Earth Sciences Commons^™

Spatial And Temporal Trends In Diet For Pinfish (Lagodon Rhomboides) From Turtle Grass (Thalassia Testudinum) Beds With Contrasting Environmental Regimes In The Lower Laguna Madre, Texas, Maximiliano Barbosa

Theses and Dissertations

Seagrass meadows in far South Texas are dominated by turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum), and juvenile pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides) are abundant grazers of seagrass epifauna. As they grow, pinfish exhibit an ontogenetic dietary shift and begin consuming increasing amounts of plant material. In this study, contrasting environmental regimes in two seagrass meadows were examined to identify how they might affect pinfish diets, diet shifts, and growth across the growing season. The eastern site was sheltered from prevailing southeasterly winds by a barrier island, while the western site was shallower and subjected to higher wind energy and turbidity. …