Composition and distribution of ichthyofauna associated to farm ponds, in the colombian Caribbean region

Abstract

Fish communities within 12 farm ponds were studied based on the given land use of the catchment area (agricultural, livestock, and urban) in the municipalities of Magangué, Bolívar and Los Palmitos, Sucre. There were 5,695 individuals captured belonging to nine families, five orders, and 13 species: Hoplias malabaricus, Curimata magdalenae, Astyanax fasciatus, Piaractus brachypomus, Roeboides dayi, Prochilodus magdalenae, Hoplosternum thoracatum, Hemiancistrus wilsoni, Caquetaia kraussii, Oreochromis spp., Andinoacara latifrons, Poecilia caucana, and Synbranchus marmoratus. Farm ponds with the greatest species richness and abundance, i.e., 11 species and 2512 individuals, were the ones with urban use. Livestock use followed with seven species and 2252 individuals. According to Test F, there is no statistically significant difference between the means of the three variables with a confidence level of 95.0 %, with a p equal of 0.54 for A. fasciatus and 0.47 for A. latifrons, p ≥ 0.05. The degree of species turnover (β diversity) among the farm ponds and the three uses given to their catchment area was high because the difference in the composition of the fish assamblage between habitats varies considerably; amongst the 13 recorded species, they shared between two and four species, with complementarity values between 50 and 67 % (agriculture), 20 and 50 % (livestock), and 50 and 86 % (urban); the similarity was high in farm ponds for livestock use. The species richness and abundance of fish in ponds found in this study have great ecological significance in the conservation and preservation of the ichthyic biological diversity of the savannas and Tropical dry Forest in the departments of Sucre and Bolívar, in spite of the pressure exerted by the organic and inorganic pollution produced by agricultural, livestock, and urban activities.