Comparative analysis of the fish-weir fi sheries at São Luís Island, Maranhão State, Brazil

Abstract

Fish-weirs are traps fi xed to the bottom and built with rods and wire. In these traps, fi shes are hedged in by the walls and removed during low tide. The goals of this paper were: to characterize two types of fi sh-weirs at Raposa and São José de Ribamar counties; to describe their fi shing activities; to characterize the species of economic importance; and to evaluate the frequency, abundance and diversity of captured species. The fi sh-weirs were classifi ed in two types: “boca para riba” founded in São José de Ribamar, and “atravessado” founded in Raposa. In S.J. de Ribamar, a total of 22 fi sh species were identifi ed, distributed in 13 orders and 16 families, while in Raposa were identifi ed 35 species in 9 orders and 21 families. In Raposa 63% of the species were economically important, while in S. J. de Ribamar only 36% of the species were commercially exploited. The results indicated variation in relative participation of the species in the total number of fi shes catched concerning dry and rainy seasons. In the traps of “atravessado” type, the more commons species were Centrengraulis edentulus, Trichiurus lepturus, Caranx crysos, Oligoplites saurus, Peprilus paru, Macrodon ancylodon, Notarius grandicassis, Pellona harroweri, Genyatremus luteus, Chloroscombrus chrysurus, Selene vomer, Colomesus psittacus, Cynoscion acoupa, Bagre bagre e Aspitor quadriscutis. In the traps “boca para riba” type, in turn, the more frequents species were: Selene vomer, Trichiurus lepturus, Centrengraulis edentulus, Chloroscombrus chrysurus e Chaetodipterus faber. The highest values of the diversity index were obtained for the traps “atravessado” type, except in April.