Current panorama of coastal fishing at the mouth of the Actopan River, Chachalacas, Veracruz (2014-2023 period)

Abstract

Currently, human activities such as tourism, human settlements, agricultural and industrial activities have generated an alteration of the biological communities associated with the coastal zone, particularly fish communities. The coastal zones of the State of Veracruz in the Gulf of Mexico are characterized by their high biodiversity and include a great variety of fishery resources, occupying fourth place in national fish production. However, there are no recent records on the ichthyofauna of the area of Chachalacas, Veracruz. In the present study, 12 samplings were carried out from February 2014 to March 2023 at the mouth of the Actopan River in both the marine and brackish water zones. Twenty species were recorded, highlighting the white jack mackerel (Carax latus), snook (Centropomus undecimalis), ocellated croaker (Sciaenops ocellatus) and mullet (Mugil liza), as frequent species, in all sampling periods, being the latter. The mullet is the only species that has remained relatively constant in terms of the abundance of organisms caught, in contrast to the white jack mackerel, which has reduced its abundance in the area. In addition, in relation to the cpue, there is a constant decrease over the years. The results of this study will help lay the groundwork for designing management plans for fishery resources in the area of Chachalacas, Veracruz.

Key words: Ichthyofauna, Biodiversity, Fishing, Veracruz, CPUE