Coastal fish community structure at a proposed site for a new maritime port: Punta Colonet, Baja California, México (Eastern Pacific)

Jorge A. Rosales-Casian

doi:10.3153/AR26009

EN

Coastal fish community structure at a proposed site for a new maritime port: Punta Colonet, Baja California, México (Eastern Pacific)

Abstract

Punta Colonet, Baja California, México, is 240 kilometres south of California (USA), an upwelling and fishing site considered for a seaport construction. Coastal fish structure was determined through monitoring and available information, resulting in 7,010 individuals (106 species). Black perch (Embiotoca jacksoni) was most abundant by diving, and with hook-and-line, the Starry rockfish (Sebastes constellatus). Otter trawls and gillnets caught abundant Dwarf perch (Micrometrus minimus) and E. jacksoni. Artisanal fishing caught the Ocean whitefish (Caulolatilus princeps) abundantly in winter, summer, fall, and Vermilion rockfish (Sebastes miniatus) in spring; the overall mean was 67.6 ±17.3 SE fish/boat, highest in summer (81 ±4.6 fish/boat), and lowest during winter (49.5 ±4.2 fish/boat). Sportfishers caught Yellowtail (Seriola lalandi, 32.2%), S. miniatus, and Lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus). Ensenada Seafood Market sold California sheephead (Bodianus pulcher, formerly Semicossyphus pulcher 66.4%), C. princeps, and Paralabrax nebulifer. Colonet fish in the preserved collection recorded higher numbers of Northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax, n = 286) and White croaker (Genyonemus lineatus). The most abundant in all series was B. pulcher (16%) and ordered by Index of Community Importance: E. jacksoni (occurrence 41.1%), C. princeps, S. miniatus, B. pulcher, and M. minimus. With different methods, a greater number of fish and species were collected, and this shows the guidelines to follow after the port's construction. Colonet highlights fish habitat, also for commercial and sportfishing, and the information will help decision-makers before port construction.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

The Oceanology Division of Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Baja California (CICESE) funded this study through different projects headed by Jorge A. Rosales-Casián in the Marine Ecology Department.

Ethical Statement

This study was conducted in accordance with ethics committee procedures with no animal experiments.

Thanks

Thanks to Milton Love, University of California Santa Barbara, for his Horizon cruise and Cesar Almeda (CICESE) for help. Thanks to students Rubí Ruz, Anelena Campuzano, Alejandro Rodríguez in fish sampling; boat operators Luis Arce and Iván Castro. Humberto Delgadillo in seafood market monitoring, Jorge I. Rosales-Vásquez in sampling and by the Colonet bay map.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Marine and Estuarine Ecology , Ecology (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Jorge A. Rosales-Casian ^*
0000-0002-5546-5791
Mexico

Early Pub Date

March 16, 2026

Publication Date

March 16, 2026

Submission Date

October 10, 2025

Acceptance Date

January 22, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 9 Number: 2

DOI

https://doi.org/10.3153/AR26009

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA85TU42ZL

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Rosales-Casian, J. A. (2026). Coastal fish community structure at a proposed site for a new maritime port: Punta Colonet, Baja California, México (Eastern Pacific). Aquatic Research, 9(2), 90-106. https://doi.org/10.3153/AR26009

Öz

Coastal fish community structure at a proposed site for a new maritime port: Punta Colonet, Baja California, México (Eastern Pacific)

Abstract

Keywords

Supporting Institution

Ethical Statement

Thanks

References

Details

Primary Language

Subjects

Journal Section

Authors

Early Pub Date

Publication Date

Submission Date

Acceptance Date

Published in Issue

DOI

IZ

Cite