Southwest Atlantic regarding the description and understanding of the temporal dynamics of fish assemblages in particular environments within protected areas.