VERBI VEnice Research BIbliography

In this paper, the main results of three years of CORILA project on the lagoon fish diversity are summarised. In particular, the composition of the shallow water fish assemblages, in terms of allocation of fish species to the different functional groups
(ecological guilds), has been compared with that found in previous studies on the “typical European” estuarine fish assemblage. The data obtained from the sampling carried out with two complementary fishing gear (fyke nets and beach seine), conducted during the last three years in different seasons, were combined to get a representative and complete picture of the entire lagoon shallow water fish assemblage. Further, the abundances of individuals allocated to the different ecological groups were used to elaborate spatial maps of the entire lagoon for each season. These maps allow to track the spatial-temporal variation of the abundance distribution of each functional group. Results suggest that the Venice Lagoon fish assemblage closely resembles the typical fish assemblage of European estuarine environments, being dominated by the group of estuarine residents. This group is homogeneously distributed in the lagoon, with strong seasonal fluctuations. By contrast, marine migrant fish are more localized in particular areas, and this is specifically true for marine migrant juveniles. These are more concentrated in the Northern lagoon sub-basin and appear to be associated to some particular habitats, like the internal salt marshes, characterized by high turbidity, muddy bottoms and freshwater inputs. Hence these maps may allow to localize the nursery areas in the lagoon, and could be a useful tool for the correct management of the ichthyological resources of the Venice Lagoon.