An Analytical comparative study of marine fish species entering the Shatt Al-Arab River and the Al-Hammar Marsh before and during the period of salt intrusion

Marine fish assemblage in Shatt alArab River and AlHammar Marsh before and after salinity inturusion

Abstract

       Thirty-five species of marine fish belonging to 24 genera and 17 families were recorded during the salt intrusion period entering the selected study stations: Abu Al-Khaseeb (first station), Sindbad (second station), and Al-Hammar marsh (third station), of which 28 species were in the first station, 18 species in the second station, and 21 species in the third stations for the period from January 2018 to December 2018, the highest similarity percentage (64.3%) was between the first and second stations, and the lowest (40%) was between the first and third stations.

      The total number of marine fish entering the Shatt Al-Arab and the Al-Hammar Marsh before and during the salt intrusion period were: Forty species were recorded entering Abu Al-Khasseb station, twenty-six were obtained at Sindbad station, and twenty-seven were obtained at Al-Hammar marsh station. Thirteen common species appeared in the three stations, namely: Thryssa whiteheadi, Planiliza subviridis, Teunalosa ilisha, Bathygobius fuscus, Planiliza klunzingeri, Hyporhamhus limbatus, Boleophthalmus dussumieri, Brachirus orientalis, Sillago sihama, Planiliza caranata, Nematalosa nasus, Scatophagus argus, and Acanthopagrus arabicus.

       The results showed that the composition of the fish population in the Shatt Al-Arab and the Al-Hammar Marsh is greatly affected by the salinity height during the salt intrusion period, the marine species recorded complete dominance in numerical abundance, reaching 82.8% in Abu Al-Khaseeb station, and 71.1% in Sinbad stations, and a complete dominance 100% in the Al-Hammar marsh station.