Traps and baits selectivity on the capture of small fishes and crustaceans at estuarine environments

Abstract

In this study we tested capture efficiency of two of plastic bottle traps and four kinds of baits (fresh cow liver, broken corn, meat flavored dog food and commercial bait for amateur fishing) for small crustaceans and fishes at estuarine environments (saltmarshes and tidal creeks). Smaller trap opening sizes mainly limited the capture of organisms with hard exoskeleton such as crabs. There were no significant differences in number of species, abundance and/or biomass of captured organisms among baits. However, a bait/feeding behavior relationship was observed. The traps and baits were efficient in capturing small fishes and crustaceans, and therefore can be applied as a complementary method in ichthyological and crustaceans surveys at estuarine shallow water environments. However, in order to increase capture efficiency we recommend to use mixed baits, which best represent the trophic group diversity present in the study area.