Characterising different artisanal fishing gears catches that operate in distinct habitats to assess ichthyofauna assemblages in Bons Sinais estuary, Mozambique

Monitoring the ichthyofauna is crucial to detect changes in aquatic communities for fisheries management and conservation. This study aimed to identify the most effective gear for ichthyofauna studies in the estuary. Thus, the performance of the beach seine (active gear) and chicocota (fixed gear), common fishing gears used by artisanal fishers in the Bons Sinais estuary (BSE), were used to characterise fish assemblage structure. Monthly surveys were conducted at two fixed sample points of the BSE to assess the composition of the fish assemblage. The analysis revealed statistical differences in abundance, biomass, and the presence/absence of different species between gears regardless sampling months. At ecological level, differences among gears were explained by different modus operandi, technological features and also different sampling habitats where gears operate; beach seine is catching bottom-bound and littoral fish while Chicocota is sampling the pelagic assemblage of the mid-channels. The frequency of occurrence of the 13 most abundant species differed between gears. Both gears showed little size-selectivity, with the mean total length and mean body height of these species statistically differing between gears. A total of 92 fish species were identified. No statistical differences were observed among gears for species richness, diversity and evenness. Both fishing gears captured several local socio-economically important species in the BSE. In particular, 13 of the most important species accounted for more than 54% and 60% of the total abundance and biomass in beach seine and chicocota, respectively. The complementary use of fixed and active fishing gears for studying fish community structure in estuaries is recommended. This multi-gear sampling approach enhances the capacity to detect changes in fish communities and provides valuable data for fisheries management and conservation efforts.