Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

12-1-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Ocean, Coastal, and Earth Sciences

First Advisor

Hudson DeYoe

Second Advisor

Christopher Taylor

Third Advisor

Richard Kline

Abstract

Pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides) is a common estuarine fish species found from Massachusetts to the Yucatan, Mexico. As juveniles, pinfish spend a significant portion of their life in coastal seagrasses which provide both shelter from predators and food. Along the Texas coast, there are three major species of seagrass- turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum), manatee grass (Syringodium filiforme) and shoal grass (Halodule wrightii) that differ in structural complexity. The goal of this study was to determine if pinfish associate more with one seagrass species than the others. A year-long field study was completed using twelve sample sites in the Lower Laguna Madre, Texas that were seined quarterly. Four of the sites were dominated by Halodule, five were dominated by Thalassia and three were a mix of Thalassia and Syringodium. The dominant fish species at most sites in all seasons was pinfish. Based on ANOSIM and NMDS analysis, it appears that pinfish associate more with Halodule than the other species. Simper analysis indicated that Halodule had higher pinfish abundance compared to the other seagrass species. Seagrass biomass, % cover, leaf length and seagrass epiphyte load at the sample sites did not suggest a strong relationship between pinfish and the biotic features of Halodule. Seagrass shoot density had a high positive correlation with pinfish abundance suggesting that pinfish may associate more seagrass with higher shoot density regardless of the seagrass species.

Comments

Copyright 2025 Nathaniel Garza. All Rights Reserved. https://proquest.com/docview/3292597397

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